DOES THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM NEED AN IDEOLOGY : Kishan Pattanayak

I have come to attend the 4th WSF as an observer and in the capacity of a member of the NAPM (National Alliance) of People's Movement, India) My political organisation SJP (Samajwadi Jan Parishad), whose ideology can be called socialism as modified by Gandhism, is not very enthusiastic about the world conference. Neither does it reject the WSF as wholly irrelevant or reactionary. A practical reason for SJP not carrying out a strategy to take part in WSF is that participating effectively in this conference is financially in this conference is financially unaffordable for the SJP. I have decided to come and attend because I can afford to travel to the venue and spend a week here. the next the future world conference will be held in far away countries. Going there will be beyond my means. I did want to miss this one. My curiosity is positive.
A few groups in India with whom I have good relations are mobilizing a resistance (Mumbai Resistance, MR 2004) to the WSF. They have some serious allegations against the character and compositions of the WSF. I cannot subscribe to these allegations even though a few of them are not unfounded. A brochure published on behalf of Resistance goes to the extent of alleging that the protagonists of globalization have actually initiated the WSF process with a view to taming the anti-globalization wave. This statement is either absurd or irrelevant. What is important is not who started and with what intent, but how the process in being carried forward, and with what outcome. Recent events in the world have shown that inspite of the universal discontent against Globalization there is hardly any organized, continuous resistance to the imposition of anti-people economic policies that almost all the nations are experiencing. Outside Latin America. people's anger against economic imperialism is nowhere reflected in the nations' politics. In such a situation of inaction any organisation or institution which brings together, periodically, critics of globalization from all corners of the world is doing us good simply by providing opportunities of solidarity. Critics my be just critics, they may not even be antagonists. The motto "another world is possible" does not deter them so long as the contents of change are not deeply debated.
The question at this stage is not whether opportunistic elements have infiltrated into the WSF. We have to search out whether some healthy, genuinely radical trends are gradually making headway and an international force against globalization is taking concrete shape as a result of the solidarity and interactions over the past four years. Is there a real sense of arriving at a world-wide consensus on radical policies which will inspire people of various countries not only to resist globalization but also to articulate the outlines of new economic society based on the principles of equality ?
The NGO Factor
The overwhelming presence of the NGOs, liberally founded by donors of rich countries, is a major source of worry, I don't know if NGOs of other perceived by radical groups as the agents of western capitalism. This is an embarrassing subject because so many of our deal and esteemed friends are part of the NGOs. This is an embarrassing subject because so many of our dear and esteemed friends are part of the NGOs. Perhaps they have to be kept there to impart a progressive image to the organisations concerned. Sometimes it may so happen that one or two personalities associated with a NGO are incorruptible and beyond reproach, but the bulk of the activities and managers belong to the average run to NGO cadre. The NGOs, by the large, have to function within the development objective set by the World Bank. When Radical movements are going on in the society, the NGOs may associate with anti-establishment agitation in order to save their progressive credentials. This is remarkably illustrated in radical situation when movements are totally absent. If the USA is supporting a military rule and there is no political force there to resist it, the NGOs also tend to forget about democracy. Globalization with a human face, capitalist development accompanied by programmes of eradicating poverty -this is the ideology if NGOs in the developing countries. Needless to say, some of them can easily be covered into agents of the establishment against revolutionary and patriot movements at crucial times. Therefore it can be said with apologies to those elements in the NGOs who are genuinely radical, that the resentment against the disproportionate presence of NGOs in the WSF is not without valid reasons.
It is natural for groups starved of funds to be suspicious of NGO delegates who spend money on their travel, accommodation and activities in a manner similar to what government and corporate delegates do. It may be asked if it is bad to have more money ? This is a serious question. Some organisations, like mine, may be inefficient and incapable of collecting funds for meeting the minimum needs of functioning effectively. But even the best of the organisations in a poor country will find it hard to make both ends meet if it has to remain independent, radical and uncompromising. The deplorable aspect of the fund of eminent NGOs, is that all the funds come from outside. The local society does not contributes at all. When the personal lifestyles and organisational expenses do not reflect any of the constraints of poverty that pervades all around, that itself becomes a source of suspicion, a potential for future compromises.
It is another thing that NGOs cannot be wished away. But their limitations must be kept in mind while coexisting with them. The NGOs may constitute the majority of the delegates to the WSF. But is there also an assertive minority consisting of the genuinely radical elements ? No doubt they are there, but are they visible, as distinct from the NGO crowd ? Discussion on environmental damage, gender inequality and racial prejudice are commendable exercises, and must find a place in the radical ideology. But the WSF will be credited with a special role only if it devises a strategy for fighting against the economic globalization of poor countries, which means fighting against the WTO, World Bank and IMF-against world capitalism in short. Is this question central to the deliberation and activities of the WSF ? Most of the critics of globalization who attend similar conferences are hesitant to clarify if they really oppose the WTO, and if they have a programme to end capitalism and its global integration. The euphoria around Cancun exposed that the concessions are granted to the weaker nations. In this context. the slogan, "Another world is possible" doe not hold much uttered first, If you go on repeating the slogan without concretizing the change that is visualized, it loses the original ethos. It may not mean anything after some time.
Failure of the Non-NGO groups
