THE Las Vegas mass shooting by a lone gunman, with a death toll of 59 and 527 injured, raises many questions. Why is the person involved – a 64-year Stephen Paddock – not being considered a terrorist by the police and the US administration? Why is gun violence so much higher in the US than any other country? And for the rest of the world, does the US invasion of other countries have any correlation with its gun violence? Or does reaching for the gun to shoot so easily, also encourage violence as a mode of “solving” international problems?The easy one first – who is a terrorist in the US?

THE State level convention of the Left parties, mass organisations and social organisations held at Social Development Centre, Ranchi on September 23, demanded immediate roll back of the following black bills brought by the BJP led NDA government of Jharkhandi)                Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Bill-2017ii)              Remedy & Right to fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill-2017.The latter indicates intent of usurping land for the big corporate houses while the former aims at breaking the historical unity of tribals forg

THE elections to the Himachal Pradesh state assembly may be announced any day and are expected to be in the second week of November 2017. The CPI(M) well in advance, has released its list of candidates who have even started the campaign in their respective constituencies. The Party is contesting in 13 seats that include four in Shimla , three in Mandi, two in Hamirpur and one each in Kullu, Solan, Sirmour and Lahaul and Spiti districts.The CPI(M) earlier had won two seats in Mandi and another in Shimla.

THREE months of campaigns and mobilisation of people at the grassroots level on their day-to-day issues culminated in a huge turnout of peasants, workers and women at Jan-Aakrosh March in Patna on September 19.

All India Democratic Women’s Association observed Dussehra on September 30, by burning the effigy of the so-called (religious) babas, who violate women behind the fig-leaf of religion and the anti-women vice-chancellor of BHU. These elements get the patronage of the BJP government which has also resulted in the exponential increase in the incidence of violence against women during the three-years of NDA rule.The programme was conducted by the Delhi president of JMS and the gathering was addressed by AIDWA general secretary Mariam Dhawale, and Delhi secretary Asha Sharma.