EXACTLY a week after assassination of Gauri Lankesh, thousands of ‘Gauri’s marched in Bangalore in defiance. The colourful march with thousands shouting “I am Gauri” from Railway Station to Central College, and the resistance convention held, reflected the raging anger against the murder of public intellectuals to suppress dissenting voices and freedom of expression. It also reflected the defiance by a rainbow coalition of forces representing journalists, writers, artists, students, social activists, thinkers, social movements, and political parties.

THE CPI(M) has been staunchly defending the people’s rights in Kashmir Valley -- combating the designs of secessionist elements and fighting the police and military excesses. Though a small political player in Jammu and Kashmir, with just one MLA, the party has suffered immensely at the hand of terrorists. Nearly 50 comrades have lost their lives, but not one from the BJP, the party that sings the rhetoric of nationalism.

THOUSANDS of people from all walks of life marched in unision against imperialism and war across the state on September 1, at the call of Anti-war Platform, Tripura.

SENIOR journalist, editor of an independent progressive weekly Gauri Lankesh was killed at her house in Bangalore, by unidentified gunmen. She was a vocal critic of the RSS-BJP and has spoken regularly against rising intolerance, through her weekly and through activism. Ironically she was also one of the main persons in the campaign to arrest the killers of Dr M M Kalburgi. Dr M M Kalburgi was murdered two years back. Now just a few days into this two year old murder, Lankesh’s assassination in the same way is even more shocking.

 THOUSANDS of people marched in the streets of Kolkata on September 1, raising anti-imperialist, anti-war mongering slogans. Left parties, along with left and democratic organisations organised the huge rally which crossed seven kilometre long way from central part of the city to north.Remembering the horror of the beginning of Second World War, the rally carried 79 colourful flags. Tablos, depicting global peace, defence of the earth from nuclear weapons, contours of US-India strategic relations were there.