Tributes Paid to Comrade Ajmer Singh

The Untimely Passing of Two Communist Leaders Is a Great Loss to the Movement
— CPI (ML) Red Star

Barnala, September 3, 2026

Within a span of just two days, two communist revolutionary leaders have bid a final farewell to the revolutionary democratic movement. Their untimely deaths have deprived the Left and revolutionary democratic movement of two well-known and dedicated comrades.

Speaking at a condolence and tribute meeting held in Barnala, Punjab, Comrade Labh Singh Akalia, State Secretary of CPI (ML) Red Star, Comrade Gurtej Kheewa, and Comrade Nachhattar Singh Ramnagar, a provincial leader of the Mazdoor Adhikar Andolan, said that Comrade Gurnam Singh Daoud, a member of the Central Committee of RMPI, passed away two days ago. Yesterday, Comrade Ajmer Singh Samra, a prominent and senior leader of CPI (ML) New Democracy, also passed away.

This is extremely sad news for the entire movement. The permanent departure of these two comrades is an irreparable loss to the movement. CPI (ML) Red Star pays its heartfelt tributes to the departed comrades and offers them Red Salute.

The leaders further said that the passing away of these two leaders is a great loss to the movement, especially at a time when the entire country has come under the grip of the fascist rule of the RSS-BJP. At a time when the entire revolutionary Left movement needs to unite with complete sincerity and determination to wage a powerful struggle against the jungle rule of the Sangh Parivar’s Manuvadi fascist-corporate alliance, the loss of such fighting communist leaders is particularly painful.

Today, oppressed and toiling people, revolutionary forces, and minorities—including Muslims, Christians, and other minority communities—are under attack and are being increasingly targeted by the RSS and the fascist forces associated with it. The fascist forces are rapidly advancing their agenda of reducing minorities, particularly the Muslim community, to the status of second-class citizens.

At such a critical juncture, the passing away of these two fighting communist leaders is a profound and irreparable loss to the revolutionary and democratic movement.

The post Tributes Paid to Comrade Ajmer Singh appeared first on CPI(ML) Red Star.

BHUBANESWAR — Tensions boiled over in the capital city on Wednesday as hundreds of slum dwellers, under the banner of the Basti Suraksha Manch, staged a massive protest at Master Canteen Square against the forcible eviction of residents from the Niladri Vihar Transit House.

The demonstration comes in the wake of a major demolition drive on August 11, during which approximately 120 families lost their homes. Protesters alleged that the authorities initiated the drive without arranging adequate rehabilitation, leaving scores of vulnerable citizens—including young children, pregnant women, and the elderly—stranded under the open sky during peak monsoon rains.

A Struggle for Dignity and Shelter

Holding banners and raising slogans, demonstrators criticized the administration for treating the long-term urban poor merely as “encroachers.” Protesters highlighted that slum residents form the lifeline of Bhubaneswar’s informal economy as daily wage laborers, domestic workers, sanitation staff, construction workers, and street vendors.

“This is not just an issue of illegal occupation; it is a fundamental human rights issue concerning shelter, livelihood, and social dignity,” stated representatives of the Basti Suraksha Manch.

The organization also condemned recent police action, alleging that peaceful protesters were subjected to arbitrary detentions and harsh suppression.

Memorandum Submitted to BMC and Chief Minister

Following the rally, a five-member delegation met with the Deputy Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to hand over a formal memorandum outlining their core grievances. Parallel copies were submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and the Housing & Urban Development Department.

The key demands placed before the administration include:

Immediate Cessation of Demolitions: An absolute ban on further evictions at Niladri Vihar without prior, proper rehabilitation.

Legal Compliance: Strict adherence to the Odisha Municipal Corporation (OMC) Act regarding land rights and proper family unit definitions.

Fair Re-verification: Transparent review processes for families previously excluded from beneficiary lists.

Dignified Housing: Provision of permanent land rights or constructed homes for all affected households.

Call for Compassionate Urban Governance

The Manch urged state authorities to abandon “bulldozer-led governance” and instead adopt a human-centric approach rooted in constitutional rights and social equity. Prominent civil rights leaders and activists—including Com Pramila General Secretary of BSM and Politiburo Member CPIMLREDSTAR, Hena (President, Basti Suraksha Manch), Narayan Lenka, Bijay Barik, Padmanabha Martha, Sanatan Ojha, Radharani Maharana, and Mayadhar Sethi—spearheaded the protest.

