IT is a classic case of securing the bastion even before the battle has been fought. When the deadline to file the nominations ended on October 15, CPI(M) Kannur district committee had a big reason to cheer. Ten CPI(M) women candidates in the newly carved Anthoor municipality had been elected unopposed. No political rivals, either the Congress or the BJP, had turned up for filing nomination. Nomination of four UDF candidates has been rejected by the election commission in the final scrutiny. Out of 28 wards, 14 have been won by the LDF without a contest.

Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch condemns the heinous incident of burning to death of a Dalit family in Faridabad in the early hours on October 20. Two year old Vaibhav, ten months old Divya died before reaching hospital in Delhi. Rekha, their mother is undergoing treatment in the ICU with serious injuries. Jitender Kumar, their father received burn injuries on his hands. Petrol was poured into their room, in which they were sleeping, through a window that was open and they were set alight.

THE constitutional head of the Indian State Pranab Mukherjee on October 7, 2015 observed that “we can’t allow the core values of our civilization to be wasted.” The president further elaborated that “…..the core value is what over the years civilization celebrated diversity, promoted and advocated tolerance, and plurality.” This statement or warning of President Mukherjee has been made in a specific context of the role of Sangh Parivar and the BJP government which is leading to a complete polarisation of society on religious basis, a phenomenon which is spreading hatred and instilling intol

A CPI(M) delegation with Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member, Inderjeet Singh, senior Haryana state leader and Nathu Parsad, convenor of the Delhi DSMM and Faridabad district leaders went to the Sunperh village on October 21, to meet Jitender Kumar, father of the two infants, nine months baby girl Dibbu and her two year old brother Vaibhav who were burnt to death in the arson attack by the upper castes in the village while his wife Rekha is fighting for her life in a critical condition in hospital.

DADRI was not just an aberration or an isolated incident. Following the killing of Mohd Akhlaq by a mob in a village in Dadri on the false accusation of eating beef, there have been a spate of similar attacks using cow slaughter as the pretext. The death of 20 year old Noman after a truck carrying cattle was attacked in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh was followed by an arson attack in Udhampur on a truck carrying coal from Kashmir valley. Twenty three year old Zahid Ahmed died of burns sustained in this attack which was based on a malicious rumour about the killing of two cows.