THE All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) and the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) note how the response to the call for a Bharat Bandh by various dalit organisations has been widespread  in states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, reflecting the anger against the Supreme Court’s decision to dilute the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the  refusal of the central government to deal with the situation adequately.

ON March 21, Justice J Chelameswar, the most senior judge of the Supreme Court and a member of the Collegium, wrote to the Chief Justice of India to convene the full court on judicial side to discuss the matter of government interference in the appointment of judges to high courts. Copies of this letter has also been sent to 22 other judges of the Supreme Court.

ELEVEN of our brothers were killed on April 2. It seems they were ‘misled’ by some ‘vested interests’ to participate in the protests. Protesting for dignity and equality, they gave up their lives. To desire to live a dignified life and an egalitarian life, is natural. To detest any attack on such desires is natural. To participate in a protest against any such attack is human nature. It is these natural feelings that motivated the protesters and not any ‘vested interests’. Unfortunately (or is it wantonly), some noble souls are either blind or cannot understand these natural feelings!

IT was truly an amazing struggle, the like of which has not been seen in Maharashtra in recent times. It caught the imagination of the peasantry and the people, and received their unstinted support, not only in the state but all over the country. It received the backing of parties and organisations all across the political spectrum. For the week from March 6-12 that the Long March of nearly 200 Km lasted, it became the centre of attraction for the entire national and state media, both print and electronic, and also the social media.

IN the Union Budget for 2018-19, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made one false and one misleading statement in respect of employment generation. In point number 78 of the written copy of his speech, he stated, “An independent study conducted recently has shown that 70 lakh formal jobs will be created this year.”