From: Initiative India <initiativeindia@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 9:19 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] New Maha CM must be People's CM: Free of Builder-Corporate Raj
To:
A Wing First Floor, Haji Habib Building, Naigaon Cross Road
Dadar (E), Mumbai-400 014 Ph. No-2415 0529 E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com
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New Maharashtra CM must be People's CM:
Free of Builder-Corporate Raj
We demand courage and commitment to ensure basic rights and services
November 9th: After Ashok Chavan inevitable exit, the million dollar question before the UPA Government is; who would be the next Chief Minister from Maharashtra. While there is no doubt that the MLAs as elected representatives are to give their consent for the UPA's proposal, it is also an equal right that the common people in Maharashtra would like to assert and demand accountability and a response that would be just and justifiable.
The people, not only in Maharashtra but across the country have learnt through the Adarsh scam and related exposé of numerous similar scandals involving massive land grab and vulgar profiteering in the name of housing the poor and housing the martyrs; and hence there is was a well-expressed demand that the Chief Minister Ashok Chavan's resignation should be accepted. Moreover, the people also have been categorically expecting the new Chief Minister who would be free of the 'builder-raj' and 'corporate-raj' as also courageous and committed to take appropriate actions and decisions in favour of the millions of homeless, dishoused and displaced and toiling masses.
The new incumbent is necessarily to be a person known for being corruption-free and actions against the corrupt taken in whatever capacity s/he might have acted in the past. It is obvious to anyone that the various claimants who include the former Chief Ministers do not fulfill the above parameters and criteria, since their names are implicated in some scandal or another and the Adarsh society itself had their contribution, small or large; direct or indirect.
Fresh and right choice needs to be made, here and now by the UPA. The person to be sworn in must be someone which would have the support not only of the elected representatives, many of who are themselves implicated in some corruption or another, but on the other hand, should be a choice of the people, especially the downtrodden, dalits, adivasis and others who vote with more commitment to democracy than the other classes. The questions and not just eyebrows to be raised therefore would include:
1. Will the new Chief Minister be one supportive of self-reliant housing by the urban poor?
2. While s/he be for a thorough impartial investigation of the Adarsh scam and other scandals such as Lavasa, Hiranandani, Shivalik Builders and various other development projects with questionable development records; whether Narmada or Krishna.
3. Will s/he be in favour or urban land ceiling for sheltering the millions to require affordable housing or at least a small plot to build a house by themselves?
4. Will s/he take the steps appropriate to review the SRA Scheme and investigate the reasons behind the vicious circle of proliferation and demolition of slums?
5. Will the newcomer be one for meaningful dialogue, with dignity, with the common people and people's organizations and not the corporate bodies, builders and investors?
6. Will s/he protect the unprotected working class and not just a section of the organized sector, beyond the 6th Pay Commission?
7. Will s/he ensure ration, housing and all other civic amenities such as affordable transport, electricity etc. to the common people?
8. Will s/he take a pledge not to work as an arrogant ruler but an humble servant of the people, with meagre means, with a wider and wiser vision, within the framework of Constitution and human rights?
If it is too much to expect all this and much more that people think of, when they are party to the decision, then one may better be ready to continue with the struggle, beginning with getting the Adrsh scam fully investigated and all the culprits identified and punished. .
Let us seize this opportunity to at least express our demands and choice to the 'decision-makers', who should not be left to themselves but be accountable to all of us, especially on the issues where we have had a say. Today when the bull-dozers are standing before Ganesh Krupa Society, Golibar in Mumbai waiting to bulldoze people's houses and lives, to conceal yet another scam of the Shivalik builders, this needs to be said with all the fore, and hence this is.
Medha Patkar Simpreet Singh Santosh Daundkar Suniti S.R
Contact: 09423965153 | 09969363065 |
09179148973 | 09423571784
Medha Patkar
Narmada Bachao Andolan,
62, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Badwani, Madhya Pradesh – 451551
Ph: 07290-222464; Fax: 07290-222549
E-mail: medha.narmada@gmail.com ;
nba.medha@gmail.com
National Alliance of People's Movements; National Office: Room No. 29-30, 1st floor, 'A' Wing, Haji Habib Bldg, Naigaon Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai - 400 014;
Ph: 022-24150529
E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com
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--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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