THE cruel death due to the ragging of a first-year fresher in Jadavpur University (JU) Main hostel has sent shock waves in the university and across the state. Swapnadeep Kundu, who hails from Bagula, Nadia, came to the university just three days before he “fell” from the third floor of his hostel building on the night of August 9 and breathed his last around 4.30 am the next day. The horrific incident sparked a furore, with many terming it a clear case of ragging and murder. The police are investigating the death.

From August 9-11, 2023, an AIDWA team comprising patron Brinda Karat, president P K Sreemathi, and general secretary Mariam Dhawale visited the strife-torn state of Manipur. This report is based on that visit.WE could understand the utter grimness of the situation in Manipur only after visiting the state and interacting with the people there, especially women. The pristine beauty of the hills and forests, the clouds resting on the hill tops, the lush greenery around – but today none of this evokes feelings of happiness and joy.

Tejashwi Yadav agreed to raise honorarium to Rs 2,500 per month and send ‘government employee status’ demand recommendation to centre, say union leaders.ABOUT one lakh ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and ASHA facilitators, who had been on strike since July 12, that is more than a month, announced an end to their indefinite strike on August 13, after reaching an agreement during talks with health minister Tejashwi Yadav on their nine-point demand charter.

AUGUST 24, 2023 will see a historic event in India. For the first time ever, the huge Talkatora Stadium in the nation’s capital Delhi will be witness to a joint convention of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Central Trade Unions (CTUs). These two platforms today represent the broadest sections of the peasantry and the working class of India.Over 5,000 delegates representing several organisations of workers, peasants, and agricultural workers will join this convention. Here, the importance of worker-peasant unity will be stressed.

ON August 5th, a delegation from the Apple Farmers’ Federation of India (AFFI) met with Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of Kerala, in New Delhi to explore opportunities for establishing a robust marketing network within the domestic market of Kerala through co-operatives. The objective of this initiative is to ensure fair and profitable prices for apple farmers from the states of Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.