IT is a classic case of securing the bastion even before the battle has been fought. When the deadline to file the nominations ended on October 15, CPI(M) Kannur district committee had a big reason to cheer. Ten CPI(M) women candidates in the newly carved Anthoor municipality had been elected unopposed. No political rivals, either the Congress or the BJP, had turned up for filing nomination. Nomination of four UDF candidates has been rejected by the election commission in the final scrutiny. Out of 28 wards, 14 have been won by the LDF without a contest.

A YOUNG Dalit youth who was subjected to a severe third degree torture in lockup by the Kerala police and as a result had underwent an eleven day long painful treatment, has passed away on July 11. P V Sibi (39), a head load worker from Marangattupilly village of Kottayam district was the new victim of custodial torture. Sibi was taken into custody for an alleged reason of drinking alcohol in public place. Sibi is survived by wife Priya and three children.

EMS Smrithy 2015 National Seminar, the 17th in the series was held at Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala on June 13-14. Even though the birth place of Comrade EMS Namboodiripad is in the present Malappuram district, early part of his life which included his participation in the freedom movement was spent at Thrissur. The Centre for Science & Technology for Development (COSTFORD), an NGO committed to progressive, secular values has been organising the EMS Smrithy every year, since his demise.

IN a massive cleanliness drive throughout the state of Kerala, lakhs of people gathered under the banner of CPI(M) in every street to clear off the garbage accumulated in public spaces. This initiative taken by the Party ahead of the monsoon season is to ward off the threat of epidemics that may result during the monsoon season with garbage piled up in many places and the failure of the state government to launch the pre-monsoon cleaning drive.

THE conference of the CPI(M) Kerala state unit was held at Alappuzha from February 20-23, 2015 in the land of historical Punnapra-Vayalar struggle, in the run-up to the 21st Congress of the CPI(M). In this conference, all together 574 comrades participated including 558 delegates and 16 observers. The state conference was inaugurated by Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Party. Pinarayi Vijayan, state secretary presented the state report.