FEDERALISM is one of the basic features of the Indian constitution. In the constituent assembly, Professor K T Shah wanted the term “federal”, together with the term “secular”, included in the preamble itself, but Dr Ambedkar rejected it on the grounds that the federal and secular character of the republic was understood and did not need specification. The constitution in its seventh schedule spelt out the jurisdictions of the centre and the states in two lists, and areas of common jurisdiction in a third list.

KARNATAKAOVERWHELMING response across the state was witnessed to the ‘Karnataka bandh’ call given by kisan organisations on September 28, against anti-workers and three anti-farmers bills (already issued as ordinances).  It was also against three agriculture-related anti-farmer anti-people bills passed recently by the Parliament. Bandh was marked by dharnas, processions, burning of effigies of Modi-Shah and highway blockades. Slogans were raised against anti-farmer and anti-worker policies of state and central governments.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on September 30THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the actions of the  Adityanath Government  on the blatant denial of justice to the Hathras dalit rape victim and her family. Her death is the result of the callous approach of the Government.

THE more than decade long struggle against revisionism reached a point of no return by the year 1964. On 11 April, 32 members of the National Council walked out of the Council meeting in protest against the attitude of the leadership, the way they were violating all communist norms and practices and taking down the Party in a revisionist line, in violation of all the accepted decisions. These 32 members issued a joint appeal to all the Party members on 14 April 1964.

SEPTEMBER was a cruel month for the CPI(M) in Maharashtra. One of the most respected Party leaders in the state, Dr Vithal More, a former member of the state secretariat, passed away on September 18. He was 71. Less than a fortnight earlier, a fighting Party and trade union leader, Uddhav Bhawalkar, also a former member of the state secretariat, passed away on September 5. He was 68. Both were victims of Covid.