82,000 defence employees working in the 41 ordnance factories of our country started one month strike on August 20. More than 40,000 contract workers have also joined the strike. The strike started as scheduled at 6 o’clock in the morning on August 20, 2019, despite the threats by the government. The defence employees have only one demand – ‘Withdraw the unilateral decision taken to corporatise the ordnance factories in violation of the agreement and assurances given by the government of India’.

THE 5th state conference of the AIDWA Chattisgarh state was inaugurated by Mariam Dhawale on August 11. She said the struggle for equality is a struggle against feudalism and patriarchal values in the society. Targeting the BJP, she said that the BJP is a party that believes in and also practices feudal and patriarchal values. During BJP’s regime, the attacks on the women have increased; the BJP has unashamedly come forward to defend the culprits of Unnao and Kathua rape and murder cases.

A ROUND table conference was organised on July 28, 2019 in Sundarayya Vignana Kendram against extraction of Uranium in Amrabad region in Nallamala forest. State secretaries of CPI, CPI(M) and other Left leaders along with many other intellectuals and scientists and environmentalists participated in the discussion. They demanded that extraction of Uranium be stopped forthwith.

THE CPI(M) opposed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 in both houses of Parliament. In Rajya Sabha, T K Rangarajan said today is a black day. The government did not consult the people of Jammu and Kashmir or Ladakh. The government dissolved the Assembly and don’t want to hold any election. It has taken 35,000 armed personnel there. You are creating another Palestine! Tomorrow you can do anything with any State. Tomorrow you can bifurcate any State. So, the Constitution itself is in danger.

THE 12th all India conference of AIDWA will be held in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, from December 27-30, 2019. A reception committee to host the same was formed on July 27 in Mumbai in the presence of five AIDWA central office bearers – national president Malini Bhattacharya, vice presidents Subhashini Ali and Sudha Sundarraman, general secretary Mariam Dhawale and treasurer P K Shrimati.In a special session, all these national leaders unveiled the impressive logo of this conference created by Vijay Patil, managing editor of the progressive weekly Jeewanmarg.