THE sixth state conference of the Uttarakhand unit of the CPI(M) commenced on December 16, at Bhagwati Palace in Almora. The venue was dedicated to the memory of Comrades Nagendra Saklani and Bholu Bhandari who were martyred fighting against the Tihari Kingdom.A procession marched through the streets of the city before the commencement of the conference. It culminated in a rally which was addressed by Party leadership.

A huge rally was organised by the CPI(M) at Nalua, under Hrishyamukh assembly constituency of Belonia, in Tripura on December 22 to remember the four martyrs of Nalua. Comrades Niresh Debnath, Manik Nama, Sushil Mahajan and Swapan Debnath were brutally murdered on  December 22, 1989 during the semi fascist Congress TUJS regime. Their bodies were brutality chopped off and buried.  Three bodies were recovered few days later. The then chief minister Sudhir Majumdar was holding a meeting in the same area. However the skeleton of Comrade Sushil Mahajan was recovered only in 1993.

IN the run-off for Chilean presidential elections held on December 17, right-wing, businessman Sebastian Pinera (representing the coalition ‘Let's Go Chile’) won securing 54 per cent of the votes. He has defeated centre-left ruling coalition (New Majority) candidate Alejandro Guillier. The run-off was called as the election could not be decided in the first round with no candidate able to secure the mandatory 50 per cent of the polled votes.

THE third national convention of women employed in the banking sector was organised by the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) in Chennai on December 17. The convention gave a call to defend the public sector, protect national unity and fight for gender equality.Inaugurating the convention, AIDWA general secretary Mariam Dhawale said even after 70 years of Independence, people are struggling for their basic needs and a demand prioritised in this women’s conference report is for a separate toilet for women employees in bank branches.

THE president of India gave a sympathetic hearing to a delegation led by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member  Brinda Karat and Jharkhand Adivasi Adhikar Manch secretary Praful Linda who submitted a memorandum to him on December 22. The delegation which comprised adivasi leaders of the Chotanagpur area of Jharkhand were from three project affected areas in which more than three lakh people, a large number of them adivasis will be evicted. They were Mohan Oraon, Dr Ashok, Anita Tirkey, Deepika Bara, Aloys Minz, Surendra Oraon, Mukesh Oraon and Fildri Toppo.