ON this January 30, Mahatma Gandhi’s Martyrdom day, Karnataka witnessed a historic event. Over two lakh people in over 160 district and taluk centres all over Karnataka formed human chain between 4.00 to 4.10 PM to defend “Karnataka for Harmony”.  People from all walks of life - writers, artists, intellectuals, religious leaders, secular political leaders, lawyers, workers, peasants, students, youth, women participated in the human chain enthusiastically. People belonging to minority communities participated in big numbers.

ALL INDIA FEDERATION OF ANGANWADI WORKERS AND HELPERSThe election manifesto of the BJP for the 2014 parliament elections says that if voted to power it will “Review the working conditions and enhance the remuneration of Anganwadi worker's”. The last full budget of the NDA government is the proof of not only the breaking of its promise but also of the criminal neglect of India’s eight crore malnourished children and two crore pregnant mothers. Since 2011, the remuneration of the anganwadi employees had not been increased whereas the working hours had been in

THOUSANDS of tea workers marched to ‘Uttarkanya’, the state government office in North Bengal on January 24, in a historic show of unity. Tea workers in northern Bengal are suffering from severe distress. Many tea gardens are closed since long, triggering starvation deaths and large scale migration. In other gardens, workers are being paid paltry wages, their ration and health facilities have gradually declined. The state government has remained criminally callous to the widespread crisis in tea gardens.

THE All India Agricultural Workers Union, in a statement issued on January 30, has called on the finance minister to ensure that at least 5 per cent of the GDP is spent on agriculture, which has gone down sharply in growth since last year. Also there is a situation where farmers are ploughing back potatoes into their fields, throwing tomatoes on to the roads and in general failing to get the prices demanded under the Swaminathan formula for minimum support price which the present government had promised to implement in its election manifesto.

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has, in an interview last week with a private television channel, claimed that someone who opens a pakoda shop in the street is to be considered as employed.  Further, his earning of Rs 200 per day is not reflected in any book of accounts. He said, “The truth is massive number of people are being employed”. So, now we have it from the prime minister himself that massive employment has been created by people selling goods on streets.