Fwd: Churning Point

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: brinda adige <brindaadige@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Aug 6, 2010 at 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: Churning Point
To: REDS <dalitreds@rediffmail.com>
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Dear CERI friends,

 

The session with Dr.M.Manzoor Alam at UTC was informative with several insights.

 

May I also request that an E-petition be created and invite citizens from across the country to sign the same as well as the signature on the forms, were ever possible.  Continuing with this feat; is it possible for an orientation session, to clear some more queries. 

 

Dear Jyothi and Raj: Is there a possibility to follow-up on our last discussions for bringing EWRs from some of the Panchayats to REDS for a two days' sessions.  Our organsiation and the groups we collaborate with, are keen and ready to work within our spheres; to take up the task of collecting the signatures that will be instrumental in bringing this monumental issue to the forfront.  

kind regards

Brinda

On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 2:41 PM, REDS <dalitreds@rediffmail.com> wrote:

It was a landmark event in the short history of the Campaign for Electoral Reforms in India
(CERI). Dr. M Manzoor Alam who is the General Secretary of the All India Milli Council
informed the Core Group of CERI that a formal resolution has been passed in the National
Body to fully support the Campaign for Proportional Representation. Not only this he also
came for the Core Group meeting of CERI on 30 July and has given a list of strategy for CERI
in which all of us should be involved together. With his CERI and one of the very powerful
organs of the Muslim community in India will join hands together in taking the Campaign
forward.

In the public meeting the next day at the United Theological College in Bangalore Dr. C S
Dwarakanath who is the Chairman of the Backward Classes Commission in Karnataka
chaired the meeting. With Dr. Manzoor Alamd, Jyothi and Raj adorning the Dias it was a
clear pointer to the future and Dr. Dwarakanath pointed this out in his speech. It was a
combination of Dalits, Women, Minorities and Backward castes.

Dr. Manzoor Alam gave a clarion call to the audience to collect Ten Million Signatures from
the public demanding Proportional Representation in Indias electoral system and to submit
it to the President of India. Incidentally the Core Group of CERI had also discussed this and
decided to intensify its signature collection campaign. The Dalit Parliament in Tumkur has
already collected 85 thousand signatures.

Dr. Manzoor Alam started the Institute of Objective Studies in 1986 and has subsequently
set up two dozens institutes. His Institute in Delhi has published more than 300 books. On
30 July he released the Tamil Manifesto of CERI.

Some of the salient features of his interventions during both the Core Group meeting of
CERI and the public meeting are:

1. Let us have one workshop on the Constituent Assembly and debate on the PR system.
2. It will be very difficult for anyone to deny that under the present electoral system the
general people are denied the space to fight elections. It demands huge resource and
appeasement of governmental mechanisms. Raj cannot fight elections. Political bosses,
police, criminals and money determine victors in the elections. Therefore, PR becomes very
relevant.
3. How and in what way? At the level of intellectuals, our intellectuals are mentally
corrupt. They follow the trend that is popular. We need to be very selective of the
intellectuals. Let us select our intellectuals comprising of different groups.
4. We are having a lot of speakers in the two houses of parliament. Let us have a small
note based on research. Let us see how they are reacting to this issue with this small note in
their hands. Once Sangma, The former Speaker of Indian Parliament had said that the
solution to the problem lies in the PR system. The quality of the Parliament is declining
every time elections are conducted under the present FPTP system.
5. There are previous members of parliament. They have made studies. Even if we find
only 15 to 20 our purpose will be served to get a feedback from them. We need to have a
working paper in order to elicit their reactions.
6. Before going to the common people let us identify which are the segments of the
society that are important. Dalits, Muslims, OBCs and Women. We must identify two sets of
people. Those who are commanding respect in their respective communities need to be
identified. People must respect them. Respectable community leaders may be invited for
conferences to discuss the working paper. We get their feedback. Then we must identify
who have political respect among the people. These are the two segments who must be
invited. A critical examination is always helpful in creating a healthy understanding. But not
those who are opposing for the sake of opposing.
7. We can then plan for 2014. It is the date of the next election. Our intermediate plan
should be to play an important part with the electoral reform. 2014 is not the target time
for PR system. But it will be the first step to initiate discussions in the political corridors. We
need to make our plans in descending order from 2014 to 2013 to 2012 to 2011.
8. 2013 we must have four workshops in four parts of the country. In 2012 we have to
produce some good literature based on the researches to be distributed in different
languages. In 2011 we need to have one seminar at the national level about this PR. Not
only good selected people but also how to take the confidence of the media people so that
the ideas are shown to the people.
9. If we do this, after the elections in 2014, we must have a serious meeting, a larger
meeting for making another five years plan. By 2019 the reforms campaign must have been
shaped properly. We shall be talking about the very concept. The power of idea is stronger
than anything else.
10. No beautiful building will be complete unless there is a master plan. What is our
foundation? The sketch of our future plan is very important. In the plans that we have there
will be a huge opposition possibly from within. We need not be conditioned by it if our
concept is accepted. How we implement it is our decision.


This is a good turn of events for India. Now V B Rawat, a member of our Core Groups has
also informed that the All India Backward Castes Group based in Lucknow has pledged full
support for CERI campaign. We need to now move a bit faster than we did till now. But there
is excitement all over Bangalore after the Public Meeting with Dr. Manzoor Alam and a lot of
energy has been produced. A very good foundation has been laid and now it is a challenge
before all of us to keep the momentum going.

Request to You

We request all of you including our friends abroad and our donor friends to get signature
forms from us and collect signatures from all you know and also whom you do not know.
This is a great cause in the interest of a nation and it will be worthwhile trying to add each
ones mite.


Jyothi and Raj
REDS
Shanthinagar 572102
Tumkur-Karnataka

Phone: ++91-816-2277026; Fax: ++91-816-2272515
Mobile: Jyothi-(0)9880184667; Raj-(0)9845144893
Alternative email: ceri.reds@gmail.com
Web: www.dalitreds.org

--
Brinda Adige
Bangalore, India ph.no.-9845518138

Which comes first, orthodoxy or the truth?
The price you pay for veneration is conformity!!
You have a right to feel anyway you feel.
How you act on those feelings is what is important!!
The greatest risk is not taking one...

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/