IN a response to the Supreme Court’s decision on Sabarimala,  Kerala chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on November 14 said that the government has already clarified that it will abide by whatever the apex court decides. However, more clarity is needed on today's decision to leave the matter to the seven member bench. This is majority decision while two judges expressed their dissent. Earlier judgement of five member bench still exists. Apex court did not stay the previous judgement.

LATEST in a series of large mobilisations by CPI(M) , a massive rally was held in Chandipur, East Midnapore on November 18. Thousands of people from all over the district gathered with red flags in Chandipur, close to Nandigram. The rally was culmination of intensive campaign on peoples’ issues. Party leaders and activists visited more than 200 village panchayats and more than 100 municipal wards and talked with people. In door to door campaign they exchanged views and listened to peoples’ grievances against TMC rule.

ON the call of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation Joint Action Committee (TSRTC JAC), thousands of workers lay siege to the famous Tank Bund in Hyderabad on November 9, braving unprecedented repression and police restrictions. Barricades, fences and lathi-wielding policemen could not deter the workers who challenged the government and shouted slogans like “this is the beginning of KCR’s downfall”. Hundreds of people joined the workers in their protest. Police used teargas shells and lathis to stop the workers from reaching the site.

THE Kolkata Plenum of the CPI(M) had noted the political backwardness among its members and advocated urgent measures to impart political education in order to enable the members to carry out the propagation of its positions on various contemporary issues. The plenum also pointed out that attracting middle class intelligentsia to the Party fold is also important in the conduct of the struggle against ruling class ideologies.

THE 12th state conference of Bihar AIDWA was held on October 19-20 at Madehpura Town Hall.  The conference called for launching struggles against patriarchy, communalism, for joint land titles to women, land for housing to the poor and against casteist and obscurantist ideologies prevalent in the country.