NEWSLETTER

January 2022

LOKAYAT - forum for a new world!

It seems that the worst of the COVID crisis is behind us. The wounds that it has left on the economy, the working people, health and education systems are still bleeding, but the people continue to speak out and struggle. Already, rumblings from Uttar Pradesh signal that the ride for the fascist bulldozer will not be very smooth. Many small and big victories of movements around the world give us hope that even the global hegemony of the US military and financial juggernaut may also be nearing its dusk. So, we began the new year with the sincere hope that the struggle for democracy is being reinvigorated. Here is a brief account of our activities in January.

Celebrating 75^th Years of Independence:
Jara Yaad Karo Qurbaani

After the great response to the state level inaugural program (19 Dec 2022) of this campaign, local programs have started in earnest. The Pune district committee of the celebration campaign comprises numerous organisations including Lokayat, Rashtra Seva Dal, Congress, NCP, JD(S), Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, Rickshaw Panchayat, Anganwadi Karmachari Sabha, and many local mandals.

The committee organised quite a few programs in the month of January celebrating historical contributions of Pune city to the freedom struggle. In all these programs, we visited historical sites of Pune and held commemorative ceremonies. The ceremony was not just for paying homage to freedom fighters, but through pamphlets, speeches and songs we urged residents to take inspiration from their history and become active citizens - take a stand to protect our freedom and the Constitution.

Here is a brief account of these programs

Celebrating The Women Of The Freedom Struggle

On Savitribai Phule Jayanti - 3rd January and Swarajya-Janani Jijabai Jayanti -12th January, we commemorated the contributions of some daughters of Pune who had contributed to the freedom struggle - Gangubai Kate, Belabai Singh and Ushatai Alekar. Their contribution was celebrated by organising processions in Dapodi and Kasba Peth – where they had lived - visiting their houses, decorating the entrance with rangoli, lanterns and torans. Commemorative plaques about their life’s work were put up at these sites. Their descendents were felicitated. They expressed their joy and pride at being part of this program. The atmosphere was livened up by slogans of the freedom movement, tricolours and Gandhi caps. We also paid homage to Savitribai Phule and Jijamata at their memorials.

Preparing for Republic Day with Campaigns on
Constitutional Values

Throughout the old city there are sites which have seen Satyagrahas as well as armed struggles during the independence movements. Some houses of freedom fighters are still standing and some people still remember the significance of these places. Activists from various organisations of the Pune committee made teams focusing on different areas of the old city and along with local mitra-mandals, organised street campaigns in these parts. The campaigns served a dual purpose – publicising the upcoming Republic Day Abhivadan Yatra as well as spreading our message of protecting the Constitution. All the campaigns received a great response from the residents. We found that the youth are becoming vocal about the onslaught of neo-liberal policies on their jobs and education as well as the fascist assault on democratic resistance and on the Constitution.

Republic Day: Abhivadan Yatra

Finally on Republic Day, a huge rally of 200 motorcycles started after hoisting the tricolour at Congress Bhavan where Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru had organised rallies. The rally proceeded via seven historical sites through the old city and stopped at Nana Peth. At all sites we put up banners displaying the site’s history. At Nana Peth we dismounted the bikes and visited the homes of more than a dozen freedom fighters in this area. The yatra culiminated at Sakhlipir-Rahstriya Maruti Mandir – a historical temple-dargah cum wrestling area that once sheltered Krantisinh Nana Patil, and had hosted radical saint Gadagebaba and revolutionary poet Amar Shaikh.

Remembering Mahatma Gandhi’s Sacrifice

Throughout India, progressive, democratic organisations marked the martyrdom of Gandhiji on the evening of 30^th January. Lokayat, Congress, Maharashtra Sarvodaya Mandal, Dalit Swayamsevak Sangh and various organisations held a silent march from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue near Pune station. Hundreds of citizens participated in this march, which culminated with a sabha paying homage to the Mahatma.

Bhaskar Karnik Memorial Day

On 31^st January, Lokayat, IYC (Indian Youth Congress) and NCP payed homage to revolutionary Bhaskar Karnik at his memorial at Faraskhana, where he had swallowed a cyanide pill to prevent being captured by the British in 1942.

Activities by Abhivyakti

Stri Shikshan Gaurav Diwas

Anganwadi Karmachari Sabha and Abhivyakti welcomed the dawn of the new year by celebrating the opening of the first school for girls at Bhide Wada. It was at this site, that Savitribai Phule and Fatimabi Shaikh started teaching girls on 1^st January 1848. It has been a long standing demand of the progressive, anti-caste movement that the decrepit Wada be restored. After years of effort, the commemorative plaque has been restored but the struggle for a fitting memorial continues.

