India
US defence secretary boosts military ties with India
By K. Ratnayake, 5 June 2015
As Washington ratcheted up its confrontation with China over the South China Sea, Carter’s trip to India emphasised greater naval cooperation.
Indian heatwave kills more than 2,200
By Sujeeva Amaranath, 1 June 2015
Most of the victims in the worst heatwave since 1998 are construction workers, homeless people, street dwellers and the poor.
India: One year of the Modi-led, BJP government
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 30 May 2015
The BJP has moved India sharply right, lending support to the US’s anti-China “pivot,” imposing austerity and pro-market “reforms,” and inciting Hindu supremacism.
India’s Modi woos and warns China
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 21 May 2015
Overshadowing Modi’s entire visit was the heightening of tensions across the Indo-Pacific region as a result of Washington’s “pivot to Asia.”
India’s BJP government presses forward with big business “reforms”
By Deepal Jayasekera, 15 May 2015
The newly-enacted “reforms” will further enrich local and global investors at the expense of the working class and rural toilers.
India: CPM General-Secretary Sitaram Yechury’s right-wing record
By Arun Kumar, 30 April 2015
The new leader of the Stalinist CPM has for years functioned as a member of the political establishment, helping stitch together and prop-up a series of rightwing governments.
India: Stalinist CPM shifts still further right
By our correspondents in Visakhapatnam, 21 April 2015
The CPM’s new general secretary has long been associated with a party faction that favours closer relations with the Congress, India's traditional party of government.
Indian Stalinists reaffirm right-wing “political-tactical” line
By our correspondents in Visakhapatnam, 18 April 2015
This week’s congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) formally reaffirmed the policy under which it has propped up a series of rightwing governments dedicated to pro-market “reform.”
India: Stalinist CPM begins its 21st congress
By our correspondents in Visakhapatnam, 16 April 2015
With the working class on a collision course with Narendra Modi and his BJP government, the Stalinists intend to redouble their efforts to chain it to the BJP’s big-business political rivals.
Indian Stalinists meet amid political-organizational crisis
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 13 April 2015
Support for the CPM has hemorrhaged as a result of its leading role in implementing the bourgeoisie’s drive to make India a global hub of cheap-labor production.
India bans BBC documentary on 2012 Delhi gang rape
By Wasantha Rupasinghe, 27 March 2015
In a blatant attack on free speech, India’s Hindu supremacist BJP government has banned India’s Daughter, a BBC documentary on a notorious 2012 gang rape and murder in Delhi.
Swine flu ravages India
By Arun Kumar, 25 March 2015
Almost two thousand people have died from swine flu in India in the past four months and a further 33,000 have contracted the disease.
Dozens killed in Indian railway accident
By Sujeewa Amaranath, 23 March 2015
While the immediate cause appears to be brake failure, the broader reason for the derailment lies in the rundown of the rail network by successive governments.
Modi visits Sri Lanka to push for closer ties against China
By Wasantha Rupasinghe, 18 March 2015
The Indian prime minister undertook his trip amid US encouragement of New Delhi to play a greater role in the region, in order to counter China’s influence.
Modi bears strategic “gifts” to Seychelles and Mauritius
By Deepal Jayasekera, 14 March 2015
With Washington’s backing and encouragement, India is seeking to counter China’s growing influence by harnessing key Indian Ocean island states.
Modi visiting Indian Ocean islands in bid to undermine China’s influence
By Wasantha Rupasinghe, 10 March 2015
The Indian prime minister’s tour of Indian Ocean island states is unfolding just days after the head of the US Pacific Fleet urged New Delhi to play a much larger role in the Asia-Pacific region.
India’s “growth” budget coddles business while punishing working people
By Kranti Kumara and Keith Jones, 3 March 2015
Big business has lauded Jaitley’s budget as good for investors and profits,
Mass layoffs shake India’s IT industry
By Jai Sharma, 27 February 2015
Indian IT companies have fired over 15,000 workers in the past year as they attempt to offload the impact of the global capitalist crisis.
Sri Lankan president’s visit to India highlights foreign policy shift
By Deepal Jayasekera, 25 February 2015
Four bilateral agreements were signed during Sri Lankan President Sirisena’s trip, including a strategic civil nuclear cooperation pact.
Upstart AAP staggers BJP and Congress in Delhi Assembly election
By Kranti Kumara, 11 February 2015
The AAP has stormed to office in India’s national capital territory, winning more than 50 percent of the vote and 67 of 70 assembly seats.
