NAPM
Convening Team Holds Dialogue with AAP Leadership
New Delhi, January 17
: National
Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) held its two day National
Convening Team (NCT) meeting on January 16-17 at its national office
in Delhi to discuss the need and repurcussions of direct intervention
in to electoral politics as well the issue of support to Aam Aadmi
Party. The meeting was in continuation of the NAPM Western region
meeting on January 12 in Mumbai and NAPM Bihar, Kerala, Tamilnadu,
West Bengal and other state level meetings.
NCT discussed the
issue of 'active support' to Aam Aadmi Party, mechanism to ensure
dialogue with the movements by AAP, and social movements intervention
in the electoral process by contesting elections.
The
members present felt that today the many of the existing political
parties have agreement on a common agenda on the anti-people reforms,
criminal and corporate loot of natural resources, use of money and
muscle power in elections, complete negligence of the people's issues
and absence of political propriety and tolerance for divergent views
and diversity in life. People's power is denounced by most of the
political parties and politicians in violation of the constitutional
rights and privileges. This has resulted in a situation where the
space for democratic movements and dissent have been decreasing,
State repression has increased leading to victimisation of activists
and non-violent democratic movements. Fundamentalism and communalism
has also been on the rise leading to rising fear among minorities and
secular sections.
This has
necessitated a need for those engaged in the 'alternative movement
politics' to also now intervene in the electoral processes by
contesting elections on the platform of socially conscious and
pro-people political parties. This 'alternative electoral politics'
is to be seen as a part of our wider movements for social and
political transformation. The relationship between the State and its
people; the character of the politics need to be changed, making the
governance pro-people.
In
this scenario AAP have enthused people and shown a ray of hope to
many by raising people's issues reflecting values of equity and
justice and has attempted developing a new vocabulary of change and
politics on the agenda of governance and anti-corruption.
Late in the evening
on January 16, Yogendra Yadav and Ajit Jha of Aam Aadmi Party held
deliberations with the National Convening Team of NAPM, and Shri
Prashant Bhushan earlier, and had extensive dialogue on the different
issues arising out of the meeting. NAPM team raised and sought
clarification on AAP's position on certain issues related to
adivasis, dalits, displaced, urban poor, farmers, women and their
livelihood issues. After the
meeting it was resolved that :
- Most of the people's movements allied with NAPM believe that and welcome AAP as a process towards an alternative politics. They will extend support to those AAP candidates that concede with the local people's issues and support people's organisations.
- Every people's organisation allied with NAPM has its own individual identity and hence decisions regarding its relationship with electoral processes and intervention will be their own. Those organisations like Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) of Assam, which don't intend to intervene into electoral politics will continue to tread the path of movement.
- Those movements groups who are in support of AAP will actively :- take part in membership drive of AAP- be part of committees at different levels- and contribute to the process of manifesto making.
- A certain number of senior activists with strong mass base and experience of constructive work to social action will seek extensive consultation with their movement comrades and wider populace in their area before filing applications for candidature in forthcoming Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections through AAP and will contest if selected through democratic process.
- A collective mechanism with AAP would be evolved in the due course of time where a process of dialogue and negotiations on the key social issues and policies can be held.
NAPM
also resolved that an internal monitoring committee will be
established for accountability of those members of people's movements
who will join the party and contest elections so that they remain
true to ideals held by NAPM.
It was also
reiterated that National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), a
non-party political platform, will continue to retain its independent
identity and struggle against injustice, inequity and discrimination
and work for peace, justice and freedom as always.
The
meeting was attended by Medha Patkar (Narmada Bachao Andolan-NAPM),
Arundhati Dhuru and CM Yadav (NAPM-UP), Ashish Ranjan (Jan Jagran
Shakti Sangathan, Bihar), Prafulla Samantara (Lok Shakti Abhiyan),
Dr. Sunilam (Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, MP), Akhil Gogoi (KMSS, Assam),
Dayamani Barla (Adivasi Mulvasi Astitva Raksha Manch, Jharkhand),
Sumit Wajale (Ghar bachao Ghar Banao Andolan, Mumbai), Prasad Bagwe
(Ekvira Jamin Bachao Andolan, Maharashtra), Kailash Meena (NAPM
Rajsthan), Bhupender Singh Rawat (Jan Sangharsh Vahini, Delhi), Vimal
Bhai (Matu Jan Sangathan, Uttarakhand), Rajendra Ravi, Madhuresh
Kumar, Seela M (NAPM Delhi).
A
meeting of NAPM and other movement groups are scheduled to be held on
January 23-24th in Wardha, Maharashtra
where some of the issues of people's movements and electoral politics
will be discussed.
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