In this conversation, Subhashini Ali, member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and an activist of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), talks on the debates over the Mandal Commission inside and outside the parliament as well as the Indian Left’s understanding of caste-class relations and its long history of fighting against the caste oppression. She also talks about the formation of Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM) in this interview.

Ammukkutty, 88 year communist veteran was an active member of the Agricultural Workers Union. She rose to Central Committee of the Union through her hard work. Ammukkutty was born in a poor Dalit household which most agricultural workers belong to. Her life is filled with struggles throughout, fighting hunger and poverty. She mobilised Adivasis and Agricultural workers under the red flag and waged struggles for better wage and land and against inhuman treatment and oppressive taxes.

The students in India have been fighting an upfront battle against the multi-faceted onslaught by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central government’s anti-student policies for the past several years.  In this interview, Aishe Ghosh speaks to Satarupa Chakraborty on the ideas and vision that drew her to the students’ movement, and on her journey from being a young student from West Bengal studying at Delhi University to being a leader of the JNU students’ movement during a period of acute crisis on the campus.