SOME traumatic incidents do completely expose the extent of degradation in the existing times. The untimely and tragic passing away of Mahavir Narwal turned out to be ironically one of those incidents. Narwal passed away on May 9 due to Covid related complications. His demise at a time when his daughter was locked up in a prison cell on totally baseless and malafide charges has shaken all the democratic sections of our society.In the face of this extremely painful tragedy, our judiciary seems to have proved itself to be completely insensitive towards any human values.

IN a new initiative, on the evening of May 8, 2021, the CITU, AIKS and AIAWU held a joint nationwide online public meeting on the burning current issues of the people of our country. The public meeting was widely propagated through posters in Hindi, English, and other national languages. Tens of thousands of working people from around 25 states attended the meeting.The speakers were the general secretaries of the three, class organisations – Tapan Sen, Hannan Mollah, and B Venkat.

The Left parties issued the following statement on May 1, 2021:THE Left parties extend their solidarity with the international working-class on the occasion of May Day. Left Parties join our working class in the struggle to combat the pandemic and safeguard the rights of the working people.India today is in the grip of the worst humanitarian health crisis since independence. Worse, the scourge of the pandemic continues to intensify.

COMRADE Kakoli Khetrapal, a 52-year-old CPI(M) worker from Nabagram in East Burdwan's Jamalpur was hacked to death on Sunday, May 2nd. Trinamool Congress members, celebrating their election victory, entered her home while she was cooking and attacked her with a sharp weapon. Comrade Khetrapal died on way to the hospital.

Leaders of thirteen opposition parties issued a statement on May 2, 2021, on the acute demand for oxygen and universal vaccination in the country.IN times of the uncontrollable surge of the pandemic across our country:We call upon the central government to focus all attention in ensuring the uninterrupted flow of oxygen supplies to all hospitals and health centres across the country.We call upon the central government to immediately launch a free mass vaccination programme across the country.The budgetary allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for the vaccination programme