The failure of the WSF is the failure to initiate a credible process of formulating a strategy for opposing the world economic system. By not some economic goals should have been laid down and popularized. It has not even been established whether economic equality is a valid idea as part of the goal of drastically reducing the disparities between nations, regions and classes. If disparities are to be done away with, what happens to prosperity ? For prosperity without any limit means basically the centralizing wealth and production. Modern technology specializes in centralizing wealth and its production. So ending inequality will necessitate a radical change in the use of technologies. The leftists of the twentieth century, the socialists and communists could not resolve this dilemma. So they met a dead end.
The WSF will have to being where twentieth century socialism stopped. It not only stopped, it collapsed under the weight of unanswered questions and unresolved contradictions. It could not reconcile the pursuit of modern prosperity will the goal the economic equality. The lure of prosperity and modern technology is so great that successful socialists everywhere have bowed to the market and postponed the ideas of equality.
Organizing struggles is one part of resisting globalization, but the other part is ideological. If a party or coalition of parties is able to gain popular support and comes to power in a developing country on the promise of fighting globalization, how does it put this into practice ? What should a patriotic, anti-imperialist government do in respect of foreign capital and foreign loans ? If the goal is to achieve modern prosperity, the country may need more loans and more foreign capital. Then its dependence on foreign powers and centres of world capitalism will increase. Will the WSF advices such a government not to go in for modern prosperity.
Take the example of my own state, Orissa. It is a very poor and backward state, but it has rich bauxite deposits. Aluminum multinationals are ready to come and make Orissa a source of great wealth. Globalization has promoted the government of Orrisa to invite the multinationals. But the tribal inhabitants have resisted, and managed to prevent this mining in a number of cases. If they yield they will be wiped out. They will never get back a satisfying community if they agree to be displaced. Will the deliberations in the and government on this issue, but may not be more about displacement and less about mining itself. What has mining done to the people everywhere ? What has mining done to poor and backward regions like Orissa ? And what has it done for the powerful nations? A fundamental questioning of the basic assumptions about mining will raise new ideological questions. One of these is whether mining should be stopped altogether in regions like Orissa, at least for the present period. Critics of globalization may not like to debate on this. Every leftist inheriting the 20th Century mind-set will say, "Mining is inevitable". This statement breaks the barrier between rightists and leftists. It is the modern mind, addicted to the idea of great prosperity and centralized wealth, which unites them. Even MR 2004 which is opposing the WSF may be different on this question.
Why should mining be inevitable ? How much of the annual production of Aluminum goes to boost the war industry and the luxurious living of the rich ? If war and luxurious are not inevitable, why should mining be inevitable ? Can we not reduce mining to its one hundredth part? It mining is reduced to a bare minimum it will be qualitatively a very different thing. It may lose the cruelty and glamour associated with modern mining.
The 20th century radicals did not bother about this aspect because they tended to believe that you can use modern technology anywhere you like and produce great wealth and then distributed that wealth by using state power. This illusion has been belied, but no proper debate has yet taken place. We know now that we cannot acquire the technology unless the multinationals are willing to give it. They do not give it cheaply, so when we start using the technology, the mining process itself gives rise to so many inequalities.
In non-technical language, globalization means integrating the developing economies with the world's most powerful economies. This process benefits the powerful economies in a total manner, and it is they who take all the initiatives. Others either okay the proposal or seek concessions and moderation. Whenever the superpowers concede in a small way, it is considered a big achievement for the poor country. Is the WSF, or some significant part of it, going to take a stand NOT to integrate poor countries' economies with the most powerful economies ? If it does, it will have to give a call to the developing countries to quit the WTO. A debate on this is not yet on the agenda of the WSF.
An ideology for the WSF will be evolved if statements of policy are laid down in response to the following propositions :
1. We should advocate a policy of quitting the W.T.O.
2. Patriotic governments of developing nations should adopt a policy to stop asking for loans from the World Bank / IMF.
3. The whole world needs a civilization change, marked by the reduction of economic disparities between nations and classes. Towards this, the WSF should strengthen and sharpen the concepts of (1) small and appropriate technology and (2) self-reliant communities which will produce all basic necessities of life in their own respective regions.
4. There should be no global trade in articles of daily necessity that can be produced in every region. Even trade within the nation should adopt the economic philosophy of self-reliance of the communities.
5. Trades and markets desist from multiplying human wants and commercializing the basic elements of nature like air and water.
6. Mining must be drastically reduced so as to bring about a qualitative change in its impact on people and business.
And so on. The WSF should provides an atmosphere for the launching of a strategy of ideas and actions that will define a break with the old order the concepts that shaped it, " Another World" must mean another civilization. The same appeal is extended to Mumbai Resistance 2004 (Mr-4). We are not convinced that Mr-4 is armed with a vision that will replace the present global economy. Centralization of wealth production and the desire for limitless prosperity was the economic aim that inspired both America and the Soviet Union in the20th century. America has now risen to the status of a global empire, and the Soviet Union has collapsed. The peoples of the world, especially those of the third world, need a new philosophy of sustainable living and sustainable production. Without this basic component, socialism cannot be revived in the 21st century. So both MR 2004 and the radicals inside WSF are facing the same challenge.
KISHEN PATTNAYAK
Bhubaneswar
E-mail : patanaik_kishen@vsnl.ne

