It recently came to light that a fraudulent godman from Nashik, named Ashok Kharat, sexually and financially exploited hundreds of women across the state. Several videos where he was actually seen doing so went viral. Gaining the trust of these women, who were distressed by their daily domestic issues, he subsequently subjected them to sexual abuse under the pretext of resolving their problems. He tortured them mentally and physically by threatening that if they ever tried to expose him, he would use his “divine powers” to kill their husbands and children.

The recent workers’ protests in the National Capital Region have taken place against the backdrop of the nationwide strike on February 12. The way this movement, which began in Manesar (Gurgaon) in April, has spread to Noida after the contract labor movement at the Panipat Refinery in Haryana in late February, and has spread throughout the NCR, is unprecedented. This workers’ revolt, born in a specific environment, has exposed severe exploitation, poor working conditions and extreme economic distress.

‘A play can communicate with the people directly, without jargon, in an idiom that people understand, and by touching their heart. In that sense, what you might take one hour to explain in a speech, a play can convey that in twenty minutes,’ said R. Arunkumar, inaugurating a two-day cultural workshop in New Delhi on February 1, 2026. This workshop was held to create street plays and songs for the state-level jathas that will take place as a build up to the Jan Akrosh Rally in New Delhi on March 24.

It was 8 am on Sunday, the eighth of February. A group of young men and women were standing in the Drop Gate area of Agartala. Most of them were wearing white T-shirts bearing the slogan “Save the Generation” on the front and back. The scene felt somewhat different and striking. As one moved closer, prominent Left youth leaders came into view — DYFI State Secretary Nabarun Deb, State President Palash Bhowmik, TYF General Secretary Kumud Debbarma, President Kaushik Roy Debbarma, among others.

On 14 February, at a seminar organised by Jan Vichar Manch, Lucknow, the packed audience at the Kaifi Azmi Auditorium listened intently for nearly two hours to renowned journalist and writer P. Sainath. Prof. Nadeem Hasnain, the founder of Jan Vichar Manch, introduced Sainath and spoke about his books, especially ‘Everyone Loves a Good Drought’, which has a Hindi translation titled ‘Teesri Fasal’. Pratul Joshi conducted the program.