SO here we are once again, winter and a blanket of severe pollution in Delhi and the north Indian plains in general. These columns carried an article on the subject last year too, and it is déjà vu now. All concerned authorities are blaming the others, multiple problems are being pointed out, and a smog of confusing data to rival the smoke haze is being put out by numerous agencies and experts. The chief minister of Delhi has ordered a series of emergency measures, and the Courts have added their own.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement November 9.THE announcement made by the prime minister about the demonetisation of the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes is not going to yield the desired result of unearthing black money. It will have limited effect and is more like political posturing.The claim that the demonetisation will check black money, fake currency, corruption and terrorism lacks substance.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on November 7.THE CPI(M) demands immediate action against the Delhi police for its highly condemnable actions against JNU students when male police manhandled and harassed girl students, while equally deplorable was the totally unwarranted action against the grieving mother of the missing student Najeeb who was dragged on the roads and arrested.

CHIEF Justice of India T S Thakur in an open court accused the government of trying to “decimate the judiciary and lock justice out”. Citing the case of the Karnataka High Court, the CJI said that one entire floor of courtrooms was locked up because there were no judges. In the Allahabad High Court, half of the sanctioned strength of 160 judges are lying vacant.

THE Communist Party of Vietnam hosted the 18th International Meeting of the Communist and Workers' Parties, which was held for the first time in a socialist country, from October 28-30. The theme of the meeting was, “Capitalist crisis and imperialist offensive - strategy and tactics of the communist and workers’ parties in struggle for peace, workers’ and peoples’ rights, socialism.” M A Baby, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and head of the international department attended the meeting.