Victory of Niyamgiri is People's Victory / Samajwadi Janaparishad to contest 9 Loksabha seats

Press Release
Channapattana (Karnataka)
January 12 , 2014.
  Ministry of Environment and Forests'  rejection of Vedanta's proposal of mining in Niyamgiri in Odisha is a victory of the people over corporate interests. The tribals of Niyamgiri had unanimously opposed the project in public hearing held in 12 Gram Sabhas which were held on the direction of Supreme Court of India. Samajwadi Janaparishad (SJP) has played a role in this struggle. The people of Niyamgiri and the struggling masses of the rest of India will get a moral boost by this victory. The national executive of SJP which met at Arrallalasandra village , Channapattana,Ramanagara District in Karnataka on 10-12 January 2014 ,congratulated them.
It was also decided that Samajwadi Janaparishad will intervene in the coming Lok Sabha election in order to defeat the forces of globalisation , corporate rule and communalism. For that it would seek cooperation of Aam Admi Party, Samata Kranti Dal,Socialist Party India and other like minded parties. SJP feels that it is pertinent to save the nation from the two fronts led by Congress and BJP. SJP will put up candidates in 9 Lok Sabha constituencies and 2 Vidhan Sabha constituencies in Odisha in 2014 elections.
SJP has also decided to strengthen the forces for total change in the present system based on inequality,discrimination,injustice and obscurantism. It also feels that the present capitalist system combined with caste and gender inequalities is root cause of the various crises in people's lives. The party will organise programmes to highlight the root causes of corruption.It will also organise an all India Conference to discuss idea of Socialism in the context of twenty-first century.
( SUNIL )
National General Secretary ,Samajwadi Janaparishad.
Ph. 09425040452.

Let Us Build a New India / SJP Political Resolution

Let Us Build a New India

( Political Resolution adopted at the National Conference of Samajwadi Jan Parishad, Varanasi, 11-12 June 2013)

The UPA Government recently celebrated the completion of its nine years. It was highlighted that this government has the distinction of the longest tenure since 1977.  If the period of Emergency is not counted in the tenure of Indira Gandhi(1966-77), soon Manmohan Singh will become the longest serving prime minister of  independent India after Jawahar Lal Nehru. It is an irony that the most corrupt and anti-people government of India is going to complete its second term and there has been no serious political challenge to it. It is also ironic that the person democratically ruling over the country for the second longest term is the one who does not have an independent personality or ideology, who has not been able to win a single direct election and who can not deliver a good speech in public meetings.  His Job is to implement policies of World Bank-IMF-USA in India. He can be reasonably called their agent.

This serious and pitiable state of affairs has arisen due to the decay of Indian politics. All the mainstream parties have become almost similar. There is not much difference in their policies, character and style of functioning. All of them are promoting the policies of capitalist globalization. The present political system has no real alternative. Not only BJP but other parties and leaders such as Nitish Kumar, Jaylalitha, Mayawati, Navin Patnaik, Akhilesh Yadav, Omar Abdullah have also disappointed the nation. The two personalities being projected as future prime minister of India, Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi, do not have any new vision. If elected, both will serve the interest of the business corporations and US imperialism, not the Indian people. Their development models are almost the same, the one which has already played havoc with the nation and its people. It is also clear that mere new blood in politics will not make any difference. What is needed is a new and radical vision, a leadership emerging from the people and dedicated to the people, and a mass movement for change.

Also needed is a new political culture and new style of functioning. Politics of existing mainstream parties is conducted from the top, it is detached and away from the people, and full with opportunism, dynasties and defection. It is devoid of any values or principles. These parties and their leaders use money, (mostly black money), muscle, caste and communalism to win elections. That is why the grip of capitalists and criminals over politics is increasing. It has become a vicious circle. Candidates spend crores of rupees in elections. When they get elected they try to earn many times more or favour those who have invested money in their elections. Elections have become a business and a gamble. Without breaking this vicious circle, Indian politics cannot deliver anything good. This vicious circle can be broken only with the mobilization of the masses, their organized power and big movements dedicated for change.

The great downfall of Indian Politics is indicated by a recent example. On the occasion of Parshuram Jayanti, all the political parties of Uttar Pradesh, the BSP, SP, BJP and Congress, organized grand Brahmin conferences. All the parties seemed to vie with each other to eulogize the Brahmin community. It is a pity, since BSP was originally established by Kanshiram as a movement against Brahminism and Manuism. Socialist Leader Ram Manohar Lohia was one of the chief exponents of the war against caste system.  

The newer parties are no different. Loksatta Party was formed recently by an ex-IAS officer. One of its candidates in the recent Karnataka Assembly election wrote against dalit reservation on his Facebook page. He also expressed his opposition to certain IPC sections which criminalized cruelty against women. Another candidate of the party expressed her fascination for RSS. A third candidate praised Narendra Modi in her Facebook update. When the updates became matter of embarrassment for the party, its president Dr Jayprakash Narayan removed the first candidate and asked the other two candidates to remove the objectionable contents from their Facebook profile. Thus merely bringing together different people with different ideas cannot create new politics. Rather a mutually consistent progressive ideology is required. No revolution can take place without an ideology.

Same is the case with the anti-corruption movement and the party emerging out of it. Corruption is a serious problem. But corruption is actually a symptom of a grave disease afflicting the society. We cannot treat a disease by merely treating its symptoms.  It is really surprising that the leaders and the exponents of the movement never felt it necessary to discuss and debate the roots of corruption. They did not organize even a single seminar on the issue. They are yet to take a clear stand on the issues of class and gender inequality, caste system, globalization or modern development model.

The Rise of the Middle Class

The rise of middle class is a matter of discussion these days. It is said that they will play a decisive role in Indian politics in coming days. The middle class has shown its strength in the anti-corruption movement and surge against 16 December gang rape incident in Delhi. Samajwadi Jan Parishad welcomes this new consciousness of the middle class. It indicates that the people are finally getting disillusioned with globalization. The crisis is getting so much widespread that even the middle class cannot remain silent and indifferent and they hit the streets.

SJP has maintained that a big revolutionary change cannot happen without the participation of the middle class. This class will be a source of many dedicated comrades and supporters. But few facts have to be kept in mind in this regard:

Firstly, the class that is labeled as middle class is actually not in the middle of the population. 75% of the country’s population lies below it. Hence statistically speaking, this middle class is actually a part of the upper class.

