By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The four-month-old Social Democratic Party of India was dedicated to the people of India as a national political party yesterday at its first national delegates meet attended by hundreds of state representatives from across the country besides some prominent personalities of the Muslim and Hindu community.
“Today, on 18th October 2009, we are in an auspicious occasion of dedicating a new national political party to the people of India,” said E Abubacker, president, SDPI while delivering presidential speech at the meet at FICCI Auditorium.
Giving details about the formation of the party, Abubacker said: “It was on 21st June 2009, the humble formation of Social Democratic Party of India took place in a hotel room in New Delhi, participated by 22 persons representing different states. On 29th July, after just 39 days, when the new party was formally declared before the media in New Delhi, the member strength of organization had grown from 22 to 60,000.”
There are lots of political parties on both right and left side of the political spectrum. There are many Muslim political parties, then why a new party?
“Democracy, secularism and socialism are in danger in the country. Congress, BJP and the Left have moved away from their socio-political stands. Thus, there is a need for Muslims, Dalits and all poor classes to come together to make a new India,” said SDPI president justifying the formation of his party. “60 years of Independence could not turn the concepts of secularism and equality into practice, rather the attitude of governments towards minorities has become biased and unfair. The gap between haves and have-nots has only increased as drinking water is still a luxury for masses. We as a nation have moved away from democracy, secularism and socialism as well as the NAM era policies,” said Abubacker.
On why a South India party to North India, the SDPI president said India cannot afford another division. “We are neither South Indians nor North Indians, we are only Indians. When Sonia from Italy and Advani from Sindh were given political space, why not we,” said Abubacker.
Besides party officials including vice president Adv. Sajid Siddiqi, general secretaries Mohammed Omer Khan and A. Sayeed, the SDPI meet was also addressed by Dr Zafrul Islam Khan, president, All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, Syed Shahabuddin, ex-MP and diplomat, Bhai Tej Singh, president, Ambedkar Samaj Party and Dr Suresh Khairnar, Convener, Dharam Nirpeksh Nagrik Munch.
At the program SDPI president handed over the party flag to state presidents of the party. Describing the color and star in the flag, SDPI general secretary Mohammed Omer Khan said: the green part in the flag demonstrates prosperity and eco-friendly development, red part announces sacrifice, revolution and people’s power while a star indicates hope and peace.
SDPI also released a manifesto. On education, the party demanded full and proper implementation of the Right to Education Act and abolition of child labor to ensure the enrollment of all children in the school system.
On economy, the party demanded cancellation of the new criteria for defining families living below poverty line and reversal of privatization of public sector undertakings in order to protect the plunder of public property by private business.
On social justice, SDPI demanded implementation of the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission’s recommendations on reservation for minorities and extension of SC benefits to those social groups among Christians and Muslims who are engaged in similar occupations.
At the end of the program, SDPI passed a resolution on seven points:
Build a united front of the marginalized and the deprived
Give up the neo-liberal economic policies
Launch a national movement for reservation
Return to the policy of non-alignment era
Redesign the agricultural and land acquisition policies to benefit small farmers
Re-investigate encounter killings
Express solidarity with Bhopal gas tragedy victims