Over 500 people under the banner of All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (Aasaa) staged a four-hour dharna in the Lastgate area of Dispur on Thursday seeking an immediate halt to illegal eviction in the Lungsung forest area of Kokrajhar district. Shouting slogans like "stop illegal eviction in Lungsung" and "give us justice", the protesters alleged that the Congress-led government in the state has deprived them of the basic needs....

“Government callous to plight of people groaning under spiralling prices of food items” Nine political parties, including four Left parties, on Thursday announced a week-long nationwide agitation against price rise. The United Progressive Alliance government was callous to the plight of people groaning under spiralling prices of food items, they alleged. “We have decided to jointly conduct a week-long agitation against the price rise from February 3 to 9. During the...

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has described as “unfortunate” the endorsement of the Union Government's decision to start a Bachelor of Rural Health course at the meeting of State Health Ministers in Hyderabad on January 12-13. Calling it a retrograde step, the IMA members said they will strongly oppose the move to produce half-baked doctors for the rural population. Association national president Vinay Aggarwal said: “This group of doctors, according to the...

Mamata Banerjee today asked the government to withdraw its decision to decontrol oil prices, the demand coming on a day arch-rival Left announced a weeklong protest from early next month over the petrol price hike. Both spoke of the burden on the masses as the bitter enemies rehearsed for poll battles ahead: in Bengal, where Mamata is looking to topple the Marxists, and in Kerala, where the ruling Left is on...

To promote organic farming in Uttar Pradesh, industry body Assocham has decided to adopt five districts in the state. “The Assocham has decided to develop five districts in UP as organic districts and a delegation of the association will soon meet chief minister Mayawati in this regard,” its general secretary D S Rawat told PTI. He said under the plan, training will be imparted to farmers of these districts, besides promoting medium...