INTOXICATED by the ‘ideology of hate’, BJP goons in Tripura ‘celebrated’ their victory by letting loose a reign of terror. Not only have they started attacking the members and supporters of the CPI(M), they burnt their houses, Party offices and other belongings. Razing down the statue of Lenin was one of their brazen acts. The governor of the state, an RSS pracharak, condoned the incident, his glee getting the better over his sense of constitutional propriety. It seems a diplomat, exceeding his brief, congratulated expressing the desire to see a world with ‘few communists’.

THE massive long march of the Maharashtra unit of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), began from the Central Bus Stand Chowk in Nashik city on March 6 at 4.30 pm with tens of thousands of farmers from all over the state. Its distinguishing feature was that thousands of peasant women were part of the march and they will walk all the way of 200 km to Mumbai.The entire area was decorated with hundreds of red flags, red banners and red placards giving the demands of the march.

CPI(M) leader and Tripura minister Khagendra Jamatia died at the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on March 2. He was 63 and had been suffering from blood cancer.Jamatia, the minister in charge of fishery, cooperative and fire service departments in the outgoing Left Front government, was a candidate from the Krishnapur constituency in the February 18 Assembly election. During most of the campaign period, Jamatia was under treatment at a hospital in Agartala.

B V Raghavulu addressing the Left Parties and mass organisations dharna at the Parliament Street in New Delhi demanding Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh.Left Parties held a two-day on March 6-7.  They demanded that the union government grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh and fulfill the promises made in the AP Re-organisation Act. Later, when the protestors tried to conduct a rally to the ministry of home affairs, police arrested them. They were released later.  

THE people charmed by Manu are concerned about miracles but are not bothered by the sufferings of people. Rulers who talk about yagnas, pushkaras and holy places are not worried about the people who toil day and night to fill their stomachs. They will not talk about caste discrimination, caste domination or equity and justice. Those who have been enjoying reservation on property for generations together, will naturally be influenced by Manuvad and not by humanitarian concerns.