A Peoples Manifesto

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A Peoples Manifesto

Two revolutionary organizations of Punjab, namely LOK MORCHA & INQLABI KENDER have issued a joint manifesto, which is qualitatively different from the ones issued by the political parties struggling to enter the Indian Parliament.

CHANGE THE STATE, CHANGE THE SOCIETY

These two organizations are neither themselves in the election fray, nor supporting any political party. But even then they have decided to compaign vigorously amongst the masses for their revolutionary alternative ‘Change the State, Change the Society’, in contrast to the mainline political parties’ slogan of getting votes for their candidates.

The clarion call of the joint manifesto released today is, ‘Peoples salvation lies not in merely changing the Govts. Change the State, Change the Society’

The 16-page manifesto notes that the Indian Constitution, under which the elections to the Parliament & State Legislatures are held, is merely a device to perpetuate and continue the exploitative and oppressive rule of big sharks. The people of India are in fact being subjected to danda-raj, under the garb of parliamentary democracy.

IT IS A SHAM DEMOCRACY

A multi-dimensional analysis of present electoral system clearly reveals that the ruling groups use it to get the stamp of approvals from the people every five years for their exploitative and oppressive regime, by putting a veil of democracy over it. These two organizations will work to free the people from this illusion of democracy and to fulfill the ideals of Shaheed Bhagat Singh by mobilizing the people around his ideal of effecting fundamental revolutionary changes in the society.

Citing concrete examples from the history of Indian liberation movement and the policies pursued by Indian rules since 1947, the manifesto concludes that the different ruling political groupings have identical anti-people policies and visions in the sphere of foreign policy, industry, agriculture, education, health, technology, culture, communalism, regionalism etc. They generate heat & noise against each other during the eletrol campaigns to camoflauge their real fight for getting bigger share in power and pelf. Faces of the rules change, but their character remains the same.

Lok Morcha & Inqualabi Kender Punjab have not limited them selves to merely making a negative criticism of the Indian democracy and the present electoral system. They have put forward concrete alternative set of policies to be put in operation in the domestic and international spheres, and have claimed that the alternative set of policies will cause a revolutionary transformation in the lives of the people and free them of most of the ills & problems.

ALTERNATIVE SET OF PEOPLE-CENTERED POLICIES

Elucidating the alternative set of policies both these organizations advocated that:

1. The exploitation and expropriation by foreign imperialists, big capitalists, and big landlords should be put to an end. All their capital and assets be confiscated and used for the development of our country.

2. People-centered restructuring of the economy should be done.

3. Fundamental transformation in land relations be affected through revolutionary land reforms.

4. All the institutional and non-institutional debts of farm & non-farm labourers, peasants, and marginal farmers be waved off.

5. Self-sustaining national industry, free from foreign imperialist domination, and based on labour-intensive technology should be developed. Industrial policy should be framed keeping in view national needs.

The manifest asserted that the alternative policies and revolutionary steps advocated by them will usher in a new people-centered and people-dominated political set-up, by putting an end to the present rotten and degenrated institutions of political power such as parliament, State Legislatures, judicial system, beauruecracy, state-machinery etc.

COMPAIGN TO BUILD A TRULY DEMOCRATIC & SECULAR STATE

The manifesto claimed that the peopels’ new revolutionary state shall be truly democratic, and secular. They called upon the people to strengthen their class unity and fraternity and to develop their struggles into a political offensive against the exploitative and oppressive regime.

These organizations have vowed to take up a mass compaign to every nook and corner to popularize their manifesto through mass meetings, rallies, seminars, flag-marches, etc.