SEVERAL dalit and progressive organisations called a Bharat Bandh on April 2 against the Supreme Court order diluting the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The dilution of the Act, which guarantees a certain degree of protection to the oppressed communities against discrimination and atrocities, was met with widespread condemnation. The unprecedented upsurge of protests across the country witnessed violence, in which 12 people, predominantly from dalit community, were killed.

THE BJP government in Uttar Pradesh led by Yogi Adityanath issued a notification for privatisation of electricity supply in seven districts -- Etawah, Kannauj, Orai, Raebareli, Saharanpur, Mau and Ballia, and called tenders. It issued another notification for privatisation through franchisees of public sector electricity distribution companies (discoms) in the five cities of Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Meerut and Moradabad.

THE Steel Plant Employees’ Union, Visakhapatnam (CITU) gave a clarion call to the permanent and contract employees of the state-owned Vizag Steel Plant for a 26-km rally on April 5. More than 4,000 workers started the march at 5 AM from the steel plant main gate and reached Vizag city central park at 12 noon, with massive response and solidarity from the public, fraternal trade unions and several mass organisations at 22 different points.

IT was truly an amazing struggle, the like of which has not been seen in Maharashtra in recent times. It caught the imagination of the peasantry and the people, and received their unstinted support, not only in the state but all over the country. It received the backing of parties and organisations all across the political spectrum. For the week from March 6-12 that the Long March of nearly 200 Km lasted, it became the centre of attraction for the entire national and state media, both print and electronic, and also the social media.

THE ruling TMC in West Bengal has resorted to full-fledged assault on democracy and the rule of law as panchayat elections have started to become a farce. From the declaration of schedule to murderous attacks on opposition candidates in the nomination process, this year’s panchayat elections have brought out the authoritarian character of the TMC most crudely.