THE  apple growers in Himachal Pradesh are protesting since July 11, 2022, on their  20 demands. The GST on apple cartons was increased from 12 per cent to 18 per cent. Therefore the cost of a carton increased by Rs 25 per carton and the cost of trays increased by Rs 200 per bundle. The cost of other packaging materials also increased from 32 per cent to 80 per cent. 

This caused anger among the apple farmers who are already in crisis, due to the implementation of neo-liberal policies of the state and central governments. 

THE all India protest day on August 1, was organised successfully throughout the country. On the call of five organisations of agricultural workers, protest actions were organised in hundreds of districts and memoranda were sent to the President of India. Agricultural and rural workers participated in these protest actions in huge numbers. The joint charter of demands with 28 points was the base of the call, but the main slogan was employment, land, housing, education, health, and equality for all.

PROTEST march organised against back-breaking price rise, unprecedented unemployment, assault on democratic rights and secularism, and concerted malicious campaign against Muslim community along with looming draught situation, evoked massive response of the common people of Bihar. This march was held on August 10.

“OUR common heritage and the glorious tradition of unity in diversity was developed during the freedom movement. Today this heritage is under attack. A conspiracy is being hatched to eradicate the values mentioned in the Preamble of our Constitution,” said Subhashini Ali, Polit Bureau Member of the CPI(M).

AUGUST 15, 2022, seventy-five years of India's independence, Har Ghar Tiranga; the country heard the prime minister wax eloquent in his address from the Red Fort about his inner feelings of distress when women are insulted, about the need to preserve the dignity of women, of "Nari Shakti" and so on.