THE failure of the Geneva 11 talks, coupled with the deepening splits among the armed opposition groups, have further weakened the possibilities for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Syria. The conflict, which has now entered its third year, has cost the lives of more than 140,000 people. A third of the country’s population have been turned into refugees. The motley collection of rebel forces has been steadily losing ground since last year. They are also increasingly turning against each other.

MAKINENI Basavapunnaiah was one of the shrewdest practitioners of Marxism-Leninism in our country. This year we are observing his birth centenary and April 12 is his 22nd death anniversary. MB, as he was called, is one of the best Marxist theoreticians produced by the Indian communist movement. He belongs to that generation of communists who built the Party virtually from scratch into a force to reckon. This was possible only due to a proper application of their theoretical knowledge to the practical conditions of the country.

THERE is nothing surprising about a party that believes itself to be riding the crest of an electoral wave by appearing to be all things to all persons, delaying the release of its election manifesto almost until the elections have actually started. Since a manifesto is supposed to state what a party specifically stands for, the fear is that any such explicit statement would break the spell.

THE BJP has, finally, released its manifesto for the 16th general elections. Its release, however reluctantly, is motivated by a public outcry that a party, which according to India Inc and its corporate media drum-beaters, has all but won the election to form the next government, has not spelt out its roadmap on how it shall steer the country’s future. It is unprecedented that its manifesto should be released after the polling process has actually begun. In the record of India's electoral history, one cannot recall, such an instance.

AS the curtains were brought down on the gruelling campaign for the single-phase election battle in Kerala today, the writing on the wall is crystal-clear. It is obvious that the when voters come to cast their votes on April 10, it is the Left Democratic Front headed by the CPI(M) which would be their choice.
 Even in traditional strongholds of the Congress-led United Democratic Front like Malappuram, Ponnani, Wayanad and Kottayam the LDF campaign has struck a strong chord among the voters.