Parties commit to raise core demands before the State Assembly
‘Telangana Praja Assembly’ resolves to take the ‘People’s Agenda’ to all 33 districts of Telangana over the next 30 days of the State Assembly
The fourth and final day of the Telangana Praja Assembly (TPA) concluded today with the presentation of the Comprehensive People’s Agenda before invited representatives of various political parties and the media. The organizing committee of the Praja Assembly presented the Resolutions from 6 Thematic sessions: 1. Employment and Workers’ Rights; 2. Land, Forests, Water, Environment and People’s Rights; 3. Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods; 4. Food Security, Health, and Education; 5. Struggles of Marginalized Communities; 6. Democratic Rights and Governance.
All leaders agreed that the efforts of the TPA in bringing together and compiling the voices and demands of diverse sections of the people of Telangana is indeed valuable and would enable the Assembly to constructively address and act on some of the pressing issues that have been highlighted.
Key political leaders who attended the online meeting today evening with representatives of people’s organizations include: Bhatti Vikramarka (Floor Leader, Congress Party); Ravlua Chandra Shekar Reddy of Telugu Desam Party; Prof. Kodandaram, President, Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS); Chada Venkat Reddy, State Secretary, CPI; D.G. Narasimha Rao, State Committee, CPM; Cheruku Sudhakar, President, Telangana Inti Party; Govardhan of CPI (ML) New Democracy, Vemulapalli Venkatramaiah of CPI(ML) New Democracy, Lubna Sarwath of Socialist Party of India and Mandava Venkateswara Rao, Former Minister and 5-time MLA.
Strongly supporting all the resolutions, Chada Venkat Reddy said that given the abysmal performance of the state government in the past 6 years, there is a heightened need for a joint struggle by all people’s organizations on a broad platform, like the Telangana movement. Condemning the misplaced priorities of the TRS Govt like the ‘New Secretariat’ or the unjust mega-irrigation projects, Govardhan of CPI (ML) New Democracy felt the issues raised by the People’s Charter must find place in the Assembly discussion; be it the question of livelihoods of lakhs of workers, small traders etc; right to life & well-being of frontline workers. He demanded that all vacant posts must be filled in immediately, Rs. 10,000 / – income support must be provided to all, with nutritious ration kits; 6 % budget must be earmarked for health
Ravula Chandra Shekar Reddy of TDP said that he studied the People’s Charter and feels that they must be taken up in the Assembly, especially the concerns of various marginalized sections, including weavers. “The massive loan of 3 lakh crores taken by TRS, as per official figures, is a huge burden on the people of Telangana, while there is no transparency or accountability regarding the purpose and benefits of these loans reaching the intended beneficiaries.” Cheruku Sudhakar of Telangana Inti Party said that the Govt has literally left crores of working class people and employees in the service sectors to fend for themselves, dispute the financial crisis due to covid lockdown.
Bhatti Vikramarka, Floor leader of Congress party said that the Congress Party will bring up the issues raised in the Praja Assembly in the State Assembly session. He said that the state is going through a major crisis at this point, with the CoVid crisis and the lockdowns completely mismanaged, resulting in a health and economic crisis. He said that due to the wrong policies of the government, by 2023-24, the state’s cumulative debt would reach around 6,34,000 crores and then the State will not even be able to pay salaries! He raised alarm that the government has shut down even the media point in the Assembly. Both parties and people’s organizations should raise their voice to protect the media as a watchdog on this government.
Prof. Kodandaram of TJS foregrounded the right to expression in a democracy need to mobilize around the question of right to livelihood as this one question that has affected people in an unprecedented way, accentuated by lockdown, be it in unorganized workers, agriculture, migrant workers or trade sector. He gave a call to all people’s organizations to take up propagation of ideas and agitation as the path to push the political system for a change. He said that all the resolutions of Praja Assembly must be compiled as a pocket book and reach lakhs of people, to increase public consciousness and hold the powers-that-be accountable.
