ON June 11, 2017, the BJP-led state government was forced to the negotiating table by the Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Organisations and it had to publicly declare a complete loan waiver for farmers, excluding the richer sections, as a result of the unprecedented 10-day farmers’ strike in Maharashtra, which was backed by a Maharashtra bandh. That report was carried in these columns last month.GOVERNMENT BETRAYAL However, as was only to be expected, the BJP-led state government betrayed its promise of a complete loan waiver within a fortnight.

“LEFT is the only real alternative to communal and fascistic BJP in India”, stressed Kodiyeri Balakrishnan while addressing a hall meeting jam-packed with Party members and sympathisers hailing from Kerala and residing in Mumbai, on June 25, 2017, at AdarshaVidhyalaya in Mumbai.Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Polit Bureau member and Kerala state secretary of CPI(M) was present on the invitation of Mumbai district committee of CPI(M) to address this public meeting.           Mumbai district committee of CPI(M) also arranged an exhibition with photographs and captions regarding the murderous campaign

A TWO day study circle on Party Constitution and Organisation will be organiSed in West Bengal on August 5-6. All CPI(M) branches will hold this study circle on those two days throughout the state. This will be a follow up to the first of this kind held on March 19, on Party Programme. The unique experiment in March created an enthusiasm among the Party cadres and there was a demand for more such initiatives at Party education.In West Bengal, the birth anniversary of Muzaffar Ahmad is celebrated on August 5.

THE meetings of the CPI(M) Maharashtra state committee held on June 1 and July 2 took important decisions in line with the directives of its state plenum held in March 2017. The first meeting was attended by CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and central secretariat member Nilotpal Basu.STATE PARTY CLASSThe CPI(M) held a three day state class last month from June 2-4, in Mumbai. It was attended by 154 leading comrades from 25 districts. They included 41 state committee members.

THOUSANDS of CITU cadre laid siege to district collectorates across Andhra Pradesh on July 3, demanding minimum wages and social security and opposing dilution of social welfare measures. The state government tried to suppress the agitation through all means. On the call of the CITU state committee, thousands of people took part in the ‘Sramikha Sankharavam’ movement.Hundreds of CITU cadre, agricultural workers were taken into preventive custody and several hundred more were arrested across the state.