THE people of Tripura positively responded to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s call for rural India bandh and the call of the Central Trade Unions for industrial/sectoral strike on February 16. Defying the open threat from the ruling miscreants, and aggressive picketing by the BJP sponsored BMS workers against bandh, the peasantry and the working people of the state spontaneously abstained from the workplace in large numbers. Though it was not a general strike, the number of vehicles on the road was evidently low.

LAKHS of workers and peasants from across the country made their voice heard by participating in yet another decisive joint class action through the industrial strike and grameen bandh on February 16, under the aegis of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Central Trade Unions (SKM-CTUs) in protest against the anti-worker, anti-farmer, anti-people policies of Modi-led BJP government. On February 16, the joint action committee called for the ousting of the corporate-communal regime at the centre.

INDIANS are privy to the continuous theatrics of the prime minister. Underlining the ‘legitimacy’ of his government, he asserted the absolutely clean and corruption free credentials of its trademark governance! The catchphrase used was that the government would act more as a choaukidaar – a watch dog – for safeguarding the interest of the people.

IMPORTED African cheetahs, which are much in the news for various reasons, are soon to be introduced in the Banni Grasslands Reserve in Kachch district of Gujarat. The union government has decided to establish a cheetah conservation and breeding centre in Banni, for which the state government had prepared a proposal under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).This plan, recently announced by the union government, has raised a host of concerns.

THE All India Kisan Sabha, in a press statement issued on February 21, has condoled the death of Shubh Karan Singh, a 24-year old farmer protestor, who was killed in the Haryana police action near Khanauri border on February 21. Shubh Karan Singh, who was seriously injured in the police action, succumbed to his injuries at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. His death is a direct result of police action. AIKS expresses condolences to his family members. Earlier two protesting farmers had died due to cardiac arrest.