27.4.07: ASIAN TRIBUNE (Thailand/Sri Lanka): http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/5469
30.4.07: SCOOP INDEPENDENT NEWS (New Zealand): http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00457.htm
-----------------------'People's issues ignored in UP elections'
Bobby Ramakant in
"People's issues highlighted through various people's movements going on in the UP state are sadly not at centrestage in the UP elections," said Dr Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay Awardee 2002 and National Convener of NAPM (National Alliance of People's Movements). "
Caste-based politics is becoming decisive in UP," he said at a press conference in NAPM, the largest network of grassroots people's struggles in
k Sabha elections. PPF gives voice and a platform to grassroots activists to participate in the electoral process in UP. "Even within electoral politics, the people's mov
ements have been participating in various capacities, either by pressurising existing political parties to integrate peoples' issues into their agenda, creating awareness among the voters, trying to weed out corruption and malpractice, and supporting suitable political parties. Contesting the election by the members of people's movements is again one of the ways of direct intervention into electoral politics." Keshav Chand, another grassroots leader from Deoria, said that "people's movements must have a say in policy making. Right to work and food for work must be made fundamental rights."
There were many grassroots leaders supported by PPF from all across UP. Mahesh Kumar from Kanpur, Ram Sagar Verma from Hardoi, Keshav Chand from Deoria, Jaishankar from Chandauli, Prem Kumar from Moradabad, Jashodhara Dasgupta from Lucknow, Gyan Kumar from the Dynamic Action Group, Professor Ramesh Dixit from Nationalist Congress Party, Kamta Prasad Vishwakarma from Indian Justice Party, Arun Kumar from CPI-ML, Rakesh from CPI,
They resolved to struggle for the right to life, right to work, and protection of livelihoods of the workers in the unorganised and organised sectors.
"We will struggle for the enactment of legislation to ban the water extraction and water utilisation for soft drink industries and ban on all non-essential water-based consumer luxury products. We are in and take ahead the struggle against Coca Cola and Pepsi factories in Uttar Pradesh, and call for a national campaign to boycott all products of multi-national companies," said another grassroots leader Master Nandlal from Mehndiganj village in
Dr Pandey adds that, "We assert that water, land, forest, mineral, and aquatic wealth belong to people. It has community ownership and does not belong to either the state or corporate powers. We reject and will fight against attempts to privatise water bodies, water supply depriving common people of the right to water for drinking, domestic use, and livelihood."
"Corporatisation and criminalisation of politics is a major concern," said Dr Pandey. "The PPF's decision to enter electoral politics was aimed at changing the nature of politics," he said.
A people's forum was held in Hardoi on April 23 to question the candidates about their stand on these issues. This sheet with a list of people's issues is being circulated in a number of assembly areas to encourage people to ask questions from candidates in their areas, informed Dr Pandey.