CPI(M) and CPI have jointly given a call for state-wide political action in the run up to the protest march on September 15. Both the parties have held a joint meeting of the activists in Vijayawada and decided that in the whole month of August they will hold a bus yatra touring all of Andhra Pradesh. Both the parties also gave a call for a three-month long campaign on the issues of tenant farmers, diversion of NREGA funds, rise in petrol and fertilizer prices.

WITH an aim of raising awareness on Tuticorin massacre and to highlight the grievances of the people of Tamil Nadu, the state committee of CPI(M) has conducted rallies for a week, from June 8-14,  across the state. These rallies originated from six corners of the state, namely Thiruvallur, Vellore, Nilgiris, Cuddalore, Ettayapuram and Kanyakumari and exposed the crony capitalist actions of the state and the centre.After campaigning in the districts along the way, the above rallies have converged at Trichy on June 14.

EMS Smrithi 2018 this year was without its founder and driving spirit, Chandradutt; or Duttmash, as he was fondly called. He passed away on March 20 from the recurrence of cancer that he had fought for the last 22 years. Even though he was not present at the final event, his was the plan for this edition of the series. It was he who pushed for the focus to be on Marxism, Science and Technology, and guided us in selecting the speakers. For all of us, this year’s EMS Smrithi was our tribute to Duttmash.

Manik Sarkar Obstructed in GandachharraTHE opposition leader and former chief minister Manik Sarkar was obstructed from entering the Government Dak Bungalow on June 11, by 15-20 goons of BJP in Gandachharra of Dhalai district. Sarkar is on a four-day tour of Dhalai and North Tripura districts with opposition's chief whip Tapan Chakraborty and MLA Prabhat Choudhury to visit the areas of Gandachharra, Langtaraivalley and Kanchanpur subdivisions where people, especially in tribal areas, are facing an acute problem of food and joblessness.

THE CPI(M) held a two months campaign since April 2, 2018 against the continuous persecution of dalits and held a massive public meeting in Fulbagh, Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Through the meeting the CPI(M) demanded immediate release of innocent dalits, arrest of the murderers, a judicial inquiry by a High Court judge, compensation of Rs One crore to the families of the deceased and an ordinance to correct the Supreme Court order on the Prevention of Atrocities Act.Addressing the meeting, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury termed the repression against dalits as highly reprehensible.