Below we publish the joint statement issued by 26 opposition parties which met in Bangalore on July 18, 2023.WE, the undersigned leaders of India's 26 progressive parties, express our steadfast resolve to safeguard the idea of India as enshrined in the Constitution. The character of our republic is being severely assaulted in a systematic manner by the BJP. We are at the most crucial juncture in our nation's history.

FOR the state government, the dead are simply nameless, faceless numbers. It is widely known that panchayat elections in West Bengal have been witnesses to heinous poll violence. The "official" number of people killed varies from 19 to 56, with the chief minister, her nephew, the state election commissioner, police, and the media all giving different figures. The chief minister says it is 19, and as usual, the state election commissioner confirms it. The chief minister's nephew, who is the number two in the ruling Trinamool Congress, sings a different tune, claiming it is 35.

THE CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh committee organised 'Polavaram Poru Keka', a 380 km foot march (padayatra), to highlight the demands of the Polavaram Project displaced people. Led by Party state secretary V Srinivasarao, the march began on June 20 at Nellipaka in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district and covered 13 mandals in four districts.

THOUSANDS of anganwadi workers and helpers, under the banner of All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH), observed a "Black Day" on July 10, 2023, braving heavy rains in many parts of the country.This year, AIFAWH decided to mark the occasion as a protest against the Modi government's efforts to dismantle the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). The Modi government has significantly reduced the budget for ICDS on two occasions: first in 2015, immediately after coming to power, and then again in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A ONE-day Bal Sangam workshop was organised at Cheema Bhawan, Chandigarh, on June 23, 2023. More than 100 boys and girls from ten districts of Punjab participated in the workshop. They mainly belonged to the age group of 12-18, but a few were even less than 10 years old. MA Baby, CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member and former education minister of Kerala, highlighted the importance of sports, music, dance, cultural activities, and entertainment in addition to studies in the lives of students.