Withdraw Fuel Price Hike

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on May 15, 2026.

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the Union government’s decision to hike the prices of petrol, diesel and CNG. The hike of ₹3 per litre in petrol and diesel and ₹2 per kg in CNG will impose more burdens on the working people already reeling under inflation, unemployment, stagnant wages and deepening economic distress.

Neo-Liberal Chickens are Coming Home to Roost

THE rupee’s exchange rate has now crossed ninety-six to a dollar; and there is still no sign of its downward slide coming to a halt. There is talk of its crossing a hundred in the coming days; it is the worst performing currency in Asia at this moment and among the worst in the entire world.

NEET Fiasco: Students Resist ‘One Nation, One Exam’

For over 22 lakh students who appeared for the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test - Under Graduate (NEET-UG) on May 3, 2026, across India, the decision by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to cancel the examination came as a traumatic turn. Through years and months of preparation, depriving themselves of entertainment, social life and relationships, the aspirants readily dedicated themselves to fulfilling their dream of becoming doctors.

Kerala: Vijayan to be Leader of Opposition

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan has been elected as the leader of the CPI(M) legislature party in Kerala. The decision was made unanimously during the CPI(M) State Committee meeting held over two days in Thiruvananthapuram. The meeting was chaired by Central Committee member K Radhakrishnan. State Secretary M V Govindan announced in a press release that General Secretary M A Baby, and Polit Bureau members Pinarayi Vijayan and A Vijayaraghavan attended the session.

Kerala: Satheesan Secures CM’s Chair after Intense Political Posturing

After prolonged infighting and uncertainty that mocked the public mandate, the Congress finally picked V D Satheesan as its leader in the Kerala Assembly. He took oath as the chief minister on May 18, two weeks after the Assembly election results were announced. Leveraging intense pressure from allies including the Muslim League and support from senior leaders, Satheesan secured the chief minister’s chair by outmaneuvering K C Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.

Blundering on Ethanol

THE Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced in end-April new rules governing the use of significantly higher proportions of Ethanol in petrol blends for automobiles than the presently mandated 20 per cent ethanol blended petrol (EBP 20 or E20). This paves the way for introduction of blends such as E28 or E85 as well as E100 or pure ethanol.

PM’s Callous Appeal for Austerity Hides Govt.’s Failures

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has made a desperate appeal to the working people of India calling for drastic cut in use of various essential commodities including fuel, edible oil and fertilisers. There has rarely been such a telling admission of incompetence, abject failure of governance and foreign policy by any Prime Minister in recent times.

“Cuba Will Not Give In!”: Cuban Foreign Minister Calls for Greater International Solidarity

At a solidarity event organized by the National Committee for Solidarity with Cuba at HKS Surjeet Bhawan in New Delhi on May 16, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla delivered a detailed address on the situation facing Cuba amid escalating pressure from the United States.

Beyond BJP's Assam Victory

THE results of the recent Assam Assembly elections have once again brought the BJP-led alliance back to power with a clear majority. From the perspective of seats won, this victory is undoubtedly significant. However, a deeper analysis of the election outcome reveals that this verdict is not merely a straightforward expression of overwhelming public support. Rather, it reflects the complex and contradictory political reality prevailing in Assam today.

Credibility Flows from Lived Experience, Not Fictional Spin

THE trouble with the post truth world is that it has an expiry date. The truth can be glossed over for some finite length of time, not perpetually. Truth eventually triumphs. It seems that we have reached that hour of reckoning. Indications were pronounced, coming from the Prime Minister himself, when he in no uncertain terms asserted the need for Indian citizens to ‘tighten their belts’ – an ‘austerity package of sorts’!

Search form

Peoples Democracy newsletter