Response: Outlining the People's Agenda (Ram Punyani)
Lysa John
From: ram puniyani
[mailto:ram.pu...@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 4:34 PM
To: wnta+...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [WNTA] Invite: Outlining the People's Agenda for the
National Government (9 Jun, 3pm; New Delhi)
Dear Friends
Thanks for this initiative.
We will not be able to come for the meeting but will like to consider incorporation oof following points in the document.
thanks, best wishes
ram puniyani
--
All India Secular Forum
The Defeat of Divisive Forces in General Elections May 2009
All India Secular Forum welcomes the people’s verdict in the 15th Loksabha elections. We had given a call before the 15th Lok Sabha elections held in April-May 2009 to defeat the communal forces. We outlined the threat posed by communal forces to Indian democracy and plural values of the nation. We are extremely happy that the communal forces have been defeated by the people of India. We hope that UPA is not only able to give stable government, but also ensure good governance, social justice and strengthening diversity. We are aware that many a tasks need to be urgently undertaken in the direction of peace, justice and deepening of plural values. While the previous Government did initiate some welcome moves, many of these remain partly unfulfilled. More proactive measures are also needed to strengthen the democratic and secular values of the country.
1. Proper rehabilitation of the victims of communal violence, particularly in Gujarat and Kandhamal. Though 7 years have passed, the victims of Gujarat carnage are living the life of neglect. The compensation provided by Central Government has not been passed on to the victims by the State Government headed by the Chief Minister Narnedra Modi. In Kandhmal many victims are still not able to return to their villages. Their compensation packages need to be delivered.
2. No justice worth the name has been done to the victims of communal violence. The recommendations of Srikrishna Commission Report on 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai has not been fully implemented, the police and other perpetrators of the riots have not yet been booked. In the case of Gujarat carnage, the Special Investigation Team appointed by the Supreme Court is pursuing some of the cases, however, with those who role in the riots is suspect and those who are being investigated are occupying the seats of power while the riot victims are suffering. It is imperative that the new Government does all in its powers to ensure the deliverance of Justice. Same applies to Kandhmal victims; the process of punishing the guilty has not gone far. It must be done on urgent basis.
3. The Sachar Committee Report needs to be implemented in earnest. The educational, economic and employment condition of the deprived sections of minorities need to be taken up immediately and discrimination against minorities in all forms needs to be eliminated. On the lines of Special Component Plan for Scheduled Castes, there should also be Special Component Plan within budget for minorities with a parliamentary committee monitoring its implementation.
4. Foot lose communal outfits like the Bajrang Dal, Sri Ram Sene, and the like, violate law with impunity in the name of religion and vitiate the harmonious atmosphere by resorting to violence. Activities of such organisations must be continuously monitored and their illegal actions brought to book.
5. UPA, in consultation with the organisations working for peace and harmony, should bring in legislation to prevent and control communal violence.
6. Our education and text-books strengthen stereo-types, particularly against minorities and women. Our education system and text-books should reflect our diversity and multiculturalism. A commission of enquiry under the Commission of Enquiry Act should be instituted to go into the syllabi of the Saraswati Shishu Mandirs. Meanwhile, the Central government should tell the state governments to proscribe text books of Saraswati Shishu Mandirs which malign or ridicule other religions or provoke hatred against Muslim rulers.
7. National Integration Council meetings must be called regularly and more often than was done during the tenure of previous government and its suggestions should be earnestly pursed.
8. The health of a democratic system should be judged by how secure and dignified the minorities feel. On this scale of democratic values, utmost efforts need to be undertaken. 9. The BJP and parent organization have strengthened themselves by instigating provocation around emotive issues. With their defeat they are likely to resort to such things again. Values of living with diversity should be rigorously promoted.
10. Ban on government employees participating in RSS activities should be strictly adhered to.
11. Candidates having bias against minorities, dalits, women and tribals should not find place in the state police forces and central paramilitary organisations.
We earnestly hope that these measures will be implemented by one and all.
L.S. Herdania, Ram Puniyani, Zulaikha Jabi, Irfan Engineer, Suresh Khairnar
On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 4:26 PM, Lysa John <lysa...@gmail.com> wrote:
ALL INDIA PEOPLE’S MANIFESTO
Outlining the People’s Agenda for the National Government
Date & Time: 9 June 2009 (3pm to 5pm)
Venue: Press Club of India, 1 Raisina Road, New Delhi
Warm Greetings!
The first day of this month was marked by the start of the 15th session of the Lok Sabha and the subsequent induction of the new Members of Parliament who will steer the course of the country over the next five years. We are writing to invite you to join us in marking the 9th of June 2009 - the last day of this opening session of Parliament - to direct the attention of our leaders to the priorities of the people whose interests they have been chosen to represent.
We aim to do this through the release of a consolidated report of People’s Manifestos prepared across 300 parliamentary constituencies as part of the All India People’s Manifesto (AIPM) effort, followed by an analysis of the concerns that have found resonance among the parties that form the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the issues that need to be brought to attention.
As you may already know, the AIPM (www.peoplesmanifesto.in) has been a first-of-its-kind initiative which has enabled over 500,000 people to voice their priorities for development and resolve to hold their elected representatives accountable to represent these concerns at the national level. The public release of the 300 local charters that have emerged from this exercise and its presentation to all parties of the UPA is a continuation of this effort to ensure that the government adopts an agenda that is shaped by the ground realities of the people.
We hope you will make it possible to join us on this occasion and extend your solidarity with this mission to hold the government accountable to its commitments and ensure that the interests of the poorest and most marginalized are central to the country’s governance agenda.
In solidarity,
- Amitabh Behar, Campaign Convenor
- Sandhya Venkateswaran, Steering Group Convenor
- Ashok Bharti, Steering Group Convenor
- Lysa John, National Campaign Co-ordinator
[RSVP: Naresh Kumar at in...@wadanatodo.net / 011-46082371 to 74]