Secondly, it is a ‘virtual’ middle class and largely dependent on Internet for its mobilization. But 90% of Indian population is still outside the reach of Internet. The discussion on Internet has its own limitations. 95% of these discussions are in English. They are often full with caste and class prejudices. Still this new medium of communication has its own importance among the youth, and it should be used keeping in mind these limitations.

Thirdly, rise of middle class is mostly visible in the Metropolitan cities. Although the population of metropolitan cities has swelled considerably in recent times, but still it constitutes less than 10% of the country’s population. The conditions, circumstances and issues in the metropolitan areas, middle cities, small cities, towns, villages and tribal areas are quite different.

Only if the rising consciousness of the middle class aligns itself with the concerns and problems of farmers, workers, tribals, dalits and poor, it can serve as an agent of change. Today possibility of such a thing to happen is quite high but conscious effort is required. Further it is also clear that the major forces of change lie in the organization and struggles of the havenots, dalits, poor and other depressed classes. In absence of these forces the change will be incomplete and superficial.

Human Face of Globalization is not Possible

Recently UPA has started a chain of propaganda in the name of ‘Bharat Nirman’. It reminds us of a similar campaign of ‘India Shining’ by NDA government. Perhaps the UPA government is destined to a similar fate.

Central Government is projecting MNREGA, ICDS, Kasturba Kanya Vidyalayas and certain laws like Right to Education, Forest Rights Act, Right to Information Act, Domestic Violence Act and proposed Food Security Bill as its achievements. These programs and the laws may have achieved something. But even those who conceptualized and campaigned for them are getting disillusioned. This is indicated by the recent resignation of Aruna Roy from National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi. In fact, the problem is that the basic policies of the government are severely anti-people. The faulty development model combined with the capitalist globalization has promoted inequality, impoverishment, malnutrition, unemployment, inflation and displacement, besides destroying the environment. It has also taken the corruption to  a new height. The ill effects of the LPG policies are almost clear after the experience of the last two decades. Still the Government of India has refused to learn any lesson and is progressing on the suicidal path. To cover the ill effects of these policies and to give a human face to globalization such programs were launched. But the damage is so high that such small measures could provide no relief. It is very obvious that the capitalist globalization cannot have any human face.  Change in the basic policy of globalization is the only solution.

Capitalist Globalization and the development promoted by it is causing havoc to the lives of the people. The people are forced to struggle for their existence .Farmers are forced to commit suicide due to crisis in agriculture. People are fighting at Naiyamgiri, POSCO, Narmada Valley, Kundankulam, Lower Suktal,  Chutka, Manesar and many more places. The Governments are also supporting the companies to exploit the workers and crush them. The greatest evidence is the recent incident at Maruti Factory. The impact of so called labor reforms, outsourcing and contracting is that the real wages have actually decreased rather than increasing. The case of MNREGA is a typical example where the government itself is paying less than the statutory minimum wages. This is the real face of capitalism.

Ironically the ruling class of India which includes the leaders of the major national parties, bureaucrats and intellectuals are running after capitalism at such time when the countries lying at the top of the capitalism themselves are facing severe crises. The crisis that started in USA has now gripped Europe. Millions of people are protesting in these countries against the system. Innovative movements like ‘Occupy Wall Street’ are taking place. The Latin American countries that were once considered as backyard of USA are today protesting against globalization and American imperialism. The new experiments of socialism are taking place there. The important point here is that such changes are coming through ballot, not the bullet. Various ex-guerrilla leaders have today become elected members of the Government and are implementing policies in favor of the people. There may be some lacunas in the Latin American Model and due to differences in the circumstances, it cannot be replicated easily in other countries. But the important thing is that they raised new hopes and struggle for alternative to capitalism has gained new strength.

The Limitation of Democratic Revolutions

There were successful uprisings against dictators in Arab Countries like Tunisia and Egypt in recent times. But the newly elected government in Egypt is also clashing with the people. There has also been news of clash from Turkey. The most unfortunate condition prevails in South Africa where a number of mine workers were killed recently by the police. South Africa got its independence after a long struggle against apartheid.  But situation remained almost the same even after independence. Inequality, poverty and exploitation still prevail in South Africa.

The condition of Bangladesh is not very different. The factories manufacturing apparels for export are having accidents one after the other, killing hundreds and thousands of workers. The working conditions in these factories are very pathetic. In order to provide cheap goods to European countries and America the companies are involved in severe inhuman exploitation of the workers. In Bangladesh in the form of Sahbad Movement the Youth is rising against fundamentalist forces. They are demanding to put the convicts of 1971 Mukti Sangram to trial. But on the other side the common poor people of Bangladesh are showing support for Jamayte Islami. Awami Leag, the party in power in Bangladesh is like Indian National Congress of India. Both pretend to be a secular, but are surrounded by corruption and their economic policies are increasing the misery of the people.

Most of the South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar) is facing a similar dilemma. People fight for independence, they revolt against dictators, they remove anti-people governments, but still their miseries do not end. In such circumstances, they sometimes side with reactionary and fundamentalist forces.

In fact, democratic revolutions are important, and a step forward, but they are not enough. Along with these democratic revolutions,  the socio-economic structure and development model must also change. Then only the people will be liberated from misery and democracy will get stabilized.  To bring such a change the revolution has to fight against the forces of globalization and imperialism. The governments of Bangladesh, South Africa or India instead of opposing these forces act as their agents.

