SINCE the abrogation of Article 370, the BJP government has been continuously employing repressive tactics to stifle democratic dissent in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmir  Valley. Peaceful demonstrations against anti-people, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate policies have often been met with lathi charge and detentions.On February 16, 2024, the countrywide grameen Bharat bandh, called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Central Trade Unions, gathered a huge response from across the country.

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) congratulates the workers, farmers, agricultural workers and other toiling people of our country who have expressed their anger and resentment against the anti-people, anti-national destructive policies of the Modi-led BJP government through their massive participation in protest actions across the country on February 16, 2024.

IT is election eve and the prime minister while speaking in the parliament on the interim budget session ended with forecasts of election results for the ruling combine. It was not an expression of encouragement for his colleagues for the ensuing election but a prediction of number of seats that the BJP and the NDA would be winning.

THE United States has vetoed yet another resolution in the United Nations Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire on February 20, 2024.  This is the third time that the United States has vetoed resolutions in the Security Council calling for a ceasefire – the first being in October and the second in December 2023.The latest veto comes at a time when Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has led to the deaths of over 29,500 Palestinians and over 69,000 injured since October 7.

ON February 9, 2024, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his army would advance into Rafah, the last remaining city in Gaza not occupied by the Israelis. Most of the 2.3 million Palestinians who live in Gaza had fled to its southern border with Egypt after being told by the Israelis on October 13, 2023, that the north had to be abandoned and that the south would be a “safe zone.” As the Palestinians from the north, particularly from Gaza City, began their march south – often on foot – they were attacked by Israeli forces, who gave them no safe passage.