As of Wednesday evening, municipal authorities have acknowledged receipt of the memorandum, though an official statement regarding a pause in the eviction drive is currently awaited.

The post Outrage in Bhubaneswar: Slum Dwellers Protest Forced Evictions, Demand Permanent Housing Before Demolition appeared first on CPI(ML) Red Star.

Following the demonstration, a joint memorandum was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Barnala, raising various demands concerning the rights and interests of farmers and workers.

The protest meeting was addressed by leaders including Chamkaur Singh of BKU Ugrahan, Manjit Singh Dhaner of BKU Dakonda, Darshan Singh Ugoke, Labh Singh Akalia of the Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI), Khushia Singh of AITUC, and other leaders.

The speakers strongly condemned the anti-farmer, anti-worker and pro-corporate policies of the Modi government and called upon farmers, workers and all democratic and progressive forces to intensify their united struggle against these policies.

The post *Nationwide Protest Call by SKM and Central Trade Unions: Joint Demonstration Held in Barnala, Punjab appeared first on CPI(ML) Red Star.

The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed by the Lok Sabha authorizes the government to go for a transaction levy/tax on Digital Payments. Though its details are yet to come out and, even as an immediate levy or tax on digital payments is not imminent, the legislation permits a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) or service charge on digital payments like UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and RuPay in the days ahead. At the same time, according to Indian Finance Minister, the amendment will ensure the long-term financial sustainability of banking and payment infrastructure. It implies that this move on the part of the Modi government is driven by the domestic cost of running the infrastructure, and is intended for alleviating the domestic burden on banks and payment service providers.

However, this argument is not in conformity with the facts. As already noted by experts and well- meaning people, the RBI, which through the National Payments Corporation of India is regulating the UPI payments, has the financial capacity to easily manage the Digital Payments System without creating any burden for its stakeholders. For instance, during the last financial year alone, the RBI had transferred Rs 2.86 lakh crore of its surplus fund to the Central government, and a very small fraction of it is enough to maintain the entire UPI mechanism. As such, the real reason that prompted the Modi government to go for a transaction levy on digital payments is something else.

Here comes the staunch criticism raised by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) against India’s UPI and RuPay framework in its March 2026 National Trade Estimate Report that targeted India’s digital payment system for its exclusion of American giants like Visa and Mastercard from the Indian market. Revealingly, the USTR’s categorisation of India’s zero-MDR digital payment networks as foreign trade barriers against Visa and Mastercard also coincides with the ongoing US-India trade negotiations which are also biased against India. Of course, as far as the US imperialism is concerned, this is not an isolated move. Accusing Brazil’s free instant payment system, Pix, as providing preferential treatment for Brazilian stakeholders, the US even went to the extent of imposing tariffs on Brazil after Section 301 investigations. Therefore, the Modi regime’s move towards imposition of transaction levy on domestic digital payments is not prompted by national interests, but for creating level playing fields and competitive advantage for US digital and electronic companies operating in India.

In fact, when India launched the UPI in 2016, the US had established its firm roots in Indian financial markets through its debit and credit cards like Mastercard, Visa, etc. As such, treating the UPI as a localised experiment in India, its close ally and junior partner, the initial response of the US towards UPI was one of disregard with skepticism. However, the value of UPI transactions which was just ₹7000 core in the financial year 2016-17 rose to more than ₹314 lakh crore in 2025-26, becoming the world’s largest and broad-based real-time payment platform, driving out the US card intermediaries like Visa and Mastercard in the process. Now, as the Indian people have shifted to UPI transactions instead of US swipe cards, it’s the appalling loss of potential revenue to American companies and consequent US diktats that prompted the Modi regime to impose a new legislation for a transaction levy on digital payments, pushing the entire burden on common people, and paving the way for renewed entry of US companies into the Indian digital market.

No don’t, this move by Vishwaguru once again reveals how the country’s policy decisions are dictated by the US imperialist master and how the so-called ‘cultural nationalism’ acts as a cover for serving corporate capital at the expense of Indian people’s interests !

The post Move Towards Tax on Digital Transactions Prompted by US Diktats? – P J James appeared first on CPI(ML) Red Star.

Earlier a public meeting was held at the Puthukkad Center as part of the conference, in which Comrades M K Dasan, PN Provint and KV Purushothaman spoke. Com. N D Venu welcomed and Com A K Chandran gave the vote of thanks

The post The CPI (ML) Red Star Thrissur District Conference concluded successfully appeared first on CPI(ML) Red Star.