Neela Bhagwat -- A Tribute by Sahmat

Neela Bhagwat, a long-time associate of Sahmat, passed away on April 14 after a prolonged illness. She was a renowned exponent of the Gwalior Gharana, known not only for her deep connect with that tradition but also for her ability to innovate. Bhagwat closely engaged with the world around her, and this was reflected in her reinterpretation of many texts, especially thumri bandishes, when she presented them as expressive of the feminine voice.

Workers’ Rebellion Against Brutal Exploitation and Repression

The recent workers’ protests in the National Capital Region have taken place against the backdrop of the nationwide strike on February 12. The way this movement, which began in Manesar (Gurgaon) in April, has spread to Noida after the contract labor movement at the Panipat Refinery in Haryana in late February, and has spread throughout the NCR, is unprecedented. This workers’ revolt, born in a specific environment, has exposed severe exploitation, poor working conditions and extreme economic distress.

Apologies to All the People in Lebanon

As the United States farcically walks away from the negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, it was always a matter of concern whether Israel would abide by any such agreement. This was particularly the case with Lebanon and with the Palestinian territories, where Israel seemed absolutely hell bent on creating new ‘facts on the ground’, including evacuating more sections of Gaza, ethnically cleansing more towns in the West Bank, and eliminating almost one million people from the entire southern half of Lebanon.

Pushing Delimitation in the Garb of Women’s Reservation

Slogan mongering and inventing fake narratives has been the main forte of Narendra Modi and his government. An extremely severe and obnoxious example is its latest act. The convening of the two day special session of Parliament is a glaring example of that very same trait.

Land Scam Rocks Himachal-CPI(M) demands action

The alleged multi-crore Chester Hill land scam in Solan has erupted into a major political storm in Himachal Pradesh, with the state unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanding the immediate removal of the Chief Secretary and a comprehensive probe into what it describes as a systemic failure of land governance. Party leaders termed the case a serious example of the growing nexus between sections of the bureaucracy, political actors, and the real estate lobby, warning that its implications could extend far beyond Solan.

Women in the Mahad Satyagrahas of 1927

The first Mahad Satyagraha of 1927, led by Dr B R Ambedkar and Comrade R B More, was a landmark struggle against caste discrimination, especially for the right of “untouchables” to access public water sources like the Chavdar Tank in Mahad. It challenged caste-based untouchability and marked a pivotal moment in India’s social reform movement and constitutional discourse on equality.

Maharashtra: Media Workshop Concludes Enthusiastically in Nashik

A two-day workshop on social media - an accessible, dominant, and cost-effective medium for communication and for disseminating the Party's policies and programmes to the widest possible audience - was held on March 6 and 7, 2026, at the CITU office in Nashik. It was attended by over 160 activists, predominantly youth, from 23 districts.

Baby Writes to ECI: Constitutional Rights can’t be Superseded by an Executive Order

M A Baby, General Secretary of the CPI(M) has written a letter on April 09, 2026, to the Chief Election Commissioner against the backdrop of the large-scale deletion of voters from the electoral rolls in West Bengal following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). He has urged that the constitutional right to vote must be guaranteed by the ECI, at any cost.

Two Fractures Effected by Neo-Liberalism

The Indian government’s position on the US-Israeli war against Iran shows an unbelievable degree of pusillanimity. India attended the recent meeting of about fifty countries called by the U.K.

A Three-Way Contest: Trust the Left

The first-time voters appearing for their Higher Secondary exams this year, or those on the verge of graduation, have grown up seeing only the Modi and Mamata governments. They have come of age amidst corruption, the reign of miscreants, Hindu-Muslim hatred, communal violence, rape, unemployment, crumbling state schools and hospitals, despair, precarious low-income jobs, and a widening chasm between the rich and the poor. This generation has never had the opportunity to witness a Left-wing government. Instead, they find deprivation, poverty, and frustration to be their constant companions.

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