With a grim face, she walks back and forth in the courtyard holding on to her mother’s sari. Fear is written all over her face. There is a tense, gloomy look on her face. When asked her name, she replied in a faint, trembling voice — Sania Akhtar. She is six years old and studies in Class One. Before the conversation could even finish, Sania’s mother responded, “Since that day, my daughter can’t sleep at night. She clings to me saying ‘fire, fire.’ When she cries, I cover her mouth so that no one can hear the sound.

The political focus in West Bengal has shifted dramatically during the final week of January 2026. What began as a desperate administrative attempt to disrupt the CPI(M) rally in Malda escalated into a widespread, multi-district display of defiance. From the congested Malda flyovers to the 'martyr's soil' of Lalgarh, the Left Front's actions signal more than just a protest; they represent a solemn declaration of a struggle for democratic space in the lead-up to the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Sea of People

ANUSUYA… she is a postgraduate. She belongs to a Scheduled Caste community at Udayarpalayam, a small hamlet in, Ariyalur district.

Subash… he too is a postgraduate. He was born into a Backward Caste community in Arunagiri village, Uthangarai, Krishnagiri district. Both Subash’s and Anusuya’s families had migrated to the industrial town of Tiruppur after failing to find employment in their native villages. Their residences in Tiruppur were close to each other.

West Bengal is currently witnessing an unprecedented state of turmoil centered on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The hearing phase in the process has become a nightmare for ordinary citizens, especially those from marginalised sections of society. Arbitrary and unilateral decisions by the Election Commission (EC) are fundamentally undermining the democratic structure.

ON January 19, 2026, the CPI(M) began a truly massive march on foot of around 50,000 people hailing from all the tehsils of the Palghar district in Maharashtra. It comprised tens of thousands of peasant women. The overwhelming number of people in this march were Adivasis. The 55 Km-long March started from Charoti in Dahanu tehsil, stopped for the night at Manor, and then marched on January 20 to the Palghar District Collectorate.