FOLLOWING are the candidates of CPI(M) for Jharkhand assembly elections .

1. Subhash Munda                                          Hatiya

2. Praful Linda                                                Khijri

3. Vishvadev Singh Munda                            Silli

4. Swapan Mahto                                            Behragoda

5. Naresh Bharti                                              Chatra

6. Mohammad Iqbal                                        Pakud

THE problems of the electricity sector have grown with the neoliberal reforms of the sector that started from the 90’s. The Enron style reforms introduced high cost private power into the grid in the 90’s, followed by the Electricity Act 2003, which virtually de-licensed generation and abolished planning of the power sector. We now have the new proposal of separating what is called “carriage from the content”, which shorn of this new English, means that electricity flowing though wires will be owned by separate entities than the one owning the wires.

NOW that the three-day wonder of the Fadnavis government has disappeared, one can look back at the whole sordid episode for what lessons can be learnt.

ON November 23, 2019, thousands of citizens’ joined the March called by Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union against fee hike, administrative authoritarianism, and privatisation and commercialisation of education with a  demand to make education affordable, accessible and inclusive to all sections of society. The March called from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar was joined by students of IIT’s,  IIM’s, alumni of JNU, trade unions, women’s organisations, Delhi Parents’ Association and members from several organisations.

A MASSIVE march of the slum dwellers was held from Saliasahi to Vidhan Sabha on November 22  in Bhubaneswar against their proposed eviction. Later a strong public meeting was held in which more than 20,000 people participated.  This seven kilometre march in the city brought the issue of the slum dwellers to the fore.