NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE’S MOVEMENTS

National Office : 6/6 Jangpura B, New Delhi – 110 014 . Phone : 011 2437 4535 | 9818905316

PRESS RELEASE

31.10.2014

“United Action is the need of the hour” say senior activists Aruna Roy, Medha Patkar and Anil Sadgopal

People’s movement should come together to challenge the neo-liberal communal onslaught

People’s Movements to fight dilution of hard won legislations like MNREGA, Land Acquisition Act, Forest Right and Environmental Rules

10^th biennial convention of NAPM on the theme of “Politics of development and Social Justice Today” was inaugurated by eminent social activists Aruna Roy, Anil Sadgopal and Medha Patkar and eminent communist leader and ex-minister Vinoy Viswam at the Rashtra Seva Dal campus, Pune.  More than five hundred activists representing social movements from fifteen states are attending the convention. Various political and organisational issues will be discussed at length in the convention.

The statues of Savitri Bai Phule and Mahatma Jotiba Phule were garlanded by a representative group including Medha Patkar, Sister, Celia, Vidya Tai Bal, Shyamala Vanarase, Subhas Vare, Suresh Khopde, Nitin Pawar, B.D Sharma and others to mark the start of the convention. Mahatma Phule is a symbol of the legacy of social reforms, caste, gender, education and economic reforms.

Addressing the gathering, NAPM’s National Advisor Medha Patkar discussed the role of NAPM in transformative politics and developments in last two decades and underlined the contribution of people’s movements in resisting the neo liberal onslaught on the right of community over natural resources. She recalled how people have fought against coke plant in Plachimada and Enron in Maharashtra, which brought forth the need for community role in local planning.

Veteran educationist Anil Sadgopal delivered the keynote address and said that public land is being taken away in the name of education. Government Schools are being shut down in thousands so that private corporations can benefit.  

Aruna Roy, eminent social activist known all over the world for her contribution to the Right to Information Movement and MNREGA and member of advisory committee of NAPM chaired the inaugural session and said that people’s movement should connect with the youth of the country and bring them to the leadership of movement like NAPM. She also remarked that Youth are being fooled in the name of Jobs but where are the Jobs?

A compendium “NAPM @ 20 : Alliance in struggle and reconstruction” illustrating the various struggles of people’s movement all across the country  was released by eminent tribal rights activist B.D Sharma.

Eminent supporter and activists of people’s movement namely BD Sharma, Bhai Vaidya, Pushpa Bhave, Samar Bagchi, Bhau Bhuskute, Vikas Amte, Vinoy Viswam,  Anna Hazare,(in Absentia) Justice Sacchar (in Absentia) were felicitated at the convention for their contribution in strengthening social movements.

The session started with songs and cultural programmes by Charul, Vinay (Loknad, Gujarat), Shakar (Odisha) and children of SalSabeel Green School (kerela). Various exhibitions and stalls reflecting the constructive side of various people’s movements were at display at the venue.

Activists discussed various issues confronting the nation. Fifteen thematic groups in parallel sessions were held on subjects ranging from Control Over Natural Resources and Community Rights, strengthening Secular Forces for communal Harmony, Electoral Reforms, Farmers and Workers in Agrarian Economy, Rights of unorganised sector workers, to Energy Crisis etc. Outcome of these sessions will be presented in Plenary session on 1^st October.

A public meeting is scheduled in the evening on the topic of “Social Justice, Developmental Policy and Future of India”.  Former Minister of Kerela Benoy Biswam, social activists Dayamanyi Barla from Jharkhand, eminent socialist Yogendar Yadav, Pushpa Bhave, Srinivas Khandewal, Khaleel Deshmukh and Vilas Bhongade spoke on the occasion and Kamayani Swami, a trade union activist from Bihar moderated the session.

Medha Patkar – Narmada Bachao Andolan and the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM); Prafulla Samantara – Lok Shakti Abhiyan, NAPM, Odisha; Dr. Sunilam, Aradhna Bhargava – Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, NAPM, MP; Gautam Bandopadhyay – Nadi Ghati Morcha, NAPM, Chhattisgarh; Suniti SR, Suhas Kolhekar, Prasad Bagwe – NAPM, Maharashtra; Gabriel Dietrich, Geetha Ramakrishnan – Unorganised Sector Workers Federation, NAPM, TN; C R Neelakandan – NAPM Kerala; Saraswati Kavula, P Chennaiah – NAPM Andhra Pradesh,  B S Rawat – Jan Sangharsh Vahini, Rajendra Ravi, Sunita Rani – NAPM, Delhi; Arundhati Dhuru, Richa Singh – NAPM, UP; Sister Celia – Domestic Workers Union, NAPM, Karnataka; Sumit Wanjale – Ghar Bachao, Ghar Banao Andolan, NAPM, Mumbai; Manish Gupta – Jan Kalyan Upbhokta Samiti, NAPM, UP; Vimal Bhai – Matu Jan sangathan, NAPM, Uttarakhand; Vilas Bhongade – Gosikhurd Prakalpgrast Sangharsh Samiti, NAPM, Maharashtra; Ramashray Singh – Ghatwar Adivasi Mahasabha, Jharkhand; Anand Mazhgaonkar, Krishnakant – Paryavaran Suraksh Samiti, NAPM Gujarat; Kamayani Swami, Ashish Ranjan – Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, NAPM Bihar; Mahendra Yadav – Kosi Navnirman Manch, NAPM Bihar

 For details contact : Madhuresh Kumar 9818905316 | email : napmindia@gmail.com

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