NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE’S MOVEMENTS

National Office: 6/6, Jangpura B, New Delhi – 110 014

Phone: 011 24374535 | 9971058735

PRESS RELEASE

National Convention on

Samaaj, Sansaadhan and Samvidhan Bachao

Organized by National Alliance of People’s Movements

December 06^th, 2015 | New Delhi

Today, National Convention on Samaj – Sansaadhan – Samvidhan Bachao witnessed a conclave of over 200 people at Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi where filmmakers, writers and cultural activists were felicitated for their fight against the rising intolerance by the presidium which includes Shri Prafulla Samantara, Dr. Sunilam, Socialist Manju Mohan, Prof. Arun Kumar, Educationist Anil Sadgopal and Medha Patkar in front of people facing communal oppression, privatization of education, so called cultural cleansing, and many more along with many grassroots activists from all over the India.

Shri Manglesh Dabral (poet), Prof. Chaman Lal (writer), Shri Shripraksah (film maker), Shri Atmajit Singh (writer), Shri Tapan Bose (film maker), Shri Satya Rai Nagpaul (film maker), Shri Rehman Abbas (writer) shared their views and reflections on rising intolerance and the reasons to start their fight for the same.

Medha Patkar recalled the importance of December 6^th, the birth anniversary of Babsahab Ambedkar as well as the Babari Masjid demolition took place. Introducing the programme, she pointed out the issues of socio-political climate change that can only be addressed if communities can assert their rights. The climate of intolerance that writers and intellectuals have protested against is also felt by the youth in villages and cities where the infiltration of right wing groups that has been increasing and the need for drawing connections towards a new movement which can bring together different struggles in the country.

Writers, filmmakers, artists were felicitated by representatives of people’s movements and also spoke about what made them return their awards, many of them were meeting each other for the first time.  Filmmakers like Mangles Dabral Ji asserted that “this was not a manufactured revolt; he could see that the people in the country are not happy and are living in times of crisis where the current government is supporting corporate with suppression of people’s voices by spreading communalism – in such a case it was essential for me to speak out.”

Shri Sriprakash said that “he decided to return his award as he saw the way the FTII student’s struggle was ignored and pushed against the wall. The protest also showed the need to resist saffronization.”

Shri Rehman Abbas spoke about how Urdu poetry has always been about love, not hate.  Intolerance is not connected in today’s time to any one religion or community. My book has faced the intolerance of my own community and being continuously threatened by fundamentalist forces, this is not new to us. We have faced 1992 blast in Bombay and 2002 riot in Gujarat. This is not happening for the first time in both India and Pakistan. Religious fundamentalism is same in both places.

Shri Atamjit Singh Ji said that it has been worse for the Sikh community as now they are being asked about where they will go, as India and Pakistan, both are taking strong stand for prevailing fundamentalist forces? Seeing what is happening around me, I asked myself, after writing so many plays, is my voice irrelevant? The highest numbers of people, who have given back the award, are from Punjab. This is because we have seen 1984.  As he said, how can an independent and autonomous body not respond when writers are getting killed?  Our PM also, will not talk about tolerance in India; he will only do it outside the country!

Shri Tapan Bose, filmmaker who has made many influential documentaries on social tragedies like, on Bhopal Gas Tragedy and Bhagalpur blindings. He observed that Religious fanaticism is now replaced by blind nationalism.

Prof. Chamanlal ji said “I returned my award to make people realize that we are passing through difficult times”, and stressed on the need for all people to stand together to establish peace and harmony in the society.

Mr. Stallin have shared the logic behind not returning his award and said that “as our present Prime Minister Modi Ji has been so tolerant in not helping the victims of Gujarat riot, women’s exploitation, farmer’s suicide, and injustice with the deprived people of India, How can I return my award saying there is intolerance? I will surely return my award when he will become intolerant for the causes of common people; speak for deprived and oppressed section of our society as well.”

The convention heard the reality on ground by people from different parts of India sharing the plight of people of Narmada Bachao Andolan from Madhya Pradesh; issues arising in Kandhamal, Odisha; supporters of farmer’s and labour’s issues in Bihar, survivors of Muzaffarnagar riot in Uttar Pradesh; people of Worker’s Union sharing the deluge of Chennai, Tamil Nadu; leaders fighting against land grab in the name of industrial corridor and development from Rajasthan and Gujarat; people witnessing farmer’s suicide in Punjab and Maharashtra, killing of Dalit’s in Haryana etc.

For more details, contact Vimal Bhai | 9718479516 | Madhuresh | 9818905316

Medha Patkar – Narmada Bachao Andolan and the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM); Prafulla Samantara – Lok Shakti Abhiyan & Lingraj Azad – Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti, NAPM, Odisha; Dr. Sunilam, Aradhna Bhargava – Kisan Sangharsh Samiti & Meera – Narmada Bachao Andolan, NAPM, MP; Suniti SR, Suhas Kolhekar, Prasad Bagwe – NAPM, Maharashtra; Gabriele Dietrich, Geetha Ramakrishnan – Unorganised Sector Workers Federation, NAPM, TN; C R Neelkandan – NAPM Kerala; P Chennaiah & Ramakrishnan Raju – NAPM Andhra Pradesh, Arundhati Dhuru, Richa Singh – NAPM, UP; Sister Celia – Domestic Workers Union & Rukmini V P, Garment Labour Union, NAPM, Karnataka; Vimal Bhai – Matu Jan sangathan & Jabar Singh, NAPM, Uttarakhand; Anand Mazgaonkar, Krishnakant – Paryavaran Suraksh Samiti, NAPM Gujarat; Kamayani Swami, Ashish Ranjan – Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan & Mahendra Yadav – Kosi Navnirman Manch, NAPM Bihar; Faisal Khan, Khudai Khidmatgar, & J S Walia, NAPM Haryana; Kailash Meena, NAPM Rajasthan; Amitava Mitra & Sujato Bhadra, NAPM West Bengal; B S Rawat – Jan Sangharsh Vahini & Rajendra Ravi, Madhuresh Kumar and Shabnam Shaikh – NAPM, Delhi.