WHILE the ‘sound bytes’ of the high decibel ‘event’ of commemorating the ‘Constitution Day’ on November 26 and the discussion on the contribution of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and the making of the Constitution in the parliament marked the formal kicking off of the winter session had hardly died down, the Supreme Court came out with a shocker. Doubtlessly, that this year marks the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar added to the solemnity of this discussion. This is notwithstanding the controversy over the appropriateness of the choice of November 26 over the customary January 26.

AT the call of the Central Committee, the August campaign was conducted successfully in the state. The state committee meeting held on July 9-10, discussed in detail and planned for the campaign that began from July 25. Meetings of district committes/ district organising committees, local and area committees were organised. Party centre highlighted the issues through demands and prepared the material to be used for propaganda in the campaign. A special bulletin ‘Sangharsh Sandesh’ was published by the state centre. 5000 copies were published and distributed.

ADDRESSING an impressive public meeting on October 11, CPI(M) General Secretary, Prakash Karat made a fervent plea for sending Left members to assembly to raise issues of working masses, push forward the struggle for alternative policies and healthy politics in Haryana. He pointed out that the people of Haryana fed up with anti-people, thoroughly corrupt and ayaram-gayaram politics of the Congress, the BJP and other ruling class parties, are looking for new politics.

THE upcoming assembly polls in four states namely Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir should also be seen in the overall context of the political situation at the national level with the Modi-led NDA assuming power at the centre in the last Lok Sabha elections. Not surprisingly, this government has begun with pursuing even more vigorously the same neo-liberal policies for which the people had ousted the UPA government from power.