BRAVING an extremely unfavourable weather and scorching sun, a large protest demonstration was taken out at Kaithal on June 27, demanding withdrawal of cases against the Maruti factory workers and their relatives who were meted out brutal police atrocities exactly a year ago while they were going to give a memorandum to the Haryana cabinet minister Randeep Surjewala. The protest demonstration made a strong demand for the release all Maruti workers who have been languishing in jail for about two years The CPI(M) municipal councillor Prem Chand  was specially targeted and was beaten up by the police and booked under grave criminal cases along with others. He was also suspended from the municipal councillor’s post out of political vendetta. The protest demonstration included a large number of women, students, trade union workers and other citizens under the banner of the Nagrik Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti. When the demonstrators were stopped by a massive police force at the Mini Secretariat, they insisted on their entry and forced the police force to retreat. A delegation comprising the Samiti president Telu Ram, CPI(M) state secretary Inderjit Singh, CITU state president Surender Malik, Kundal Lal, Prem Chand, Mohinder Singh (of the Kisan Sabha) and Smt Manisha Raj Pal of the Maruti Workers Union were invited by the district collector to discuss the issues, and he assured to take positive steps to address the grievances. CPI(M), CPI TO FIGHT ASSEMBLY POLLS TOGETHER THROUGH a joint statement issued from Rohtak on June 28, the CPI(M) state secretary Inderjit Singh and CPI state secretary Daryab Singh Kasyap said the two parties --- the CPI(M) and the CPI  --- would continue their alliance in the forthcoming elections for the Haryana assembly also. This was formally declared after a joint meeting of both Left parties held in the town on the day. CPI(M) state secretary Inderjit Singh, Surender Malik and Naresh Kumar attended the meeting on behalf of their party while the CPI leaders attending were Daryao Singh Kashyap, Satpal Beniwal and Satyender Giri. The meeting issued a press release and appealed to all progressive parties, organisations and individuals to join hands and try to evolve an alternative political platform for the ensuing assembly elections. While emphasising this necessity, the Left parties expressed their keenness to cooperate with parties like the Aam Admi Party (AAP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) if they too were really serious in evolving a positive and progressive politics in Haryana, the press release said. Both the communist parties reiterated their resolve to continue their fight against the aggressive onslaught launched by the Modi government on the livelihood of ordinary people. This onslaught is bound to intensify during the coming months, the statement said. The Left parties are already engaged in the task of identification of assembly seats to be contested, and hope to complete the exercise soon. The meeting passed a set of resolutions. One of them demanded the ouster of union minister Nihal Chand Meghwal for being accused of sexual exploitation of a girl from Sirsa district, while another condemned the recent communal flare-up in Taoru town of Mewat orchestrated in a planned conspiracy by communal outfits. A third resolution demanded justice to the dalit families from Bhagana village, camping at Jantar Mantar in Delhi for long. An end to extortion of heavy toll tax on national highways, redressal of grievances of the highly exploited computer teachers some of whom were sitting on an indefinite hunger strike in Panchkula, and rolling back of the enhanced rail fares and freight charges were among the other demands.  CPI(M) CHALKS OUT FUTURE TASKS THE Haryana state committee of the CPI(M) has resolved to adopt a two-pronged approach to overcome the weaknesses reflected in the Lok Sabha  results. On the one hand, it would intensify the mass struggles on the livelihood issues of toiling masses while, on the other, it would strengthen the party structure at the grassroots level. This was announced through a statement issued by the CPI(M)’s Haryana state secretariat from Rohtak on June 13, following a two day meet of the state committee. CPI(M) state secretary Inderjit Singh also said on this occasion that in spite of the correct political line and the issues raised by the Left parties, the CPI(M) has not been able to translate its influence into votes. He attributed the dismal performance to two main factors --- (1) massive use of money and caste polarisation resorted to by major political parties and (2) weak organisational structure of the party at the booth and village levels. The state committee was also of the opinion that the Modi government is likely to follow, in a more ruthless manner, the same neo-liberal policies as the previous UPA government was following, which led to the worst ever defeat of the Congress. Moreover, no moves have been initiated so far by the NDA government to provide any worthwhile relief to the common people. At the same time, the Hooda government in Haryana has also refused to review its anti-people policies despite the disastrous results for the Congress in the state. The CPI(M) state committee said the Haryana government’s announcement of a policy for regularisation of government employees was merely a joke as it excluded an overwhelming majority of the non-regular staff. The government has also deceived labourers on the question of minimum wages and labour welfare fund for construction workers. MGNREGA wages amounting to over 50 crore rupee were pending. Old age pensioners are compelled to run from pillar to post in scorching sun. Irrational decision of one year extension in JBT course was not being rolled back despite stiff resistance from students and parents. Imposition of a hefty toll tax has exposed the real face of the government. The CPI(M) state committee has decided to contact other progressive and democratic forces and individuals to launch mass campaigns on issues like drug addiction, plight of women, casteism and communalism, social justice, crime, employment, education and health etc. The state committee condemned the incidents of communal violence being organised in a planned way in Taoru of Mewat district. It has also demanded protection and rehabilitation of the scheduled caste families of Bhagana village in Hissar district.