WITH people’s anger against poor governance, rampant corruption and politician-criminal nexus growing stronger every day, Bengal’s current political landscape is densely dotted with protest movements. The wave of protests is encompassing a significant section of general working people, thus adding an important dimension to mass activism. Marches and rallies are being held almost daily against the misrule and authoritarianism of the TMC government.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement April 6.

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the efforts by the government to change the syllabus of history through the NCERT text books.

HUNDREDS of thousands of toiling people of our country thronged the national capital Delhi on April 5, 2023 to participate in the Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally and vent their anger against the policies being pursued by the Modi led BJP government. They represented tens of crores of workers, peasants, agricultural workers, service sector employees and other sections of the common people who face deterioration in their working and living conditions due to the aggressive pursuit of neoliberal policies under the present government. Many of them participated along with their families.

LAST week, further developments exposed the governance of the BJP government, including a new case of corruption by an MLA. A video surfaced showing a bribe being given to an aide of the MLA for clearance of a tender. In Mandya district, a gang of self-proclaimed "cow-protection" vigilantes brutally killed Idris Pasha, a driver of a vehicle transporting cattle. Some aspects of the case suggest that it is part of the BJP's communal polarisation attempts.

EVEN while the ruling party prevented any interventions by opposition parties in parliament it continued to push through government business without discussion. One item was introducing a bill to amend the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. After the introduction, strangely, the government referred the bill to a joint committee comprising members of both houses. When there is a standing committee of parliament for all issues connected with the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), why should government bypass it?