Various people’s organizations from across Telangana are joining hands to organize the “Telangana People’s Assembly” for the first time on September 4th to 6th, raising critical issues being faced by people of all sections in this period of crisis. Today, the organizers held an online Press Meet to announce the program to the media. The press meet was addressed by:
Ravi Kanneganti (Rythu Swarajya Vedika), S.Jeevan Kumar (Human Rights Forum), K.Sajaya (Caring Citizens Collective and Women & Transgender JAC), Meera Sanghamitra (NAPM), Kirankumar Vissa (Rythu Swarajya Vedika), Y.Ashok Rao (Telangana Progressive Teachers Federation), Ambati Nagaiah (Telangana Vidyavantula Vedika), Syed Bilal (CHATRI), S.Ashalatha (Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch), Raghavachari (Palamuru Adhyayana Vedika), Purushottam Rao (All India Parents Association).
During the crisis triggered by CoVid and Lockdown, the people of the state are suffering the serious impact of failure of governance as well as the lack of democratic spaces to raise people’s issues and demand immediate action from the government. This has been acutely felt in the crisis of migrant workers and food security during lockdown as well as the mounting health crisis due to CoVid pandemic and failure of the health system.
The People’s Assembly is a concerted attempt to address the governance failure and the collapse of democratic spaces. It will bring together the most committed persons from people’s organizations across all sectors onto one platform. About 100 speakers including experts, leaders of people’s organizations and common people from various walks of life (urban workers, farmer suicide victims, farm workers, adivasis, dalits, women, transgender persons, etc) will enrich the People’s Assembly.
Call for Participation: People can participate online through Zoom, Facebook, Youtube and the website: https://prajaassembly.wordpress.com
The Program schedule and Poster of the People’s Assembly were released to the media. The Inaugural Session on September 4th from 9.30 to 11.00am will be addressed by Prof.Haragopal, Prof.Sujatha Surepalli, Kaneez Fathima, and Rachana Mudraboina. Six Thematic sessions will be held in 3 days with brief schedule as below. Detailed schedule with speakers/topics is attached.
| Day 1 (4th Sep) |
| · Inaugural Session (9:30 am – 11.00 am)
· Employment and Workers’ Rights (11:00 am – 2:00 pm) · Natural Resources and People’s Rights (4.00 pm – 7.00 pm) |
| Day 2 (5th Sep) |
| · Agriculture & Rural Livelihoods (10.00 am – 1.00 pm)
· Social & Food Security, Health and Education (4.00 pm – 7.00 pm) |
| Day 3 (6th Sep) |
| · Rights of Marginalized Sections (10.00 am – 1.00 pm)
· Challenges to Democratic Rights (3.00 pm – 4:30 pm) · Closing Session (4:30 pm to 6:00 pm) |
| 7th Sept
Presentation of People’s Charter to Political Party Leaders |
A set of Resolutions will emerge from each Session, which will be consolidated into Telangana People’s Charter. On September 7th, a Roundtable will be held with leaders of all Political parties in which the People’s Charter will be presented, seeking the response of the parties and demanding that these issues be raised urgently in the State Assembly beginning September 7th.