 For more videos on people's struggles, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Hello and welcome to Around the World in 8 Minutes, a show by People's Dispatch. Across the globe, in the face of extreme oppression and violence, both by the state and the right wing, people and movements are waging a determined struggle for their rights. Today's show brings you stories of comrades who at great cost to their lives and liberty, fought and continue to fight for a better world. We begin with India, where a young leftist youth activist was murdered for striking out against the oppressive caste system. Ashok, a member of the Democratic Youth Federation of India, belonged to the Dalit community, which were considered untouchable and face severe oppression even today. Ashok used to work in a tire manufacturing unit at an industrial estate run by the state industries promotion corporation of Tamil Nadu, Sipkot. This is 15 kilometers south of his village in the Tirunelmeli district of Tamil Nadu state. He was reportedly attacked while disembarking a bus after returning from work around 10.45 p.m. on June 12th. The attackers hacked him to death and threw his body at a nearby railway track before fleeing the scene. Members of Ashok's community have to pass through a settlement inhabited by the upper castes on their way to work. After repeated instances of harassment, Ashok and his comrades confronted them and demanded they stop this. Following this, Ashok and his mother were attacked by members of the upper caste last month. He tried to file a case against the attackers under a provision that would have put them behind the bars without bail, but the police refused and booked the attackers under lighter charges. Members of Ashok's movement, the DYFI, pointed out that had the attackers been booked under harsh provisions, he may have been alive today. Across Tamil Nadu and the country, the DYFI has launched a campaign demanding justice for Ashok and against the caste discrimination that continues to destroy lives to this day. With Ashok's death, the movement has lost a young committed activist who dreamed of a just society and was committed to working for it in the face of everyday discrimination and violence. His example and his struggle will forever be remembered and cherished. In South Africa, for years, members of the Shaq Dwellers movement, Abhalali Basya Majandolu, have been waging a struggle for the right to shelter. In an economic system which ignores the right to housing for the poor, Abhalali has been a symbol of popular resistance as it has occupied land and built Shaqs for those who do not have a roof over their heads. The state, however, has refused to acknowledge their work and has repeatedly attacked and demolished these settlements, leaving innumerable families on the streets. An incident of this sort took place on June 13th, when the Azania land occupation near Durban was brutally assaulted by armed police and the anti-land invasion unit. This was the second attack on the same occupation in a week. Previously on June 6th, when the Shaq Dwellers were out at the city center for a political education meeting, the police, along armed private security guards, had arrived at a settlement and demolished 60 homes without a court order. The second attack took place even as the members were busy reconstructing the Shaqs. The June 13th attacks occurred while the residents were in court in solidarity with one of their members who was being tried for taking part in a protest. The state agents reduced 70 homes into rubble and set fire to what remained. Most of these homes were makeshift structures built with whatever material the residents and the movement could find. They provided the sole shelter for these families who have been ignored in South Africa's pursuit of what it calls development. However, the movement in the residence bounced back immediately. The very night, a large makeshift structure was built to protect all the residents from the elements. The next morning, the residents were out again, searching for material to rebuild their homes. The brutality of officials in the callousness of the state cannot stand in the way of people fighting for their most basic rights. Abhalali's statement after the attack reflected the resolve of its members and the residents of the Azania land occupation. The comrades will rebuild, the statement said. They will keep rebuilding until the land is theirs. And finally, we go to Brazil, where the streets resounded with the firm No to President Jair Bolsonaro's proposal for pension reform. A one-day national strike across the country was joined by a number of sectors who declared they had had enough of his policies that attacked the basic rights of Brazilians, as well as the constitutional coup d'etat that has been on since 2016. Throughout the day, millions gathered in 360 cities in all the 27 states of the country in what was a powerful, inspiring moment for the country, which is today the laboratory of the right wing. Of the 27 capitals, 19 had their public transportation systems affected by the mobilization. Stoppages, also happening in ports, refineries, the steel industry, banks, post offices and universities, according to the organizers. Some general strike demonstrations were heavily repressed by the police. In Sao Paulo, a protest led by students, teachers and faculty staff, was disbanded by rubber bullets and bombs launched by the police. Some people were hit with shrapnel and taken to the university's hospital. Fifteen protesters were taken to the police precinct without any alleged reason. At night, at the main demonstration in the city, a huge number of police officers attacked the protesters with gas and bombs. The same took place in Rio de Janeiro also. In Parana, a municipal guard attacked the workers' demonstration at a federal highway with rubber bullets. In the metropolitan region of Curitiba, the state's capital, three people were injured and had to be taken to a hospital. A farmer from the landless workers' movement was hit in the face by a non-lethal projectile. The new pension reform would lead to Brazilians having to contribute much more to their pensions and working many more years. As per the current system, men who have contributed to the pension system for 35 years can retire at any age, as can women who have contributed to the pension system for 30 years. Thus, the average retirement age for both men and women is around 55. However, according to the new system, the minimum age of retirement would be 65 years for men and 62 years for women. For teachers, the minimum retirement age would be 60. The strike also took place as Brazil is seething after reports from the news organization Intercept on the persecution of former president Lula da Silva. The reports revealed that Sergio Moro, the judge who convicted Lula and is currently the justice minister, cooperated with and advised the prosecution on the case in what is a clear violation of ethics. The reports also indicated that the prosecution was very uncertain whether there was enough evidence to convict Lula but went ahead with the case nonetheless. It was also revealed that they worked hard to try to ensure the defeat of Lula's party, the workers' party, in the 2018 presidential elections. From the very beginning, it was clear that the case against Lula was primarily to prevent him from getting back to power and continuing the progressive measures he had initiated. Lula, like many other radical and progressive leaders, was an obstacle to US imperialism and the growth of the right wing. The latest revelations have once and for all revealed the true nature of his persecution, for all to see. It wasn't surprising thus that the streets yesterday also resounded with the iconic slogan Lula Libre. That's all we have time for today. To find out more about these stories, please log on to our website peoplesdispatch.org and follow us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Until next time.