After waiting for more than a year for the
government to act on the promises it made at the time of the earthquake
disaster, the workers have finally lost their patience and come out in an
all-out strike. This is just a taste of what is to come.
The Pakistani government has absolutely failed
in its efforts to clean up and repair the damage caused in Kashmir
by the earthquake in October 2005. The
people of Kashmir cannot accept this situation
any longer and the government has nothing real to offer the movement, except
more promises.
While the Nepalese Maoists and other left forces are
involved in talks over a Constituent Assembly and have accepted to put down
their arms in exchange for seats in parliament, social unrest is brewing in the
country as the recent Terai riots clearly demonstrate. Not having taken power
when it was there for the taking, the Nepalese Maoists are leaving room to
reactionary forces to manoeuvre behind the scenes.