Browsing by Subject "Movements"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Open Access
1 | P a g e Confronting the ‘Congress System’ in West Bengal: Electoral Strategies of the CPI in the 1950s1
(University of North Bengal, 2017) Jana, Arun K
At the time of Independence Communists support in West Bengal was highly uneven across districts and among classes. It was largely confined to the working class areas in and around the capital, Calcutta. When the CPI decided to contest the West Bengal Assembly elections in 1951 it was not the only Left party which contested. There were several other that competed like the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), the two factions of the Forward Bloc, the Bolshevik Party of India etc. In the 1957 elections however the number of Left parties that were in the electoral fray declined. The CPI clearly emerged as the leading Left party in the state by 1957. The electoral strength and support of the CPI went on increasing from 28 seats with 10.76 percent of the votes in 1951-52 to 46 seats with 17.81 percent of votes in 1957. Its performance in the parliamentary elections in the state was also remarkable. Out of the 15 seats which it won in the country as a whole in 1952, 5 were from West Bengal. In 1957 the state supplied 6 of the 27 members of the party which were elected to the Lok Sabha. This electoral as well as the social expansion of the CPI in the 1950s is remarkable considering that the Congress like elsewhere in the Country enjoyed dominance in the state in the 1950s and early 1960s. How was the CPI able to expand its social base in the state in the 1950s? What strategies it pursued to challenge the domination of the Congress in the state? These are the questions which the paper attempts to answer.
Open Access
Hydropower Development and its Impact in Kinnaur District
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Zangmo, Amrit
In the recent decade Himachal Pradesh and its development revolved around hydropower development with its intent of turning Himachal into powerhouse of the nation. The present study tries to examine whether the setting up of large number of hydropower projects in entire stretch of Sutlej Basin in hilly area of Kinnaur district which is prone to the phenomena like landslide, flood and drying up of water resources is wise or not. The present paper is based on field work observation and study of official reports and statistics from the different departments, both governmental and non-governmental. Due to heavy blasting work used for making underground tunnel in the project entire hill on the right bank of the Sutlej river at Karcham Wangtoo project area have become vulnerable to landslides. Drying up of natural water resources has been observed at the surrounding affected villages of Karcham-Wangtoo hydropower project. In the age of climate change when area is already fragile and prone to such natural disaster question arises how prudent to start new and existing hydropower projects in the region.