India, US boost military-strategic drive against China
By Keith Jones, 28 January 2015
US President Barack Obama returns from a three-day visit to India with a series of agreements that dramatically enhance the Indo-US “global strategic partnership.”
Obama to press India for economic and strategic concessions
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 24 January 2015
In a gesture meant to underline that Washington and New Delhi are enhancing their strategic partnership, Obama will be the guest of honor at Monday’s Republic Day celebrations.
Evidence of India’s involvement in regime change in Sri Lanka
By K. Ratnayake, 21 January 2015
Reuters reported that an Indian intelligence agent was expelled before the Sri Lankan presidential election, following complaints that he assisted the opposition parties.
Indian elite welcomes change of government in Sri Lanka
By Deepal Jayasekera, 17 January 2015
India’s over-riding concern is securing Sri Lanka’s shift away from Beijing.
India’s Modi regime imposes big business “reforms” by executive fiat
By Kranti Kumara, 9 January 2015
The ordinances were aimed at demonstrating to big business that the government is ready to use authoritarian methods to impose neoliberal reforms.
Unions scuttle half-million strong Coal India strike
By Arun Kumar and Kranti Kumara, 9 January 2015
The unions shut the strike down just as it was beginning to have a major impact on the country’s coal supply.
India implementing raft of “pro-investor” measures
By Kranti Kumara, 10 December 2014
India’s new government is gutting labour laws and has signaled its intention to dramatically scale back price subsidies and social welfare programs.
India: Open rift in Stalinist CPM
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 28 November 2014
The debacle the CPM suffered in last May’s national election has brought to a head longstanding differences over what right-wing course to follow.
Chinese and Indian leaders hold competing visits to Fiji
By Tom Peters, 27 November 2014
The two high-profile visits to the Pacific island country came amid increasing geo-political rivalry, fuelled by US imperialism’s “pivot to Asia” against China.
India: Open rift in Stalinist CPM
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 27 November 2014
The debacle the CPM suffered in last May’s national election has brought to a head longstanding differences over what right-wing course to follow.
ICFI/WSWS supporters in India hold public meeting on danger of world war
By our correspondents, 22 November 2014
Workers and students from various workplaces and colleges came to discuss an alternative socialist perspective.
India: Unions betray contract workers’ strike
By Arun Kumar and Moses Rajkumar, 21 November 2014
The trade unions were in such a hurry to end the strike that they called it off without even signing an agreement with the employer, NLC.
Australian government embraces security pact with India
By Peter Symonds, 20 November 2014
The manoeuvres surrounding the Indian prime minister’s visit were likened to the “Great Game” of imperialist rivalry in Asia before World War I.
India and Vietnam build closer economic and military ties
By Sujeeva Amaranth, 14 November 2014
The recent trip by Vietnam’s prime minister to India is the second high-level visit in two months involving the two countries.
ICFI/WSWS public meeting in India on the danger of world war
11 November 2014
We urge workers and youth to attend the ICFI/WSWS supporters’ meeting in Chennai to discuss the socialist response to the threat of war.
India criticises Chinese submarine visits to Colombo
By Wasantha Rupasinghe, 10 November 2014
By objecting to Chinese vessels docking in Sri Lanka, the Indian government is clearly acting with Washington’s support.
Striking Bosch workers in India defy state government ban
By Sathish Simon, 22 October 2014
Bosch auto workers have been on strike in Bangalore since September 16, fighting for higher wages and better working conditions.
India: Tamil Nadu chief minister jailed over graft case
By Arun Kumar, 16 October 2014
Jayaram Jayalalithaa was stripped of her post and her seat in the state assembly, and faces four years in jail.
India and Pakistan trade warnings over escalating border clashes
By Kranti Kumara and Keith Jones, 10 October 2014
India and Pakistan have exchanged bellicose warnings over what are being described as the most serious border skirmishes in more than a decade.
India tilts still closer to Washington
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 3 October 2014
During his summit meeting with Obama, Prime Minister Modi signaled his readiness to align India still more closely with the US’s predatory global agenda.
Indian contract workers continue strike at state-owned energy company
By Arun Kumar and Kranti Kumara, 3 October 2014
Striking Neyveli Lignite Corporation contract workers in the southern India state of Tamil Nadu are defying a high court back-to-work order.
Modi promotes India as world’s sweatshop
By Wasantha Rupasinghe, 1 October 2014
Modi’s new BJP government is seeking to convince world capital that India is the go-to destination for cheap labour.
