*For Bringing Corporate Houses under Lokpal
*For checking price-rise
*For Rule of Law
*For Safety and
Security, Justice and Democracy
Delhi March
10-day long dharna and
fast
From February 7, 2014
at Jantar- Mantar
Friends,
Once again, in the country, peoples faith in transformative
politics is on the rise. People have started identifying the forces responsible
for their misery. In coming days people will be still more conscious about such
forces. Lokpal Act was passed. Who does not know that corporate houses i.e.the
big business has corrupted the entire political system, acquiring contracts,
tenders in government projects as well as PPP projects, they have looted the
natural resources-the public property at throwaway prices. They have ruined the
country for their profit. But corporate is not brought under Lokpal.
Frequently, petrol-diesel- gas prices are being hiked to benefit oil companies
as well as to meet government extravaganza. Even in food items and vegetables,
speculation is going on resulting in rising prices but it is not being
prohibited. Prime Minister himself admitted that he could not check inflation
but he is not telling as to why he could not ban speculation which is the reason
behind rising prices. PM admits his failure in providing jobs. Gentleman, when
you were busy promoting jobless growth oriented policies handing over our
agriculture and industries to foreign companies as well as domestic corporates,
how could it produce jobs? When the country got freedom, Gandhiji was a
devastated man because of partition. Right to work was not incorporated in
Fundamental Rights. It was only after Gandhiji`s pressure that it was included
in the Directive Principles . When VP Singh came to power, President and Prime
minister both declared that right to work will be incorporated in Fundamental
Rights but it is not done even till date. Your policies, Mr Prime Minister,
whose adherents range from Modi to Mulayam, have ruined not only youth but our
vast peasantry as well as those engaged in cottage industries. Lakhs of
peasants and the poor have committed suicides and no statistics is actually
available for suicides taking place everyday. One can imagine the situation
when there is not even procurement from the peasants or payment for what has
been procured, let alone providing them remunerative prices. The law and order
situation is so bad that women are subjected to humiliation and oppression
despite all protests. The oppressed sections of society are victims of
all-round attack. Even those who are forced out of their homes by rioters and
have taken shelters in graveyards, their shelter-homes are being bulldozed.
Friends,
As long as there is corporate rule in the name of democracy,
misery, ruin and riots will continue in the country. So, decisive battle for
peoples rule against corporate rule is need of the hour. There will be dharna
and fast at Jantar-Mantar from February 7 for vital issues like incorporating
right to work in Fundamental Rights, for passage of anti-communal violence bill
in the Parliament, for bringing corporate under Lokpal and steeper taxes on
them, for formulating national wage policy, for increasing public expenditure
on peoples welfare including education-health-agriculture, for checking
price-rise, for safety-security, justice, democracy as well as establishing
rule of law. We appeal to you to participate in this programme and contribute
in all possible manners.
Agenda and Demand
Charter
Regarding Employment
1-Right to work must be included in Fundamental Rights of the
Constitution instead of Directive Principles. Unemployment allowance must be
provided to all those who are unemployed.
2- Wealth tax from big business i.e.corporate houses should be
made much steeper and more comprehensive in scope by removing exemptions and
loophloes. Estate duty/ Inheritance tax should be introduced .
3-National wage policy must be formulated to reduce drastically
the inter-regional and inter-class disparity.
4- Daily-wage and contract workers engaged in jobs of permanent
nature must be regularized.
5- All scheme workers including Anganbadi, Asha, Shiksha Mitras
must be incorporated as government employees.
6-Minimum wages must be fixed at Rs. 10000 per month.
7-All vacancies in public sector, government services and all
levels of educational institutions must be filled.
8-Under MNREGA, 100-days work must be ensured, failing which
unemployment allowance must be provided. Unpaid wages must be repaid promptly.
MNREGA-like schemes must be implemented in cities also.
In the interest of
peasantry
1- Stop direct and indirect initiatives for corporatisation of
agriculture and give financial and administrative support to cooperative
farming instead.
2- Agricultural Costs and Prices Commission must
be accorded Constitutional status .
3- Entrust closed /
closing down private sector sugar mills to cooperatives of sugarcane
farmers with full financial support from the state government.
4-Acquisition of agricultural, fertile land must stop. Land
acquisition and land use policy favouring peasants and landless workers should
be formulated.
5-Forest Rights Act must be implemented.
6-Fertilizer, seed, diesel, electricity at cheaper rates must be
ensured for the peasants
7-Contract farming and use of genetic seeds must stop.
Against Corruption and
Price-rise
1-Government contracts and tenders as well as PPP projects
involving corporate houses must be brought under Lokpal.
2-In order to check price-rise, stringent action should be taken
against speculation, black-marketing and hoarding. Also the futures trading
must be banned.
3- Control the role of the cartels of middlemen
in supply chains of basic commodities and strengthhen and expand public
distribution system so as to reign in inflation
4-Loot of natural resources and illegal mining must stop
immediately.CBI inquiry must be ordered into illegal mining in UP.
For Industry and
Workers
1-Power tariff hike must stop. Privatisation of power sector
must stop and public sector units must function with optimum efficiency. CBI
inquiry must be ordered into power sector corruption.
2-Loan waiver should be declared for weavers and they should be
provided all BPL category facilities. Free power should be ensured for small
and cottage industries including weavers.
3-Social Security Act 2008 meant for unorganized workers including
weavers, domestic workers maids etc. must be implemented.
Against Communalism
1-With necessary
amendments, the anti-communal violence bill must be passed without further
delay.
2- Trial of cases
related with communal discords must be expedited through Fast Track Courts.
3-In order to check
the victimization of civilians by police, military and para-military forces,
anti-victimisation law should be inacted.
4-Police reforms
should be implemented in order to give police operational freedom and making it
accountable to the people.
5. Judicial probe should be ordered into communal riots during
Akhilesh regime in UP including Muzaffarnagar riot and leaders, police and
administrative officers responsible for them must be brought to book.
6. Special Courts should be constituted to look into the cases
of innocent minority youth arrested in the name of terror and the innocents
among them should be released at the earliest possible. Those who have been
freed by courts must be rehabilitated and duly compensated.
7.-Minority Commission should be constituted in Uttar Pradesh.
For Social Justice
1-Separate quota for backward Muslims should be carved out of
the OBC quota. Amending Article 341, dalit Muslims and dalit Christians should
be included in Scheduled Caste (SC) category. Recommendations of Sachhar
Committee and Ranganath Mishra Commission must be implemented.
2-Separate quota for Extremely Backward Castes should be carved
out of the OBC quota.
3-All vacancies in government services under SC/St quota must be
filled.
4- Introduce reservation in private sector in favour of
SCs, STs, OBCs, Most Backward and Extremely backward classes
5-Kol like communities in UP should be accorded ST status.
For peoples Welfare
1-Public expenditure must be increased for peoples welfare
including agriculture, employment, education and health.
2- Stop commercialization of health and
education; introduce compulsory neighbourhood school system; expand the
network of public health care
For Women
1-Pass the women reservation bill in Parliament.
2-Safety and security of the women must be guaranteed at every
cost and the police should be made responsible for violence against women. FIRs
must be promptly registered in cases of violence against women. Trial of
sensitive cases like rape and violence against women must be expedited
through fast-track courts.
3-Equal wage policy for women and men should be implemented
strictly.
4-Women Cells as per guidelines of the Supreme Court must be
constituted in all departments.
Akhilendra Pratap Singh, Convener
All India Peoples Front, AIPF
ED-17, Diomand Dairy Colony
Udaiganj, Lucknow
Phone: 09451061595
