Report

A fact-finding team from the CPIML visited the site of the recent tragic stampede at Siddheshwar Temple on Barabar Hill in Jahanabad district on August 12, 2024. The incident, which occurred during the Sawan festival, resulted in the death of seven and injuries to 28 others.

CPIML and other left parties have strongly condemned the attempts by the BJP led state government and right wing-forces in Rajasthan to stoke communal polarisation around the recent school stabbing incident in Rajasthan’s Udaipur city. In the incident, in which a student at a government school in Bhatiyani Chauraha attacked his schoolmate, who later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. In the wake of this incident, a joint meeting of left parties in Udaipur city was held on August 18.

On August 9, on the occasion of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha (ASM) took out a march in Jharkhand's Ramgarh city. Hundreds of Adivasis marched with songs and slogans through the city before convening a meeting at Subhash Chowk to voice their rights and demands.

A CPIML team led by Surendra Prasad Singh and Asif Hoda, visited Mohammed Sarjamul Qureshi, a 55-year-old survivor of a mob lynching attempt, currently receiving treatment in a private hospital in Tajpur. Sarjamul Qureshi, a goat trader, was attacked by a mob of 40–45 men belonging to Hindu Rashtra Ekta Manch on August 16, 2024, when he went to Mau Bazaar in Vidyapatinagar to buy goats. The mob, which was led by a local ward councillor and Hindutva right-wing leader Chandan Jha attempted to lynch Qureshi, under the pretext of carrying beef.

It has been eight days since the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) has been on an indefinite hunger strike, with many students fasting for a better and inclusive campus. Notably, JNU is a university of excellence in the country and has a vibrant student democracy, which has stood the test of time thanks to its students and student organisations, who have fought tooth and nail to preserve the inclusive and accessible nature of their campus, against the slew of assault by the university administration and BJP led Union government.

The All India Students' Association (AISA) gave a call for Parliament March Against NTA on August 9, demanding accountability from the NDA Government at the Centre on the recent corruption in NEET, NET and other competitive exams! This institutionalised corruption in national level exams on a continual basis has hampered the academic prospects of lakhs of students. AISA demanded the resignation of Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan and a complete scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

When the workers of Prism Johnson Ltd. RMC (India) Division reported for their morning shift at 8 AM on 19.07.2024 in their two factory plants in Bengaluru, they were shocked to find the factory gates closed and a “Notice of Closure” stuck on the gate. This occurred after the workers on their night shift left the factory premises at 6 AM! The workers were not allowed inside the factory premises by bouncers hired by the company, even when the workers appealed saying they wanted to speak to the management!

The unification of Jharkhand’s two leading Left forces, CPI(ML) Liberation and Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC), was announced on 10 August 2024 in a press conference at Ranchi by CPIML Politburo member and MP Raja Ram Singh and MCC Executive President and Ex-MLA Arup Chatterjee. This will begin a new chapter in the anti-fascist resistance and struggles against crony capitalism in Jharkhand and will also be a decisive factor in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

The CPI(ML) Politburo meeting held on July 31- August 1, 2024 at New Delhi has adopted following resolutions:

On Marxist Coordination’s Merger with CPI(ML)

The 19th Congress of Peasants and Workers Party was held on 2-3 August at Pandharpur, District Solapur in Maharashtra. CPIML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya addressed the inaugural session as the main speaker.