US elite rolls out red carpet for Indian PM Modi
By Keith Jones, 30 September 2014
Washington has made no secret it wants to “reset” Indo-US relations, so as to harness New Delhi to its anti-China “pivot.”
India strengthens strategic ties with Vietnam
By John Roberts, 26 September 2014
The Indian and Vietnamese presidents issued a joint statement on the need for security in the South China Sea that was clearly aimed against China.
China’s president visits India in bid to counter US “pivot”
By Deepal Jayasekera, 24 September 2014
Xi’s visit to India was an attempt to counter the US-Japanese drive to strategically isolate and encircle China.
Australia-India uranium deal strengthens economic and strategic ties
By Peter Symonds, 6 September 2014
The uranium pact removes an obstacle to closer military relations between Australia and India as part of broader US efforts to forge an anti-China bloc.
India: NLC contract workers launch indefinite strike
By Arun Kumar, 6 September 2014
Workers are demanding permanency of jobs, wage hikes and higher bonuses.
India and Japan proclaim “special strategic, global partnership”
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 4 September 2014
Modi’s Japan trip launched a month of hectic diplomacy in which India’s prime minister will meet the heads of government of all the key powers in the military-strategic confrontation between US imperialism and China.
India: Four workers killed in Tamil Nadu plastic depot blaze
By our correspondents, 28 August 2014
Rajakani Traders has been operating for about eight years despite repeated local complaints about the depot’s location.
India and US to further expand military-strategic ties
By Deepal Jayasekera, 14 August 2014
US Defense Secretary Hagel claimed that Washington is offering India military co-development and co-production deals unlike those the US has “with any other country.”
Frictions over trade at US-India Strategic Dialogue
By Deepal Jayasekera, 6 August 2014
Despite disagreements on economic issues, US and Indian leaders consolidated their strategic and military partnership directed against China.
US officials push for closer military-strategic ties with India
By Deepal Jayasekera, 31 July 2014
The Secretary of State and Defense Secretary are visiting India to strengthen the partnership between the two countries as Washington intensifies its war preparations against China and Russia.
India covers up Israeli war crimes in Gaza
By Deepal Jayasekera, 26 July 2014
In the guise of neutrality, the Indian government supported Israel’s justification for its criminal actions.
India: BJP tables right-wing, pro-investor budget
By Keith Jones, 11 July 2014
The budget announced a flurry of measures to strengthen big business control over economic life and make India’s workers and toilers pay for the capitalist crisis.
Jailed Maruti Suzuki workers in India continue to be denied bail
By Arun Kumar and Kranti Kumara, 1 July 2014
The bail application hearing for the framed-up Maruti Suzuki India workers continues to drag on in the Supreme Court.
China seeks to woo India’s new right-wing government
By Deepal Jayasekera, 14 June 2014
Beijing is trying to counter US and Japanese attempts to draw India more tightly into their campaign to isolate and militarily encircle China.
Sri Lankan president seeks improved relations with India
By S. Jayanth, 4 June 2014
Despite Rajapakse’s efforts to ease tensions, the new Indian government is pressing Colombo to make a power-sharing deal with the island’s Tamil elites.
Modi takes the reins of India’s government
By Keith Jones, 28 May 2014
Big business has strongly supported the coming to power of the BJP with the expectation that a Modi-led government will ram through pro-market “reforms.”
Stalinists suffer debacle in Indian elections
By K. Ratnayake and Keith Jones, 24 May 2014
In the second national election in succession, the Stalinist-led Left Front lost more than half of its seats and saw its vote share fall sharply.
India’s parliamentary landscape transformed
By Keith Jones, 21 May 2014
The Hindu communalist BJP was the utterly unwarranted beneficiary of mass popular anger with the ten year-old Congress Party-led government.
India’s watershed election
By Keith Jones, 19 May 2014
The BJP’s victory and the collapse of the Congress and Stalinist parties reflect a realignment of Indian politics presaging a vast intensification of the class struggle.
Hindu chauvinist BJP sweeps to power in India
By Keith Jones, 17 May 2014
India’s BJP regime will be a government of extreme crisis, tasked with implementing socially incendiary “pro-market” reforms in the face of popular opposition.
Toyota in India intensifies repression against workers
By Arun Kumar and W.A. Sunil, 17 May 2014
The management of Toyota in India has taken new steps to intimidate the auto maker’s unionized workforce at its two plants.
