Report

On Friday, 21 October, bulldozers of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished around 25 houses in South West Delhi's Fatehpur Beri without any prior notice and with the aid of the Delhi Police. A team of activists and lawyers consisted of Akash (AICCTU), Anupradha (AILAJ), Naushad (AISA), and Suman (AIPWA) visited Fatehpur Beri to express their solidarity with the people and explore ways to stop further demolition.

The fourth Punjab State Conference of CPIML was held in Amritsar on 16-17 October. The conference was inaugurated by party General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya in an open session on 16 October. The open session was also addressed by many eminent guests and fraternal organisations.

The Bellary Zilla Gani Karmikara Sangha, affiliated to the AICCTU undertook a Padyatra of 70 kms over 3 days from Sandur to Ballari from 11th to 13th October demanding compensation for the mine workers who had lost their employment when the mines were closed in 2011. Their struggle of over a decade is for their rightful share. The Padyatra was inaugurated by Social Activist Medha Patkar and social activist and Kannada actor, Chetan Ahimsa.

CPIML held statewide protests in Bihar on 8 October against suspension of ongoing urban local bodies’ elections. The state Election Commission has ordered suspension of elections in all 263 urban local bodies following a Patna High Court order regarding fulfilment of three conditions for the OBC reservations in local bodies known as the ‘triple test’. These were set as mandatory by the Supreme Court in January 2022 for deciding OBC quotas.

Jan Sanskriti Manch held its national conference at Raipur, Chhattisgarh on 8-9 October 2022. The conference venue, premises, auditorium and stage were dedicated to Muktibodh, Com Brijbihari Pandey, Ramnihal Gunjan, Mangalesh Dabral and Habib Tanveer.

On 8th October, despite heavy rains, citizens of Delhi flooded the Press Club of India in solidarity with different political prisoners incarcerated under acts like UAPA, PSA, NIA etc. along with family members and friends of those incarcerated, teachers and activists spoke against the assault on democratic rights by the BJP regime.

Illegal Sand Mining in Bihta

Illegal sand mining at Amanabad banks of Sone river at Bihta in Bihar led to bloody show off between groups of mafia on 29 September.

CPIML and All India Progressive Women’s Association have strongly condemned the demeaning statements of Harjot Kaur, Chairperson and MD of Bihar’s Women and Child Development Corporation, made during an interaction workshop with school girls in Patna. AIPWA said that the apology given by Harjot Kaur is not enough and she must be removed from her present post immediately. She had spoken with a BJP-ised mindset showing her indignation towards the girls she was supposed to work for their welfare.

National Federation of ASHAs and Scheme Workers affiliated with AICCTU has decided to hold a rally in national capital on 28 November. The major demands to be raised through the rally and the campaign which is ongoing in different states include raising the minimum wage, giving an employee status, pensions and social security.

AICCTU leader V Shankar and Rajiv Dimri told in Allahabad on 22 September that a nationwide campaign is being conducted for these demands.

Manoj Manzil, CPIML MLA from Gadhani in Bhojpur has consistently been raising the issue of poor plight of health services in Bihar. While his observations have made a mark in the public health discourse in the state, the effective improvement in the government run hospitals to a substantial level is yet to be seen. Thank to his consistent activism that some very meager changes are visible inside the hospitals particularly in his constituency in favour of common patients who see him a savior in difficult times.