THE mainstream and online media, and social media in particular, have been abuzz with controversy and comments from the vehicle-owning or driving public, experts and different sectional interest groups over the government’s roll out in Delhi and other cities of mandatory supply of petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol, that is EBP20 or E20, soon to be extended to the whole country.

THE decade-long rule of the BJP-RSS has extensively damaged the lives of lakhs of families, with women precariously clinging on to any mirage of help just to keep alive. Women in India are trying to figure out how to even provide the basic needs for the family. They have to borrow money to buy food or medicines, or for education of their children. Anybody lending money in such times becomes a ‘saviour’. The micro finance institutions – non-banking financial companies enter the scene wearing the garb of such ‘saviours’ – like vultures waiting to pounce on their prey!

IN the early 2000’s a series of bomb blasts targeting Muslims rocked the country. These were Malegaon (2006, 2008), the Samjhauta Express (2007), Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid (2007), Ajmer Sharif Dargah (2007) and Modasa (2008). Before that, there had been several bomb blasts in public places that were claimed by Islamist groups. It was thought that the later blasts were revenge attacks perpetrated by Hindu fanatics. But this proved to be just a pretext because later investigations revealed an insanely more dangerous vision and plan, as we will see below.

THE CPI(M) Jammu and Kashmir Committee has expressed grave concern over the recent cloudburst in Chisoti Padder on August 14, which has claimed several precious lives, left many missing, and caused widespread devastation. The deadly cloudburst has once again brought into sharp focus the vulnerability of Jammu and Kashmir’s Himalayan region to extreme weather events such as flash floods, landslides, and avalanches.

THIS was waiting to happen. The tumultuous events of the last fortnight have brought into sharp focus a concerted assault on democracy – an assault unfolding at multiple levels. At the most basic, the very foundation of democracy and of the representative government – the constitutional right of citizens to vote – has been threatened through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar. The second dimension has been the sabotage of a constitutional body – the Election Commission of India (ECI) – which is mandated to act independently and ensure a level playing field.