After Indian elections, US to press for greater support for “pivot to Asia”
By Keith Jones, 16 May 2014
Washington intends to use the coming to power of a new Indian prime minister to harness India more tightly to its anti-China “pivot to Asia.”
India signals support for Vietnam in South China Sea dispute
By Deepal Jayasekera, 13 May 2014
India’s support may be cautiously-worded, but it is inflammatory under conditions where Washington has been encouraging the states of East Asia to press their territorial claims against Beijing.
Tamil Nadu workers speak to WSWS about Indian elections
By our correspondents, 12 May 2014
Workers voiced their anger with all the parties of the establishment, including the ostensible left parties.
India: Modi reiterates pledge to expel “Bangladeshi” Muslims in wake of communal massacre
By Deepal Jayasekera, 8 May 2014
In the wake of the communal massacre of more than three dozen Muslims in Assam, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has amplified his communally-charged denunciations of Bangladeshi Muslim migrants.
Indian elections: Rival right-wing parties in Tamil Nadu make populist promises
By Sasi Kumar, 3 May 2014
All the parties and fronts that are contesting the elections in Tamil Nadu are committed to continuing the socially incendiary economic “reforms” demanded by foreign investors and Indian big business.
India: Congress Party trumpets “inclusive growth” in hopes of averting poll debacle
By Nanda Wickremasinghe and Deepal Jayasekera, 1 May 2014
While the Congress Party claims to be the party of “inclusive growth”, its UPA government has presided over a huge increase in social inequality.
Indian workers speak in solidarity with International May Day
By our correspondents, 26 April 2014
The WSWS spoke with workers in southern India, including from the Neyveli Lignite Corporation and in Chennai’s Sriperumbudur special economic zone.
India: Modi tries to distance himself from incendiary communalist remarks
By Deepal Jayasekera, 25 April 2014
BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi tried to distance himself from inflammatory remarks made by several prominent BJP leaders.
India: New evidence of BJP role, Congress complicity in razing of Babri Masjid
By Deepal Jayasekera, 18 April 2014
Cobrapost has provided new evidence demonstrating that the 1992 razing of the Babri Masjid was a carefully planned provocation organized by Hindu communalist organizations with the knowledge and approval of top BJP leaders.
India stages national election amid mounting social crisis
By Keith Jones, 11 April 2014
Whatever combination of parties forms India’s government after the tallying of votes on May 16, India will soon be beset by political crisis and convulsed by intensifying class struggle.
Nokia India workers protest to defend jobs
By Arun Kumar and Kranti Kumara, 9 April 2014
Over 4,000 Nokia India workers staged a mass protest on March 31 in Chennai, the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Nokia India workers speak on job threats and low wages
By Sasi Kumar, Nanda Kumar and Moses Rajkumar, 9 April 2014
A WSWS reporting team spoke to Nokia workers at a March 31 demonstration in Chennai, against the Finnish company’s threats to close their plant.
Indian Stalinists promote fraud of “secular,” “pro-people” Third Front
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 5 April 2014
The Indian Stalinists have responded to the intensification of the class struggle by redoubling their efforts to patch together an alliance with right-wing regional and caste-based parties—once and future allies of the Congress and/or BJP.
Indian government abets repression of workers in Saudi Arabia
By Kranti Kumara, 2 April 2014
The Indian government has joined the Saudi monarchy in threatening striking overseas Indian workers with imprisonment and deportation.
India: Books withdrawn from circulation after threat from Hindu right
By Deepal Jayasekera, 1 April 2014
Hindu supremacist organisations and parties are waging a censorship campaign against books, films or anything else that “offend” Hinduism.
India attempts precarious balancing act in Ukraine crisis
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 28 March 2014
With Russia and the US now pitted against each other in the most serious crisis in Europe since the end of the Second World War, New Delhi is groping for a stance that will enable it to avoid seriously damaging its relations with either Moscow or Washington.
Family of murdered Indian mine worker speak out
By Sasi Kumar and Moses Rajkumar, 21 March 2014
WSWS reporters visited the town of Neyveli in the southern state of Tamil Nadu to interview the family of 31-year-old worker Rajkumar who was murdered by a paramilitary security guard on Monday, March 17.
Indian security forces gun down coal mine worker
By Arun Kumar and Kranti Kumara, 20 March 2014
A 31-year-old contract worker was shot and killed in cold blood in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
India: Demanding pay rise, 200,000 power-loom operators continue strike
By Sasi Kumar and Moses Rajkumar, 19 March 2014
Over 200,000 power-loom operators have been on strike for the past month in two districts of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore and Tirupur.
