The Independence Day Speech of Tripura Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar was recorded by the Doordarshan and All India Radio but subsequently they had blacked out his speech. The full-text of his speech is published below. DEAR People of Tripura,On the occasion of Independence Day, I convey my greetings and best wishes to you all. I pay my homage to the great memory of the martyrs of India’s freedom struggle.

IN a statement issued on August 4, Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of CPI(M) has said that an extraordinary circumstance has arisen due to the inhuman decision of the Madhya Pradesh government to implement the Narmada Valley authorities’ decision to close the gates of the Sardar Sarovar dam which will lead to submergence of 192 villages and eviction of 40,000 families in Madhya Pradesh.  There was an agreement that before closing the gate, rehabilitation work should be completed.  The Supreme Court upheld this decision.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statements on August 1 DRAWING a wrong interpretation from the Supreme Court decision, the gates of Sardar Sarovar Dam have been closed. The Supreme Court decision had clearly stated that only after proper rehabilitation of the dam-affected was done and after the affected had been given compensation, could they be removed after July 31.Arrangements for more than 40,000 families of the affected have not been completed. Peasants have not got any compensation.

A group of 114 veterans of the Indian Armed Forces have written an open letter to the prime minister, chief ministers of states and lieutenant-governors of union territories, expressing their distress at “divisive” recent developments in the country which “go against the secular and democratic values enshrined in the constitution”. The letter is reproduced below.WE are a group of veterans of the Indian Armed Forces who have spent our careers working for the security of our country.

THE coordination committee of Bhumi Adhikar Andolan which met in New Delhi has decided to intensify the ongoing farmers struggle and called up on the peasantry to participate in large numbers in the district rally, jail bharo programme across the country on August 9.This will be the largest action as part of the ongoing farmers struggle and will be organised in all the states in the country. BAA has requested active support of central trade unions to make the strike action a success. Peasantry, working class and all other sections of the toiling mass will attend the protest rally.