THE year-long observation of the formation of the Communist Party of India in Tashkent on October 17, 1920 will come to close. But, the objective of the CPI since its inception, in shaping the future of India as a democratic, secular, people’s Republic where citizens will enjoy equality and freedom irrespective of caste, creed, religion and economic status remains unaccomplished. It has also come to suffer severe setbacks, particularly, in the recent years where these very foundational principles of the constitution have come to be contested.

INDIA, at the time of independence in 1947, was a deeply backward country, economically and socially – a condition that was deepened by 200 years of colonial rule. For the Communist Party, the key question was completing the tasks of the democratic revolution which remained unfulfilled at the time of independence. The democratic transformation of society had political, economic and social dimensions.

A RECENT check-up at the doctor’s showed up that though all the health parameters were fine, only the heartbeat was missing. The perplexed doctor, ordered and monitored all further tests to understand this strange phenomenon, where a live person, breathing, walking and talking does not have a heartbeat. Naturally, nothing came out of these medical tests. This further aroused concern in the doctor, who was baffled and started palpitating.

THE ministerial level quadrilateral meeting comprising the United States, Japan, Australia and India was held in Tokyo on October 6.  Known as the Quad, the four country grouping is fast shaping up as a military alliance targeted at China. 

INDIA has witnessed a number of industrial accidents recently -- toxic gas leak at LG Polymers factory in Visakhapatnam, boiler explosion at Yashashvi Rasayan Private Limited in Gujarat’s Dahej, two boiler explosions in Tamil Nadu, toxic gas leak at a paper mill in Chhattisgarh, and boiler explosion at a Lucknow chemical factory. In addition, the coal mining sector has reported some accidents. These accidents have killed or injured many workers and exposed communities to toxic chemicals.