THE Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme (PMCIS) was announced with much fanfare as the panacea for all risks faced by the farmers. Ironically, on the same day, news came out that in the year 2015 over 3,228 farmers had committed suicide in BJP-ruled Maharashtra. The phenomenon of farmers’ suicides has continued unabated for over two decades when the neo-liberal economic policies have been in operation. The ruling classes in a denial mode however, have sought to underplay the unprecedented human tragedy and linked farmers’ misfortunes to the weather gods.

THOUSANDS of people hit the streets across West Bengal on January 28 and staged demonstrations in district administrative headquarters over various issues, including the attack on democratic forces, on the call the Left Front. Demonstrations were held in 19 districts of the state on that day. Malda district organised this program a day before on January 27.The gatherings in all the districts were huge. After public meetings, memorandums were handed over by delegations.

The central trade unions reviewed the drastically deteriorating conditions of work and life of the working people and the government’s going ahead with labour law amendments, disinvestment of PSUs and allowing FDI in strategic sectors. The government, it appears, does not want to wait for legislating these anti-worker labour law amendments; it is taking away the rights of workers by way of executive orders and directing the state governments to carry out such pro-management amendments.

THE spectacle of a chief minister steeped in a corruption scandal and brazenly refusing to resign is unfolding in Kerala. The Congress Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, has been embroiled in the solar panel scam, from the outset, since it was exposed two and a half years ago. The scamsters, Biju Radhakrishnan and his partner Saritha Nair, were found to be operating in collusion with the personal staff of the chief minister. When the scam was exposed, three of the personal staff were clearly seen to be involved.

A huge rally was held in Vijayawada, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, on January 8 by a broad united front formed to oppose the state’s liquor policy. The rally was followed by a seminar on the issue. The rally began at Hanumanta Rao Library and marched through several major thoroughfares of the city before culminating at Lenin Centre. The rally demanded withdrawal of the state government’s liquor policy, compensation for the kin of those died at an early age for liquor consumption and restricting the sale of liquor.