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.For Communists, unlike bourgeois parties, democracy was not just electoral democracy with the right to vote based on adult franchise. That alone was not sufficient for democracy.

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. The foreign minister, S Jaishankar, had stated in September that India will not become part of an “alliance system”.  But the developments concerning the Quad belie this stance.

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.

COME September 27 (September 28 according to some), India will be commemorating the birth anniversary of Shaheed-e-azam Bhagat Singh. An eternal youth icon, Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary should be an occasion for us to look at the status of youth in our country, the relevance of Bhagat Singh’s ideas, particularly in today’s socio-economic and political situation.In the past nine months, while the entire world was busy fighting the pandemic and socio-economic conditions exacerbated by it, there were a series of reports released about the status of youth.