By TCN News,
New Delhi: Marking the Martyrs day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on Friday, thousands of people – farmers, workers, adivasis, dalits, men, women and children – marched towards Parliament House of India protesting against the unjust and exploitative growth which is benefiting just corporate sector.
The march was taken out from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park to Sansad Marg on the concluding day of the first Rashtriya Jan Sansad (National People’s Parliament).
Leading the march eminent social activist Medha Patkar said: “We are here today on the Sansad Marg to challenge the corporate driven, unjust and exploitative growth, being pushed by every government since early 90s, not with bombs but with our moral force, truth and non-violent struggles of the antim aadmi and aurat (last man and woman of the society).”
About 150 organisations from 20 states participated in the march.
Patkar further said: “We stand vindicated today as we have exposed, by our struggles and deliberations in the Jan Sansad over last three days, the falsehood of Indian prosperity and growth story. India is not shining, it is dying. Reduction of criteria of below poverty line by Planning Commission will not reduce the number of poor in this country. The country has lost faith in Planning Commission and its centralised planning which has completely neglected the gram sabha and ward sabha plans,” she said and demanded that Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia must resign.
She also announced support to protest in Koodankulam aginst nuclear power plant. “They are being labelled as anti national. They are not traitors. They are real heroes of the country,” she said announcing that Jan Sansad has endorsed and given a call for the fast on 27th of March across the country.
The three-day Jan Sansad deliberated critical issues facing the nation, like mass suicides, displacement, impoverishment, food security, equitable budget, corporate plunder of resources, community rights over resources, electoral reforms, issues of unorganised work force. The Jan Sansad ended with the decision to take forward this process to other States and districts.
In its report to the Parliament, the Jan Sansad demanded comprehensive electoral reforms which will reflect the reality of the entire nation including that of labourers, adivasis, workers, women, Muslims and other minority communities.
The march was joined by Justice Rajendra Sachar, Swami Agnivesh, Devasahayam MG, Arvind Kejrival, Sanjay Parikh, Suhas Borkar and other senior activists from movements across the country.