Socio-Religious Reform Movements

The rise of fundamentalism at the global level can also be seen in this context. When Western culture, capitalist globalisation and impearilism hurt the people, their identity and their culture, and progressive ideology and movements fail to provide a way out, then people seek refuge in religion and tradition. Fundamentalist forces use this opportunity .These forces are promoted by the vested interests, but it is also a failure of the progressive movements.

For a long time the leftist groups have criticized and rejected religion considering it reactionary. Something like religion is a need of the human society and its role is not always reactionary. Human beings cannot cut themselves from their tradition. That is why religion, tradition and culture should not be out rightly opposed, but their progressive elements and streams should be encouraged. An attempt is needed to purge them from hypocrisy, superstitions, obscurantism, communalism and inequalities.

 In other words, today there is a need for a socio- religious reform moment which will be part of the wider overall change.

Women and Caste    

  The incident of gang rape of a young lady in Delhi on 16 December 2012 gave rise to a new awareness on issues of crime against women and gender discrimination. Samajwadi Jan Parishad welcomes this. Perhaps for the first time women’s issues have become part of the mainstream discourse. But the feminist movement has to mobilize and involve women at the lower stratum of the society and join forces with the other movements of the poor and oppressed to carry forward this movement.

                 This is also true of the movements of Dalit and backward castes. Caste system is becoming more entrenched rather than weakening. Caste atrocities continue even today. The difference is that now depressed castes are organizing themselves (individually, rather than collectively) to bargain for electoral tickets and posts in governments or at best reservation for their caste. When such depressed caste leaders reach the top, they imitate Dvija leaders in amassing wealth, living a luxurious life, self-glorification and personality cult. Their style of functioning is no different.

 The original idea of Dalits, backwards, minorities, poor and women joining forces to break the stranglehold of the Brahminical system and the caste system has been lost somewhere. There is a need to revive it and to strengthen a holistic movement to build a new egalitarian society.

Language Question

 Samajwadi Jan Parishad supports the six months long agitation by Shyam Rudra Pathak to demand that the High Courts and the Supreme Court function in Indian languages. It is shameful that after 66 years of independence, a foreign language, language of our masters, is still ruling our country. The dominance of English has increased further in recent times. That is a cause of concern. Samajwadi Jan Parishad believes that English should be replaced by Indian languages, including those called dialects, the languages people really speak. Then only there will be true participation and empowerment of people and meaningful education.  There are many movements and campaigns for recognition and promotion of these local languages and dialects. SJP calls these groups to come together to strive to build a new India.

                 The privatization and commercialization of education, health and water has played havoc in the lives of the people. The opening of each and every aspect of our lives to the global market has caused grave problems and distortions. The IPL fixing scam is a recent example. Sports, education, knowledge, health, social service, religion, politics, nature, all are becoming victims of the forces of profiteering. People are fighting against them at various places and levels, but it is high time that they struggle jointly against the capitalist globalization.

The Time Is Now

Samajwadi Jan Parishad believes that this is a delicate and crucial moment for our country as well as the world. The crisis in capitalist civilization and the subsequent disillusionment has created an opportunity for working towards a new, better and egalitarian society. There are two important requirements for using this opportunity. One, clarity of thoughts and direction of the alternative. Due to the lack of the ideological clarity and a clear vision, many big movements have deviated from their goals and disintegrated.  Secondly, all people’s struggles, organizations, campaigns, groups and individuals should join together to build an all- India movement. They are agitating on different issues or campaigning or doing constructive work.  If they want their goals to be achieved, then they have to join forces to create a new system.

In the context of India, drawing inspiration from our independence movement, but at the same time going ahead of it, we have to launch another sort of independence movement, so that a new India can be built. This new India will be based on a new development model and values of equality, liberty, simplicity, democracy, diversity, plurality and decentralization. This struggle will necessarily be multi-dimensional, involve the participation of diverse groups at the grass root level, and will be broadly non-violent and democratic. Samajwadi Jan Parishad calls upon all patriotic and humanitarian individuals and groups to join together towards this goal.

Reflections on the SJP conference from Miriam Rose,Foil Vedanta,U.K

Reflections on the SJP conference from Miriam Rose, Foil Vedanta, UK.

Last week I attended the Samajwadi Jan Parishad biennial conference in Raj Ghat, Benares. I have been loosely connected to SJP for the last few years since we have been fighting the British Indian mining company Vedanta in London, where they are registered and supported by British institutions and banks. I had come to India on an emergency trip when the Supreme Court announced that gram sabhas in the Dongria villages would take the final decision on the proposed Niyamgiri mine. It was clear that this would be wide open to abuse and manipulation by the state and there was a call out to come and help monitor the process. I came from Odisha with my comrade Tilly to attend the meeting.

At the inaugural session I was asked to speak about our London group Foil Vedanta. I spoke about how Foil Vedanta formed from a group of grassroots activists who were fighting a variety of struggles against industry and neo-liberal policies. They are committed and unfunded activists from Trinidad, Iceland, India, Kenya, Israel and the UK who now live in or around London. As well as fighting their own struggles they come together as Foil Vedanta, feeling solidarity with those affected by this vicious mining company in India, Africa and elsewhere. We are an unfunded people's group fighting from our passion and sense of injustice. We do not work with NGOs and are adamant about that. They do not truly represent the people and their work only goes as far as their funding does. As a result their presence at the annual Vedanta AGM demonstration in London has dwindled to almost nothing in recent years.

We are in direct contact with communities affected by Vedanta across India, and now in Africa too, and respond immediately when violations occur or rallies happen, targeting the company and its supporters in London. We aim to make the struggles of those affected in India and Africa visible, not ourselves. We try to give direct and meaningful international solidarity in this way.

