THOUSANDS of farmers and workers observed the Bhagat Singh Martyrdom day on March 23 as Land Rights Day in Tamilnadu. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) held massive demonstrations in main city centres.As part of the national call against the Land Acquisition Bill, CITU led the protest in Chennai. CPI(M) state secretary G Ramakrishnan, CITU state general secretary G Sugumaran and AIDWA vice president U Vasuki and other leaders addressed the protest.In Thanjavur, various farmers organisations led by the AIKS and the AIAWU organised a protest-cum-pledge taking event.

THE Students’ Federation of India Delhi state committee organised a protest demonstration at the UGC headquarters against the steep increase in the fees for the CSIR-UGC NET/JRF examinations. In a recent notification, UGC decided to increase the application fee for CSIR UGC NET 2015 by a whopping 150 per cent across different categories without any reason. Hundreds of students from JNU, Delhi University, Jamia and Ambedkar University raised slogans against this move which clearly derives from the agenda of commercialisation of education, which is being pursued by the Modi regime.

THE executive committee of the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) in a statement issued on March 22, lodged its strongest protest against the pathetic conditions in which participants at the 15th National Para-Athletic Championship have been put in a camp in Ghaziabad. Over 600 athletes from different parts of the country have been lodged in some under construction buildings with even the basic facilities lacking. What they have for toilets are inaccessible mobile toilets that have been put up at the venue forcing many of the participants to defecate in the open.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has expressed her deep condolences in the shocking and sudden death of Suzette Jordan, the victim in the 2012 Park Street rape case. It will sadden all those committed to the struggle against violence against women, Karat said. Suzette died of meningo-encephalitis at a Kolkata hospital on March 13.

In Rajya sabha, this week the rail budget was discussed. Lok Sabha discussed the general budget.While discussing the matter regarding the losses of crops due to unprecedented heavy rains and hailstorm, CPI(M) leader in Rajya Sabha,  Sitaram Yechury said the situation of the agricultural farmers is very serious. In this last 20 days, in West Bengal, almost 20 farmers who have been producing potatoes committed suicide as the price of potatoes declined. The government must have to take some concrete measures to protect our agricultural farmers.