By Pervez Bari, Twocrcles.net,
Kasaragod (Kerala): The Social Democratic Party of India yesterday launched a state-wide campaign titled “Jan Kerala Yatra” to introduce to the politically conscious people of Kerala about the ideology of the party whose slogan is “Freedom from Fear and Freedom from Hunger”. The captain and vice captain of the “Jan Kerala Yatra” are M. K. Manoj Kumar and Ashraf Maulvi respectively.
The “Jan Kerala Yatra” (People’s Kerala journey) of Kerala state unit of Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), started from Hossangadi about 30 kms from Kasaragod in north Kerala to the state capital Trivandrum on Friday evening after Adv. Sajid Siddiqui, national vice president of SDPI, handed over the flag to Manoj Kumar, the captain of the “Yatra”.
The inaugural function was marked by speeches of SDPI national and state leaders and Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member Kamaal Akhtar.
The leaders urged the masses to unite as they resolved to empower all marginalized sections of the society by mobilizing themselves into a political force, instead of remaining as mere vote banks of different political parties in elections.
Speaking on the occasion Samajwadi Party MP Kamaal Akhtar lauded SDPI for waging battle for the rights of Muslims, Dalits and Other Backward classes people. He lamented that Congress has always kept these people in fear and used them as vote banks. He appealed the assemblage to make SDPI strong so that in 2014 Lok Sabha elections the party becomes No. 1 in the state and then Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party will stand with it in the Parliament.
Akhtar criticized Congress that its intentions are not good to grant share in the Women Reservation Bill, (WRB), to Muslim women and other weaker sections of the society. He wondered that feuding parties like CPM, CPI, BJP who always cross swords on issues came on one platform with the ruling Congress when WRB was passed n Rajya Sabha. He lamented that Union Minster E. Ahmed of Muslim League also sided with the Congress on the issue like other parties. He termed Muslim League which is a major partner in Kerala politics has become “Sonia League” for t has harmed the interests of Muslims.
He alleged that in last 62 years 16000 communal riots have taken place in India with mostly Muslims remaining at the receiving end when Congress ruled for more than 50 years. However, those responsible have not been punished whereas the murderers of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Beant Singh (former Punjab Chief Minster), Gen. Vidhya etc. have been hanged.
Adv. Sajid Siddiqui called upon those who were embarking on the state-wide journey to take the message of the “Yatra” to every home in the state so that the people are well aware of SDPI which has come up on the political scene to fight for the rights of the common man.
It may be mentioned here that SDPI was formed to realize a social order and political system based on the Constitutional ideals of justice, equality, liberty and fraternity. The SDPI was officially constituted on June 21, 2009 in New Delhi and was formally launched a month later on July 29 with E. Abubacker of Kerala as its president, Advocate Sajid Siddqui of Bhopal as vice president and A. Sayeed also of Kerala as general secretary.
On October 18 last year the SDPI manifesto was released in National Delegates Meet held in New Delhi. The manifesto highlighted that two fears obstruct the organic development of the citizens which are: Fear of hunger and fear of violence. The party will work for absolute removal of these two fears from the mind of common man. ([email protected])