PRIME Minister Narendra Modi’s famed and favourite ‘development’ agenda has taken a back seat in Gujarat as the state heads for a crucial assembly election that may determine the course of India’s political discourse for the next few years. Despite shouting from roof tops about ‘development’ continuing to be its main agenda, the ruling BJP and its chief campaigner Modi are keeping no stone unturned to deploy the age-old deadly concoction of casteism and communal polarisation to win the elections. Obviously unsettled by the opposition Congress cobbling up a caste combination akin to the KHAM

THE All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has demanded the formation of a judicial commission to examine the recent hunger deaths in Jharkhand. On November 10, an AIKS delegation, led by P Krishnaprasad, visited Karimati Village in Simdega where 11-year-old Santoshi Kumari died due to starvation on September 28.So far, five starvation deaths have been reported from Jharkhand. The other deaths were of Baidanath Ravi Das of Dhanbad, Rooplal Murmu of Mohanpur in Deoghar, Suresh Oraon of Garwa, and Vinod Ravi Das of Katras of Dhanbad. Of the five, three are Adivasis.

THE last two weeks saw a series of impressive programmes in Thane-Palghar district of Maharashtra. They began with a district Party class at the Comrade Godavari Shamrao Parulekar Bhavan at Talasari on October 30-31, 2017. This was attended by 415 leading comrades from eight tehsils.

LEFT parties, including the CPI(M) and CPI, held a protest demonstration against demonetisation in Hyderabad on November 8.

MARKING the conclusion of centenary celebrations of the October Revolution, a meeting was organised by the CPI(M) on November 7 at MB Bhavan in Hyderabad. State secretariat member of the Party, T Jyothi hoisted the Red Flag. Addressing the meeting held on the occasion, G Nagayya, state secretariat member of the Party, lauded the October Revolution as a beacon light which had given inspiration to peoples in several countries to conduct class struggles for achieving the lofty ideals of well-being of humanity and ensuring equal opportunities to the people.