Lubna Sarwath of Socialist Party (India) spoke of the lack of basic nutritional support & safe water to a large number of people amidst the pandemic and drew the attention of the Govt to this. She also highlighted the lack of transparency in the administration including lack of basic information like Govt Orders in the public domain. She also demanded a public audit of the CM Covid Relief Fund as well as Cess amount collected under the Building & Construction Workers Act. Why are appointments to the Women’s Commission, Human Rights Commission, SCIC, Child Rights Commission not happening, she questioned.
Vemulapalli Venkatramaiah of CPI(ML) New Democracy said that the whole Telangana movement was an anti-discrimination, pro-rights movement, but we are only going from bad to worse with regard to socio-economic indicators. At a time of unprecedented economic recession, the unplanned lockdown imposed by Centre and state, without addressing the existential questions of people and gaps in relief-health infrastructure has created a very grim situation. He said that TRS must immediately demand the Centre to release GST dues of Telangana. He also highlighted the need to keep reservations of adivasis intact and stop encroachment of adivasi lands in the name of Haritha Haram.
Mandava Venkateswara Rao, former Minister and 5-time MLA, said that all people’s organizations should carry the inspiration of Telangana movement to protect democracy in the state. Lamenting that political parties are responding only to the number game of their votes and not to people’s problems, he said that as a political activist, he is congratulating and strongly supporting the process of the Praja Assembly.
D.G. Narasimha Rao of CPM underscored the failure of liberalization and privatization policies, which have been completely exposed during covid-lockdown and felt that it is high time we have another Telangana movement for securing our livelihoods, agriculture, health, education, social security, social justice and civil liberties. He also felt that the fight against right-wing communalism is also central to all our struggles.
Most parties also spoke of the anti-federal approach of the Central government by bringing in laws and policies against the interests of people and states and spoke of the need to challenge autocracy by the Centre, but also hold the state government accountable.
The meeting concluded with thanks to all party leaders by activist Raghavachary, who reiterated that the Telangana Praja Assembly is an effort for equality, justice and dignity and not just some ‘welfare schemes’. The meeting culminated with a collective reading of the the Preamble of the Constitution, led by feminist activist K. Satyavathi.
With the active involvement of more than 50 organisations, over the past three days, almost 100 speakers from diverse backgrounds including affected sections like farmers, workers, employees, union leaders, adivasis, dalits, displaced persons, women, transgender persons, religious minorities, persons with disabilities, homeless persons, children as well as activists, academics, analysts presented a detailed picture of the issues that the Assembly needs to take up urgently in the ongoing session that began today.
Well-known activists, academics, advocates including Medha Patkar, Prof. G. Haragopal, Prof. K. Nageshwar, Prof. Padmaja Shaw, Prof. Sujatha Surepally, Prof. K. Laxminarayana, Padmanabha Reddy, Prof. K. Babu Rao, Prof. Rama Melkote, Jeevan Kumar, V. Sandhya, Kaneez Fatima, Rachana Mudraboyina, N. Venugopal, Anant Maringanti, Adv Ch. Ravi, Adv. Vasudha Nagraj also shared their insights over the three days.
The Praja Assembly from 4th to 6th Sep covered many important issues under the broad thematic sessions of Employment and Workers’ Rights; Natural Resources (Land, Water, Forests, Environment) and People’s Rights; Agriculture & Rural Livelihoods; Social & Food Security, Health, Housing and Education; Rights of Marginalized Sections, Challenges to Democratic Rights, Civil Liberties, Institutional Governance and Accountability. The additional challenges that Covid and lockdown have brought forth were also presented in detail, in all these sessions.
The Organizing Committee of the Telangana Praja Assembly thanks all the struggling people, organizations, parties, media and volunteers who made this 4-day effort truly historic, marking the beginning of a new challenging phase in Telangana to build solidarities across different sections and raise the issues collectively, as part of a broader initiative to strengthen a truly democratic, secular and socially just state.