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A sense of gloom is swallowing up all the glow there is in the Indian economy. The noticeable among them is fall in the consumption pattern. Among the factors leading to such dire miseries is absence of jobs. That, in its turn, has led to fall in the capacity to buy even the essentials. Inability to meet these basics makes the quality of life frustrating.

Many high profile economic offences surfaced during Modi’s rule, and actions were taken mostly against his political opponents, the latest victim being Sharad Pawar of Maharashtra, the state undergoing elections. However, nothing is being done against his political supporters, or the departments that are in neck deep in financial irregularities. It’s certainly a matter of great concern, because it smacks political victimization of critics of the present political establishment ruling the country.

BHOPAL: Using his formidable skills at political management, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, managed to prevent a direct confrontation between the Raj Bhawan and the state government. The state cabinet had cleared an ordinance making drastic changes in the procedure for electing Mayors of municipal corporations and chairpersons of municipal committees and Nagar Panchayats in the state. So far, the chief of urban civic bodies were elected directly by the people. The ordinance proposes indirect election by the corporators. The move was stoutly opposed by the main opposition BJP. A delegation comprising top leaders of the party had met the Governor Lalji Tandon requesting him not to give his assent to the measure.

As the world dominance of U.S. imperialism fades and the social fabric of American capitalism disintegrates, Wall Street is beset with persistent nightmares and, as proclaimed in Marx’s Manifesto, continually haunted by the spectre of communism. Its mouthpiece, The Wall Street Journal, tries to beat back the growing support for socialism by red-baiting people like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and others calling for reforms of its rotting system.

Big sister says her brother’s Brexit rhetoric is “reprehensible,” the British Prime Minister’s girlfriend will meet the whole family including brother Jo, who resigned from his ministerial post, citing “unresolvable tensions.” And now Old Man Stanley Johnson has joined the Extinction Rebellion “crusties” and a possible yoga session on Westminster Bridge.

The Reserve Bank of India seems to have finally woken up to the all-pervading economic slowdown though it is still under the misconceived notion that mere lowering of interest rates will result in the revival of the economy. The CPI and other left parties have focussed on the inefficacy of this claim. They are certain that that however hard the RBI and its present governor try and bring down the repo rate to zero level, private investments and thereby revival of growth will not come into effect. Corporate houses everywhere in the world are pathologically inclined to reap profits at minimum risk level. Zero rates, of course, will be made use of fully by them to amass cheap funds to pay off old debts or lay foundation for more profitable new ventures or in accumulating more tangible assets. The central bank is only hoping against hope that economic revival will take place sans consumer spending.

A calamity is hitting India today – calamity caused by corporate-communal fascism. This is being articulated aggressively by RSS. The recent speech made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at Nagpur is an emphatic reiteration of this.

Shiv Sena, founded by Hindutva mascot Bal Thackeray, has been BJP's one of the oldest allies — as both have a common ideology, Hindutva. Sena used to play the role of big brother with BJP agreeing to aid the former in Maharashtra, the state with the second largest shares of seats in both the houses of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha after Uttar Pradesh. However, the time has changed and it seems that Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray, has been forced to accept BJP as its big brother — as the party is contesting on 124 seats while BJP is testing its luck on 164 seats in the upcoming Maharashtra state elections.

For the man on the street, the lowest-rung government official often proves to be the highest governmental authority that he comes across. The average street vendor considers cop who comes to collect the hafta represents the law of the land, its systems and sometimes the tyranny.

Results of Portugal’s general elections on October 6 in indicate that the centre-left Socialist Party has collected the most votes and is poised to continue in government for another four years, but the party will likely have to rely on the Left Bloc and the Communist Party to stay in power.