RECENTLY in a press conference, Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal said, “RSS is not that bad; everything is done using the name of RSS.” Some of the mainstream media chose to ignore her remarks as they are forbidden to listen to such “risky” comments. Even if someone hears these by chance, they are forbidden to write or speak freely about these views. But the video went viral. There was no escape.Does Banerjee really desire to escape? Not at all. She has said such things before.

The jobless rate crossed 8 per cent yet again, and youth unemployment is raging uncheckedTHERE is a deafening silence on the part of the government, and its voluble leaders, on unemployment. Not even ritual claims or promises are being made – one would think that India has no jobs crisis! Yet the relentless rate of unemployment, especially among youth, continues to devastate families. In August this year, unemployment once again crossed the 8 per cent mark hitting the highest level in the past year.

THE national meeting of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) was held in New Delhi on September 4, 2022. The earlier meeting was held two months ago at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on July 3. The meeting was presided over by Tajinder Singh Virk, Rakesh Tikait and Ruldu Singh. It was conducted by Hannan Mollah, Darshan Pal and Joginder Singh Ugrahan.Over 250 leaders of farmers’ organisations across India attended this meeting.

ON September 6, 2022, Deshabhimani celebrated its 80th anniversary. Deshabhimani was begun on September 6, 1942, as a weekly. Later on, it was on  January 18, 1946 that Deshabhimani began publishing as a daily.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated Deshabhimani’s anniversary celebrations on September 6, at Kozhikode, where its first edition was published. Malayalam’s favourite story writer M T Vasudevan Nair was the chief guest. Several dignitaries from multiple walks of life participated in the celebrations.

THOUSANDS of workers, peasants and agricultural workers participated in the National Convention held at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on September 5. The convention called by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) unanimously decided to strengthen the unity of these three class organisations and intensify joint combative actions against anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-people neoliberal policies pursued by the ruling dispensation.