We also aim to link up isolated communities fighting Vedanta and similar struggles across India and worldwide- to share stories, tactics and resources and support each other. The grassroots to grassroots connection between localised struggles is so important and powerful.

I also stressed that we are not a single issue campaign, we also support like-minded struggles such as: Koodankulam, Lower Suktel dam, POSCO, the Tamil issue, Phulbari coal mine in Bangladesh, aluminium industry in Iceland, anti-smelter movement in Trinidad, and Alcoa struggle in Greenland. We also do cutting edge research on Vedanta and its supporters in London, and take part in academic debates on these issues. We are currently trying to get Vedanta de-listed from London Stock Exchange.

It is always hard to be white in Indian activist circles. People immediately think you are with an NGO, or are a well paid journalist or academic. They don't believe that people are full time unpaid activists in UK too. The news rarely covers our struggles, preferring a quote from Amnesty over direct actions of passionate activists.

After my speech people said they never knew people were fighting this way in the West. I answered that yes they are, but nothing like your Indian movements. Both myself, and my comrade Tilly who came to the conference have forged connections with Indian social movements because we find a level of commitment, integrity and ideological understanding which is rare in the West. I think this is partly because the injustice of 'development' and neoliberalism is directly felt by so many people here. It is a gut reaction to your personal experience. For many of us in the west our understanding is more intellectual and distant, so fewer of us break out of the false 'comfort' of the western materialist bubble and feel our rage at the inequitable nature of capitalism, and the horror stories of neo-colonialism.

Everyone we spoke to - from West Bengal, to Bihar, to Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala - had incredible stories to share. Oriya farmers who had blockaded the Hirakud dam over diversion of water for industry, Bihari women smashing government liquor shops being pushed in their villages, struggles for fishing rights at Tawa reservoir, Madhya Pradesh, by those displaced by it 40 years ago, and of course our good friends in Odisha fighting hard at Niyamgiri and Sahara thermal power plant. The side story to all these great battles was one of financial hardship, police repression, imprisonment, family pressure, and family members being targeted by police and state. The reality of what it means to commit to working for the rights of oppressed people in India, gives me an ever deeper sense of respect for all those who sacrifice so much for this work.

As well as the grassroots stories, the political resolution and vision papers written by SJP's respected thinkers were so compelling and so astute in their analysis. I felt myself to be in the company of some truly revolutionary and brilliant people and wanted to soak as much of it in as possible. The mood of the conference felt joyful and full of fighting strength as we chanted and sang at the beginning and end of each session. I shared an old Pennsylvanian protest song too - about the devastation of coal mining in the 1950's - a process being repeated in India today. We don't sing or chant enough in our UK movements, and I am determined to change this - seeing from my experiences in India how important songs and poetry are to bring people together, to express our feelings of sadness, joy and defiance, and to energise ourselves.

The most overriding sense of the conference for me was the feeling of deep connection I felt to all of the participants. Though we come from different cultures, thousands of miles apart, there seemed to be an instant recognition and familiarity when our eyes met and we shared our stories. It felt like an implicit understanding that we are all committed to fighting injustice in this world, without funds, sometimes with difficult consequences, from our hearts. In the UK I very rarely find other activists who I really trust and respect, and I sometimes feel very isolated. Connecting with so many brilliant people at the Samajwadi Jan Parishad biennial felt like coming home, like being part of a big global activist family. For me this is so supportive and inspiring and will give me double the strength and energy to continue this work in the UK.

A heartfelt thank you to all our SJP comrades. Zindabad!

Only a total transformation can save the nation : Sunil , Vice President , Samajwadi Janaparishad

Press Statement

Only a total transformation can save the nation


Indian nation, while completing 10 years in the 21st century, is undergoing through many crises. It is marked with growing degeneration of politics, corruption reaching unprecedented heights, growing disparity, food crisis, growing unemployment, continuing large scale suicides of farmers and weavers, growing conflicts over natural resources (land, water, forest, minerals, fish, etc.), persisting and growing communal and ethnic conflicts, social tensions and the problems of terrorism and extremism. It is strange and tragic that in spite of a total failure in addressing and coping with these crises, the Indian rulers are boasting of becoming a superpower.

The roots of this decay, degeneration and crises are basically to be found in the departure and divergence from the ideals, policies and goals of the independence movement by the rulers of Independent India. Another point of departure came in 1991 when they further drifted away in the name of economic reforms and globalization.

The unprecedented growth in the volume and number of scams involving corruption, for example, is as much related to the policies of privatization, liberalization and deregulation as it is to the growing commercialization and monetization of Indian politics. Scandals and scams linked to Commonwealth games, Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai, allocation of 2G telecom spectrum, allocation of land in Karnataka, etc. are only tip of the iceberg. The loot has been growing at all levels, as common Indians have been witnessing helplessly. It is an ugly face of unregulated and uncontrolled corporate capitalism. Growing hunger, malnutrition, unemployment, suicides, incidence of diseases etc are another face of it. Only an alternative socialist system with an alternative development model can save this nation. Samajwadi Jan Parishad calls for a democratic people’s movement for a total transformation of Indian society, polity and economy.

The problem of growing communal and ethnic tensions and intolerance can also be resolved only in such an alternative set-up. A respect for and recognition of diversity of language, culture and religious beliefs, an alternative development paradigm, and a decentralized governance system will be essential ingredients of this alternative system. The problems of Kashmir, North-East and Maoist violence have been aggravated by the use of military force, repressionary measures and misuse of power by central government. We also can not afford to ignore the fact that there can not be any military solution of the problems which are essentially political and systemic.

