THE Covid-19 tragedy that is unfolding in India is of truly epic proportions.  There is the scandal of people dying because of lack of oxygen in hospitals; there is the scandal of lack of hospital beds and medicines; there is the scandal of deaths due to Covid being covered up and there is the scandal of the vaccine shortage and profiteering sanctioned by the government. But the biggest scandal of all is the Modi government itself.

THE subversion of constitutional bodies under the Modi regime is proceeding apace. Nothing exemplifies this more than what has happened to the Election Commission of India (EC).

The EC’s stand on the elections for three vacant seats from Kerala in the Rajya Sabha has brought out the stark fact that the Commission is bending to the will of the Modi government. Nothing else can explain the strange behavior of the Commission regarding what is a routine election for filling up vacancies to the Upper House from a state.

THE Supreme Court has declined to stay the issuance of electoral bonds in its current tranche from April 1 to 10. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO, had made an urgent plea that the issuance of bonds meant for the four state assembly elections be stayed.

AROUND a million bank employees and officers went on a two-day strike on March 15 and 16 all over the country against the privatisation of public sector banks. The following day, March 17, General Insurance employees struck work and the next day, on March 18, employees of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) will go on strike. 

THE schedule for the assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry has been announced. It stretches from March 27 to April 29.

These elections have their own importance for each state, given the political background specific to that state. However, taken together, they have a wider national significance. Will the outcome facilitate the ongoing drive of the BJP to establish one-party hegemonic rule in the entire country, or will it strengthen the opposition to this authoritarian drive.