DONALD Trump launched a new vaccine war this week, but not against the virus. It was against the world. The US and UK were only two hold-outs in the World Health Assembly on the declaration that vaccines and medicines for Covid-19 should be available as public good, and not under exclusive patent rights.  Having badly botched his Covid-19 response, he is trying to redeem his electoral fortunes in the November elections this year by promising an early vaccine.

THE Covid-19 pandemic has brought out the stark inadequacy and abysmal neglect of the public health system in India.  Even after 50 days of the lockdown, the Modi government seems to have not learnt from the experience of tackling the deadly virus.  In state after state, government hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of patients and the lack of treatment facilities.  The state of government hospitals in the hotspot of Mumbai provides a grim illustration. The Modi government displays a smug satisfaction by turning a blind eye to the actual state of affairs.

SUNDARAYYA Skill Development Centre, a three-storied building in the capital region of Andhra Pradesh has been turned into a shelter for migrant workers. This building at Vaddeswaram has become a shelter for 47 migrant workers belonging to Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of AP, bordering Odisha. Due to lockdown, these workers lost their livelihood and decided to go back to their native places in AP. They were coming from Chennai on foot as there was no travel facility.

EVEN as millions of migrant workers are wearily trudging back to their villages with no money, no food and no shelter, or are locked up en route in shoddy quarantine camps, a war has been unleashed on the rights of workers under the cover of the lockdown. The BJP, true to form, is the political formation leading this class war through its state governments. The Uttar Pradesh government has through an ordinance suspended all labour laws (except just four) for a period of three years.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on May 8THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep shock and anguish over the tragic death of 16 migrant workers who were travelling from Jalna in Maharashtra where they were walking to their native place in Sahdol district of Madhya Pradesh.