It recently came to light that a fraudulent godman from Nashik, named Ashok Kharat, sexually and financially exploited hundreds of women across the state. Several videos where he was actually seen doing so went viral. Gaining the trust of these women, who were distressed by their daily domestic issues, he subsequently subjected them to sexual abuse under the pretext of resolving their problems. He tortured them mentally and physically by threatening that if they ever tried to expose him, he would use his “divine powers” to kill their husbands and children.

Neela Bhagwat, a long-time associate of Sahmat, passed away on April 14 after a prolonged illness. She was a renowned exponent of the Gwalior Gharana, known not only for her deep connect with that tradition but also for her ability to innovate. Bhagwat closely engaged with the world around her, and this was reflected in her reinterpretation of many texts, especially thumri bandishes, when she presented them as expressive of the feminine voice. 

As the United States farcically walks away from the negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, it was always a matter of concern whether Israel would abide by any such agreement. This was particularly the case with Lebanon and with the Palestinian territories, where Israel seemed absolutely hell bent on creating new ‘facts on the ground’, including evacuating more sections of Gaza, ethnically cleansing more towns in the West Bank, and eliminating almost one million people from the entire southern half of Lebanon.

The alleged multi-crore Chester Hill land scam in Solan has erupted into a major political storm in Himachal Pradesh, with the state unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanding the immediate removal of the Chief Secretary and a comprehensive probe into what it describes as a systemic failure of land governance. Party leaders termed the case a serious example of the growing nexus between sections of the bureaucracy, political actors, and the real estate lobby, warning that its implications could extend far beyond Solan.

A two-day workshop on social media - an accessible, dominant, and cost-effective medium for communication and for disseminating the Party's policies and programmes to the widest possible audience - was held on March 6 and 7, 2026, at the CITU office in Nashik. It was attended by over 160 activists, predominantly youth, from 23 districts.