India’s election campaign goes into high gear
By Keith Jones, 12 March 2014
India’s elections are taking place under conditions of deepening economic crisis and mounting opposition among workers and toilers.
India’s government lies about 2012 military coup fears
By Kranti Kumara, 5 March 2014
India’s Congress Party-led government continues to lie about its fears that an unauthorized January 2012 army exercise was in fact an attempted military coup.
India: BJP PM candidate Modi makes provocative anti-China speech
By Deepal Jayasekera, 27 February 2014
Just days after the US signaled its readiness to do business with the BJP prime ministerial candidate, he travelled to one of the remotest corners of India to denounce Chinese “expansionism.”
Indian parliament votes to create new Telangana state
By Deepal Jayasekera, 22 February 2014
India’s Congress Party-led government has rammed a bitterly contested law through parliament that creates a new state—Telangana—by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
Delhi’s AAP government resigns
By Kranti Kumara, 19 February 2014
Seeking to become a player in Indian national politics, the now ex-AAP Chief Minister of Delhi is urging big business “to tell us what to do.”
US ready to do business with Hindu supremacist candidate for Indian PM
By Keith Jones, 15 February 2014
The US ambassador to India met Thursday with Narendra Modi, ending a nine-year diplomatic boycott that was imposed because of Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat anti-Muslim pogrom.
Delhi’s AAP government teeters after month in office
By Kranti Kumara, 7 February 2014
Barely a month after taking office, Delhi’s Aam Admi Party government is mired in a spate of political controversies.
British role in 1984 Amritsar massacre
By Harvey Thompson, 4 February 2014
Recently released documents reveal Britain’s special forces, acting on orders from Margaret Thatcher, assisted the Indian government’s 1984 assault on the Golden Temple.
Japanese PM strengthens economic-strategic ties with India
By Deepal Jayasekera, 30 January 2014
Both Japan and India are concerned to counter the growth of China’s economic and strategic influence in Asia.
Khobragade affair exposes deep-rooted Indo-US tensions
By Kranti Kumara, 22 January 2014
India remains deeply dissatisfied with American treatment of diplomat Devyani Khobragade and, in both New Delhi and Washington, there is concern that the row could put new strains on Indo-US ties.
“The government, courts and police are all stacked against us”—spokesman for victimized Maruti Suzuki India workers
By Deepal Jayasekera and Arun Kumar, 21 January 2014
Vicitimized Maruti Suzuki India worker Mahabir Dhimm spoke with the WSWS about the government-company frame-up of 148 of his co-workers and the speed-up and repressive regime at the Manesar assembly plant .
Japanese defence minister’s Indian visit strengthens military ties
By Deepal Jayasekera, 10 January 2014
Tokyo is seeking to integrate New Delhi into a US-led strategic alliance against China.
India’s “judiciary acts on the agenda of the capitalists”
—says lawyer for Maruti Suzuki workers facing frame-up murder charges
By Deepal Jayasekera and Arun Kumar, 8 January 2014
The lawyer leading the legal defence of the 148 Maruti Suzuki India workers facing frame-up charges of murder and other grave crimes recently spoke with the WSWS.
India’s prime minister announces resignation
By Keith Jones, 6 January 2014
Manmohan Singh’s resignation announcement is a sign of mounting panic in the Congress leadership over the party’s election prospects.
India: Protest denounces frame-up of Maruti Suzuki auto workers
An on-the-spot report
By Jai Sharma and Arun Kumar, 31 December 2013
Victimized workers from Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar car assembly plant staged a two-day protest in Gurgaon, Haryana earlier this month to denounce the witch hunt that the company, police and Congress Party state government have jointly mounted against them.
Deadly train fire highlights poor safety conditions on Indian Railways
By Deepal Jayasekera, 30 December 2013
At least 26 people were killed Saturday morning when two coaches on a train traveling through Andhra Pradesh caught fire.
India’s Supreme Court re-criminalizes homosexuality
By Kranti Kumara, 28 December 2013
India’s Supreme Court has struck down a lower court ruling that declared unconstitutional a section of the penal code, dating back to the 1860s, that criminalizes consensual sex among gay men and women.
US arrest and strip-search of diplomat provokes India’s retaliation
By Keith Jones, 19 December 2013
US authorities’ arrest and intrusive strip-searching of a female Indian diplomat have provoked a major spat between Washington and New Delhi.
Follow the WSWS