Recently, the historical fast by Ms. Irom Sharmila of Manipur has completed 10 years protesting against the repression and violation of human rights. It is a shame for our democracy. A nation of Gandhi does not have any concern and respect for Satayagraha and democratic means of protest. It is no surprise that people’s frustration is leading to violence and armed conflicts. It calls for an urgent need of democratic reforms. Plagued with high centralization of powers, huge gape between the people and the centres of power and growing use of money and muscle in politics, the current democratic set-up is unable to deliver the results. A radical decentralization, creation of direct democracy and other democratic reforms are the need of the hour.

Only with such radical transformation, we can build a new India, which will be able to fulfill the basic needs and aspirations of its people and solve the various crises. Only then it can again rise to the status of a global leader and guide (and not the superpower).

-Sunil
National Vice-President
Samajwadi Jan Parishad

November 26 , 2010.
Kannur ,Keralam.

Oppose and boycott Commonwealth Games 2010

An appeal

Oppose and boycott Commonwealth Games 2010,

A Symbol of British Empire, Loot, Misplaced Priorities and a Skewed Sport Culture.

The gross anomalies, pilferage of the funds, scams and corruption in the name of the Commonwealth Games are coming out in the open almost every day. It’s probably the biggest scam in India’s history, the whole extent of which is yet to be established. Suresh Kalmadi is not the only culprit either, probably Sheila Dikshit and her associates have also made a big profit out of it. But the real culprit is the Indian Government which has thrown away people’s money shamelessly for the last few years for organizing the games.

The question is not limited to corruption only. The whole event raises some deeper questions which have been raised by SJP and VYS in the last 1 year. The biggest issue is of the colonial legacy and its celebration. The Commonwealth is a group of countries which were a part of the British Empire. Even after independence from the British why do we keep on being a member of it and celebrate the colonial relic? The “Queen’s Baton Relay” of the Games started with our president receiving the baton from the Queen of England in her palace and after going through other Commonwealth Countries is touring India’s various parts. Why?  Is the British Queen still ‘our’ queen too? Does our government consider the 200 year period of British rule (and 200 years of destruction, loot, famines and poverty) a glorious chapter and therefore organizes lavish celebrations to honour its memory? We want an answer from Indian Government and the Indian National Congress.

The second question which arises is of the priorities of the government of this poor country. The budget allotted for the CWG has crossed 35,000 crores starting from the amount of Rs. 767 crores (7.67 billion), but if we include the spending on various projects passed in and around Delhi in name of the Games (including many flyovers, expressways, parking lots, metro expansion, new terminal at the airport, beautification and repair/renovation works) the amount crosses a whopping Rs. 1 lakh crore (1 trillion)! Do the resources of this poor country belong solely to Delhi’s super-rich? In Delhi itself the slum-dwellers, street vendors, Rickshaw-Tonga-pullers, the poor, helpless, labouring people are being driven out. Even students have been forced to vacate their hostels so that foreign ‘guests’ and tourists can stay there. The workers engaged in the construction of Game sites are also living in inhuman conditions. On the other hand, just like the Asian Games held earlier, this event is also being used to build a number of 3 star-5star hotels on valuable land. The Govt. always says it doesn’t have enough funds for the common man’s education, healthcare, nutrition, housing, electricity and development of villages According to its own figures 10 lakh (1 million) posts of teachers are lying vacant in Government schools. Despite increasing hunger and malnutrition, the govt. refuses to provide subsidized rations to the people. Then where has this obscene amount of money to spend on this 12 day charade has come from?

The third major question is of the sports culture which events like these promote. The event is being organized in name of improving the condition of sports in India. But after the Asian Games (1984) did the sport scenario in India improve, did our pitiable place in international medal tallies get better? The huge stadiums under construction with astonishing amounts of money will lie unused and will be a burden after the 12 day Games. Their maintenance will cost millions every year. If the Government had instead spent and paid attention on building playgrounds and sport-infrastructure in our villages, small towns, schools and colleges, the country’s sports would have benefited in reality.

The politicians and bureaucrats sitting on top of the sports institutions in India are hand in glove with multinational companies, capitalists and middlemen, and therefore are determined to commercialize sports fast. It is being converted into a money making machine. The IPL, the CWG, even the football World Cup are symbols of a new sport culture. Sports are fast becoming expensive, thus out of reach of the poor and common people. Companies, firms, middlemen and money-makers are acquiring an almost absolute control over sports. If the family of India’s only gold medallist in the last Olympics, Abhinav Bindra, spent millions of rupees on building a private shooting range for him and getting him trained in Germany, how many families in India can afford that? Actually the need of the day is to begin a new sport policy and culture, in which sports are cheaper, down to earth so that more people can participate in them. They should be freed of  the claws of the companies and capital. Instead of cut-throat competition (which gives birth to evils like doping and match-fixing) real sportsmanship has to be promoted.

Vidyarthi Yuvjan Sabha and Samajwadi Jan Parishad appeal to the youth, athletes and fellow citizens to oppose the Commonwealth Games with all their might, because they represent our colonial past, imperialism, loot of resources and misplaced priorities. We voiced our protest through a sit-in at Jantar Mantar and through entering the CWG office building at Cannaught Place on 23^rd February, 2010. (Around 500 people were arrested for the protest). We’ll oppose the ‘Queen’s Baton’ and ‘Commonwealth express’ in their path and appeal all likeminded people to oppose and boycott them.

We’re planning a big protest on 30^th September, 2010 when the Queen’s Baton Relay reaches Delhi, please do join us in large numbers. 

