THE All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) and the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) note how the response to the call for a Bharat Bandh by various dalit organisations has been widespread  in states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, reflecting the anger against the Supreme Court’s decision to dilute the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the  refusal of the central government to deal with the situation adequately.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on March 24

THE exposure of how a UK firm, Cambridge Analytics has been accessing Facebook data for use to influence voters shows how democracy is at risk from parties that have money and can use big data to influence elections.

It has also been revealed that there is an Indian link with a company associated with Cambridge Analytics conducting such operations in India.

THE Dalit Shoshit Mukti Manch (DSMM), in a statement issued on March 28, has called upon all its units throughout the country to observe protest day on April 2 against the dilution of the provisions of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act because of the ruling of a two member bench of the Supreme Court. The DSMM supports the demand to include the PoA in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. This will effectively protect the PoA from any dilution. DSMM has decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against its decision.

OVER 200 eminent scientists all over India have endorsed the call by the All India Peoples Science Network and other organisations to “March for Science” in India on April 14 in as many centres as possible.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat met the chief election commissioner on March 3rd evening seeking his intervention to ensure that counting is resumed in three booths of 23-Dhanpur assembly constituency of Tripura from where chief minister Manik Sarkar is contesting. Counting was stopped following the BJP’s objections.

The CEC has assured that he will take immediate action according to the rules.