THE Chinese President, Xi Jinping’s tour of South Asia in the third week of September ended with his three day visit to India. Before reaching Indian shores, the Chinese president had visited the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Both sides have described the visit of the Chinese president as successful. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, speaking after the return of President Xi to Beijing, said that “cooperation” between the two countries was the main theme that dominated the summit meeting with the Indian prime minister.

BY the time this issue of People’s Democracy is printed, by-polls for thousands of local bodies in Tamil Nadu would have been held. The polling is on September 18. The issue at stake is ‘democracy’.

The presence of around 20 state ministers in Coimbatore city for the mayoral elections by-poll has raised suspicion. Their arrival appeared to be for reasons other than campaign. AIADMK cadres were busy in distributing cash for votes till the late night on September 17. Not only in Coimbatore city, but everywhere across the state they indulged in cash distribution.

EXPECTATIONS about the improvement of bilateral ties between India and Pakistan were buoyed after the Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif accepted the newly elected Indian prime minister’s invitation for his swearing in ceremony. Sharif had come to Delhi at short notice despite the misgivings expressed by many in Pakistan, including those in the powerful security establishment. Narendra Modi on the campaign trail had targeted Pakistan as a threat to India’s internal security and had pledged to take a tough and uncompromising stand on the Kashmir issue.

THERE were three distinct visions for an independent India during freedom struggle – the Nehruvian vision, the Left vision and the right-wing ‘Hindutva’ vision. Pandit Nehru represented the mainstream vision for a ‘secular democratic’ India, while the Left vision was for a ‘secular, democratic and socialist’ India. The third was for converting independent India into a rabidly intolerant ‘Hindu Rashtra’. This vision originated with the formation of the RSS in 1925. The Muslim League was a ‘twin brother’ of the RSS.

THE 4th Berhampur district conference of Odisha Sales Representatives' Union (OSRU) was held at Sahid Laxman Nayak Community Hall in Berhampur on September 7. CPI(M) state secretariat member Ali Kishore Pattnaik inaugurated the conference. OSRU general secretary Subhnkar Das, who was the chief speaker, discussed the organisational functioning and developments in the sector. Das opposed the anti-worker policies being pursued by the central and state governments.