       Vidyarthi Yuvajan Sabha, Siddiki Building, Bada Hindurao, Delhi. Phone: 09868617785 (Arman)

  Samajwadi Jan Parishad, vill.& post Kesla, via Itarsi, Distt. Hoshangabad, M.P.  Phone: 09425040452 (Sunil)

Rights groups cry foul

Rights groups cry foul



Staff Reporter



‘Doctors being made scapegoats’






BHUBANESWAR: Human rights activists and anti-displacement leaders on Saturday demanded that the State government should dismiss senior officials who were responsible for ordering the three doctors to chop off palms of tribals killed in police firing in Kalinganagar area.

Sympathising on doctors’ agitation to revoke dismissal proceedings against three doctors, three organisations, Lokshakti Abhijan, Samajwadi Jana Parishad and CPI (ML) New Democracy said that doctors were unnecessarily being made scapegoats.

“ The government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is the main culprit in whole incident.

Not a single government official barring doctors was suspended in the incident of police firing that led to death of 14 tribals,” said Prafulla Samantra of Lokshakti Abhijan.

Pointing out that doctors came to the scene only after death of tribals, Mr. Samantra said, “former collector, Superintendent of Police and senior government officials of Jajpur district who were responsible for firing have let off.

A judicial inquiry which was instituted to probe the case has also been weakened.”

Similarly, Lingaraj from Samajwadi Jana Parishad said doctors were under pressure from senior administrators to do the chopping of palms.

He ridiculed the approach of State government to deal with issues associated with the gory incident.

Many tribals had become handicapped in the firing but instead of extending them a free treatment, State government had ignored the matter, Mr. Lingaraj said.

The activists said this was an attempt of State government to divert attention of people from the main issue by picking up doctors.







Courtesy
© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu

Tribals plan to stop Vedanta vehicles

Date:12/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/12/stories/2009011255210800.htm
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Other States - Orissa

Tribals plan to stop Vedanta vehicles



Staff Reporter



Niyamgiri Bachao Samity conducts meet





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Meeting also attended by other activists supporting the agitation

Over 7,000 primitive Dongria Kondh tribals live in the region


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BERHAMPUR: Members of the Niyamgiri Bachao Samity (NBS) on Sunday held a meeting at Sakata under Muniguda block in Rayagada district to plan their future plans to oppose mining in the Niyamgiri hills in south Orissa.

Around 1,000 delegates from villages to be affected by proposed mining in the Niyamgiri hills from Lanjigarh block of Kalahandi district and Bisamkatak, Muniguda, Kalyansinghpur blocks of Rayagad district participated in the meeting. Most of them were members of Dongria Kondh community, one of the ancient tribes of the country.

The tribals decided to stop entry of vehicles and officials of both Government and Vendanta Alumina Limited (VAL) into the Niyamgiri area. “We have also vowed not to allow construction of new roads in the remote Niyamgiri area which will facilitate mining in the region at the cost of the environment,” said Dongria tribal leader Jitendra Jakesika. The NBS has decided to hold a large tribal rally at Muniguda in the second week of February as a show of strength against the proposed mining in Niyamgiri area.

This meeting was also attended by environmental activist, Praful Samantra, Samjawadi Janparishad leader Lingaraj Azad and CPI-ML (New Democracy) leader, Bhala Chandra Sarangi, who have extended support to the agitation.

The Niyamgiri hill range houses dense forests, wild animals with ample bio-diversity. As per the official records 7,987 primitive Dongria Kondh tribals live in this region. From this region emerge the Rushikulaya and Nagavali rivers of south Orissa. It may be noted that the VAL is setting up an alumina refinery at an estimated investment of over Rs. 4,000 crores in Orissa. The construction of refinery unit is complete.

This refinery is to depend on ores mined from Niyamgiri region. But the mining has been delayed due to court cases and protest by green activists

The legal stumbling blocks in the path of mining in the region have got removed. Yet the stiff opposition of the locals of around 104 tribal villages to be affected by this controversial mining project has prevented start of mining work. Since Nov 10 last year the tribals have not allowed the VAL officials to enter the region and start construction of wider road for movement of heavy vehicles needed for mining work.








© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu

Peaceful bandh in South Odisha

Issue Date: Tuesday , October 14 , 2008
Peaceful bandh in 5 districts
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Bhubaneswar, Oct. 13: Normal life was paralysed in five southern districts, including Kandhamal, as the Left parties — CPI(ML), CPI(ML) New Democracy, CPI(ML) Liberation, SUCI and Samajwadi Jana Parishad — today observed a dawn-to-dusk bandh protesting against communal violence.

Vehicles stayed off the roads and shutters were downed at various places in Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal and Ganjam districts, where the parties had called the bandh.

Security measures were tightened as bandh supporters blocked roads at several locations in the districts.

Schools and business establishments remained closed while transportation was affected.

“The bandh passed off peacefully and there had been adequate arrangements to avoid any untoward incident,” deputy inspector-general of police (southern range) R.P. Koche said.

At Phulbani, shops were closed and vehicles kept off the roads at other places, including Daringbadi, Bramhanigaon, Raikia, Tumudibandha areas.

The 12-hour bandh was called demanding compensation to the victims, arrest of the accused and release of the innocent.

The ripple of the bandh was felt at Rayagada, Gunupur, Padmapur, Muniguda, Gajapati, Kashinagar, Guma and Parlakhemundi where protesters blocked roads and burnt tyres. CPI(ML) state secretary Khitish Biswal claimed that the bandh was “a total success”.

Courtsey The Telegraph