ON this January 30, Mahatma Gandhi’s Martyrdom day, Karnataka witnessed a historic event. Over two lakh people in over 160 district and taluk centres all over Karnataka formed human chain between 4.00 to 4.10 PM to defend “Karnataka for Harmony”.  People from all walks of life - writers, artists, intellectuals, religious leaders, secular political leaders, lawyers, workers, peasants, students, youth, women participated in the human chain enthusiastically. People belonging to minority communities participated in big numbers.

A DELEGATION from the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) met the minister of minority affairs, Mukthar Abbas Naqvi on January 5.They submitted a memorandum seeking the removal of certain provisions contained in the guidelines issued by the Haj Committee of India that virtually bar persons with disabilities from undertaking the Haj pilgrimage.The minister assured that he would issue an advisory to the Haj Committee of India to review the guidelines and “bring it in conformity” with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

THE CPI(M) Maharashtra state committee has, in a statement issued on January 2, called upon all democratic and secular minded people in the state to extend their full support to the joint Maharashtra  bandh call on January 3, the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule. The bandh has been called by various Ambedkarite and Left groups to denounce the January 1 attacks by casteist and communal forces on lakhs of dalits who had gathered at Bhima Koregaon in Pune district to pay homage to martyrs on the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle in which the hated casteist Peshwa rule was def

THE president of India gave a sympathetic hearing to a delegation led by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member  Brinda Karat and Jharkhand Adivasi Adhikar Manch secretary Praful Linda who submitted a memorandum to him on December 22. The delegation which comprised adivasi leaders of the Chotanagpur area of Jharkhand were from three project affected areas in which more than three lakh people, a large number of them adivasis will be evicted. They were Mohan Oraon, Dr Ashok, Anita Tirkey, Deepika Bara, Aloys Minz, Surendra Oraon, Mukesh Oraon and Fildri Toppo.

THE Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, in a statement issued on December 20 has called upon its units to observe Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule’s birth anniversary on January 3 as Women’s Education Day.Savitribai was born on January 3, 1831 and as was the custom of that period, married to Jyotiba Phule at a young age of nine years. Jyotiba too was a child, aged only thirteen. Encouraged by Jyotiba, Savitribai went to school and got trained as a teacher.