THE 24th State Conference of CPI(M) Gujarat was held at Upleta in Rajkot district on January 11-12, 2025. It was attended by 192 delegates from 11 districts. Of them, 56 were women. There was also a good chunk of youth.The inaugural session began after the flag-hoisting by the senior most leader Maganbhai Jivani and floral tributes to the martyrs. After election of the presidium and different committees, state secretary Hitendra Bhatt moved the condolence resolution. The conference venue was named after Sitaram Yechury. The inaugural session was attended by more than 300 people.

BSNL Employees Union (BSNLEU) held the management and central government responsible for the policies leading to the systematic destruction of BSNL to favour private players.THE Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Employees’ Union (BSNLEU) has criticised the flawed policies of the union government and BSNL management for the ongoing crisis in the public sector telecom company.

THE historic Janashiksha Divas was observed on December 27 throughout the state, with deep respect for the message of the renaissance initiated by the Janashiksha Samity.

IN early January, most of the major military forces of Iran participated in a large military exercise called Payambar-e Azam (Great Prophet), which started as an annual exercise nineteen years ago. These forces included the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Basij Force, and took place in the air, on land, and in the sea. The exercises began in Iran’s western Kermanshah province, with the Mirza Kuchak Khan Brigade in the lead. The name of this Brigade is interesting.

ON January 1, 2024, Harkishen Singh Surjeet Bhavan was the venue for the 36th Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust’s annual celebrations. Organised every year to mark the life, the works and the ideals of Safdar Hashmi who was attacked on this day while performing a street play with his troupe, Jan Natya Manch, SAHMAT has become a cultural artefact in its own right. This year was a somber occasion as SAHMAT lost one of its most beloved and avid supporter in Comrade Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).