THE allegations and counter allegations were flying thick and fast! The summit of the G-7 in Quebec in Canada saw these fireworks. This was not an abrupt development; but the magnitude of spat was mind boggling. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office released a photo of multiple leaders appearing to confront a displeased Trump. Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton, used the image in his own Twit criticising foreign leaders observed, “Just another #G7 where other countries expect America will always be their bank. The President made it clear today. No more.”

NARENDRA Modi had promised to create two crore jobs during the election campaign for 2014 general elections. This attracted massive support for the party and Modi because people were frustrated with a decade of jobless growth under the UPA. They thought achche din (good days) were finally going to come.

Four years have passed and Modi government has spectacularly failed on this count. In fact Modi sarkar’s policies have led to job losses rather than creating more jobs. In order to cover up his complete failure, Modi is now saying that ‘selling pakodas’ is also a job!

ON June 3, 2018, a large convention against the proposed Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, a pet elitist project of the BJP’s Modi government that will lead to disastrous land acquisition from the peasantry in both Maharashtra and Gujarat, was held at Palghar by the Bhoomi Adhikar Andolan (BAA). The joint organisers were the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Kashtakari Sanghatana, Shoshit Jan Andolan, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Gujarat Khedut Samaj, Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti and others.

WORLD Environment Day (WED) is observed by the United Nations General Assembly each year on June 5, to commemorate the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment in 1972. This year India is the host country and, in that capacity, has chosen “Beat Plastic Pollution” as the theme for 2018.

The choice of theme is timely since plastic pollution on an unprecedented scale, especially of the oceans, has been highlighted often during the year, and has grabbed media and public attention.

CPI(M) brought out four booklets which describe the ‘Four years of Modi Government’s misrule’ and ‘why it has to end’. Releasing the booklets on June 1, a press conference was held at the CPI(M) headquarters which was addressed by Sitaram Yechury, general secretary  and Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M).