Report

Several students of the Mahatma Gandhi Hindi University were attacked by ABVP hooligans on the intervening night of March 31st and April 1st, when they were sitting in solidarity with a protesting student - Rajneesh Kumar Ambedkar - who has been demanding that his PhD thesis be evaluated and that he is granted a doctorate degree.

The two day Central Committee (CC) meeting concluded in Kolkata on March 27th highlighting the urgent need to strengthen people’s resistance and opposition unity to defeat the BJP's communal fascist politics.  CPIML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that while BJP is trying to push its barbaric-genocidal 'Gujarat model' across the country and the impact of this is the rise in hatred and violence.

The workers involved in collection and transportation of garbage went on a five-day strike, between March 20th and March 24th, 2023, in various districts across Karnataka. These workers, are employed as garbage vehicle drivers and loaders in over 330 urban local bodies across the state, were demanding that the State Government implement the written assurance made by the Chief Minister to abolish the exploitative and illegal contract system, and that the workers be brought under the direct payment system of the local authorities.

Bihar State Non-Gazetted Employees Mahasangh (Gope Group) held a massive protest demonstration in front of Bihar Vidhan Sabha on 16 March with a demand charter that included demands of Old Pension Scheme, to remove ban on promotions, to regularise contract and short term appointment workers (Samvida). 

Protesters were addressed by Mahasangh state President Niranjan Kumar and Gen. Sec. Premchand Kumar Sinha. They submitted an 11-point charter of demands to the state government.

The CPI(ML) welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court to place the matter of same-sex marriage before a 5-judge Bench and call for an early decision on the same. This is another step in the quest for equality by members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, given that the right to marriage and to free choice of partner is a fundamental right of individuals. We believe that this right and freedom of choice, in pursuit of happiness, is a cornerstone of autonomy and dignity.

Thousands of ASHAs and ASHA Facilitators held a militant protest in Patna on 21 March to reiterate their demand of 21000 Rs. honorarium and other demands. ASHAs have given an ultimatum to the government for a state wide strike in the month of April if their demands are not met. The Nitish government has scheduled a meeting with them on 23 March for discussion on their charter. 

A joint procession of eight agricultural workers’ unions marching towards Punjab Vidhan Sabha was brutally lathicharged on 17 March at Mohali. This Sanyukta Mazdoor Morcha has been fighting for their various demands for a long time. CPIML leader Sukhdarshan Singh Natt has condemned this lathicharge on a peaceful procession. He also asked the Bhagwant Mann government in the state to shift their priorities and immediately accept the agrarian and rural workers’ long pending demands.

Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) organised a huge Kisan Mahapanchayat on 20 March in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. The mahapanchayat charted out a countrywide programme against Modi government’s designs of handing ovder Indian agriculture under corporate control and demanded to fulfill all pending demands of the Farmers’ Movement including enactment of a MSP Guarantee Act through a memorandum which was handed over to the Union Agriculture Minister by a fifteen-member delegation of farmer leaders. 

Mid-day meal workers from various trade union organisations (Pachika of primary schools) held a demonstration in huge numbers at Bhubaneswar in front of the state Assembly demanding increase in wages from 1400 to 10,000 per month and other demands with a 16-points demands charter. AICCTU leaders Mahendra Parida and Tripati Gomango said that the movement for mid-day meal workers is being taken up earnestly by them in many districts of Odisha.

On 13th March, 2023 over 500 workers, under the aegis of the BBMP Pourakarmikara Sangha (AICCTU) involved in transportation of solid waste, including drivers, helpers, loaders and cleaners staged a protest before the Bangalore Corporation demanding that they be made permanent and that the exploitative contract system be completely abolished.