AROUND a million bank employees and officers went on a two-day strike on March 15 and 16 all over the country against the privatisation of public sector banks. The following day, March 17, General Insurance employees struck work and the next day, on March 18, employees of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) will go on strike. 

THE schedule for the assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry has been announced. It stretches from March 27 to April 29.

These elections have their own importance for each state, given the political background specific to that state. However, taken together, they have a wider national significance. Will the outcome facilitate the ongoing drive of the BJP to establish one-party hegemonic rule in the entire country, or will it strengthen the opposition to this authoritarian drive.

THERE is a mass upsurge in Myanmar (Burma) against the military takeover.  People from all walks of life have been out on the streets in the past fortnight protesting against the brutal suppression of democracy.

THE terrible disaster in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand on February 7, 2021, has already cost the lives of over 30 persons with another 150 or so missing or trapped. Tragically, most of the dead are workers in different infrastructure and hydro-electric power projects such as the small 13.2 MW project on the Rishiganga river near Raini Village which has been completely destroyed, and the much larger 520MW Tapovan power plant nearby on the Dhauliganga which too is badly damaged and where a number of workers are trapped.

THE kisan tractor march on Republic Day in Delhi was a remarkable and unique mass action. At no time had the capital of India witnessed such an extraordinary protest which involved over one lakh tractors and tens of thousands of people.  There may have been bigger rallies in the past but not such a massive protest action.