Ti Ladhali, Amhi Gadhalo – Her Struggle Created Us

On the occasion of Savitribai Phule Jayanti, Abhivyakti organised a cultural program in the compound of Savitribai and Jyotiba’s home in Ganjpeth. The program wove together poetry, songs, skits and dance to highlight the unbroken thread of struggle from the Krantijyoti to the woman of today.The way the crowd was emotionally moved by the performance was palpable. And although attendance was restricted by COVID regulations, videos of the performance went viral on YouTube and Whatsapp, viewed by lakhs of people throughout the state.

Makar Sankranti – Patang Mahotsav

Abhivyakti tries to break the barriers of patriarchy through various means, culture being a most important one. Flying kites has traditionally been “boys’ game” in our part of the world – with the ladies of the house passively holding the reels of thread. Every year, we celebrate Makar Sankranti by upturning this tradition. This year, we held Patang Mahotsav at Wadarwadi. Many boys and girls flew their kites together and celebrated with Til-Gul.

Self Defence for Girls

We are overjoyed to announce that Abhivyakti and Lokayat Nagari Samiti have commenced a series of free, fortnightly, self defence classes for girls in the Wadarwadi area and  the response month has been splendid. More than 15 young girls are now learning self defence techniques under the guidance of a young activist who is a resident of Wadarwadi and a Karate black belt holder. The practice sessions are followed by a discussion on social issues.

Street campaigns Against Sexist Songs

Abhivyakti organises weekly street campaigns that create sensitivity about various aspects of patriarchy. This month’s campaigns focused on the phenomenon of “item songs” in Indian films and their sexist implications. The public response betrayed an increasing sensitivity about equality among the public, of all walks of life.

Lokayat Nagari Samiti Continues the Struggle for a Universal, Expanded PDS

 Campaign Demanding  “Ration for All”

Getting sufficient and good quality rations providing all round nutrition, through the public distribution system (PDS) is a human right. The PDS has legal sanction in the Constitution as well as the food security act. Since the start of neo-liberal policies, the PDS has been systematically weakened, through under-provisioning, targetting and a host of other tricks. The Nagari Samiti demands not only restoration, but qualitative and quantitative expansion of this system.

We organised this campaign in the Ganjpeth, Lohia Nagar and Wadarwadi areas, twice this month. Our activists assemble residents and teach the youth to use their smartphones for checking their ration entitlements. We help the families file complaints if they are being shortchanged. But we do not provide a “ration service” but involve residents in actively following up these complaints with the local rationing officers. Rationing officer also assured us about his needful assistance to resume the rationing of people. Due to our campaign a few more families succeeded in securing their fair share this month.

For those residents who had ration grievances, we conducted workshops, in simple language – to deepen their understanding of the political and economic causes behind their ration woes.

As a result some residents joined the campaign for securing their own rations, but did not stop once they got their share. They continue to struggle alongside us for getting rations for all. Going ahead, we want to create a conscious public, which will demand reversal of the neo-liberal policies and raise the positive demand of expanded, universal and quality rations.

Training Activities

Besides all the public facing activities, we organise numerous activities for broadening and deepening our activists’ understanding of society and politics. This month also we conducted documentary screenings, discussions and workshops on various issues including - agrarian crisis, Swami Vivekananda’s ideas, the politics of Godse versus that of Gandhi as well as the poltics-economics of fuel price hikes

Struggle for Rights of Auto-rickshaw Drivers and Small Transporters Continues

For more than a year, we have been working closely with rickshaw panchayat and allied unions – some of Pune’s biggest trade unions, headed by Baba Adhav and Nitin Pawar. The union continues its struggle for the livelihood, development as well as political education of unorganised workers, including the very essential small transporters and auto-rickshaw drivers.

The union is following up the numerous police complaints and legal notices sent by private finance companies for harassing and assaulting rickshaw drivers. A delegation from the union held a meeting with the Police Commissioner and his deputees in this regard.

A workshop of small transporters protesting against the hike in fines and penalties was held. Various experts from the field addressed the workers during this session. Neeraj Jain, on behalf of Lokayat, gave a short talk placing the hike in the context of the overall fiscal policy – that is, waivers for the wealthy and extraction from the poor and ordinary citizens.

After the great response to the Kothrud area Atma-Samman Melava of rickshaw drivers, a similar gathering was held in Shivajinagar. 30 drivers attended this assembly and voiced their concerns. Although attendance was subdued due to the third wave of COVID raging in the city, the fact that so many drivers held a council after many years marked another win for union democratisation. We hope this process shall continue.

New on Youtube

Rising Prices of Petrol-Disel

Sau Petati Mashal

Ticha Prashna (Her Question)

Sangharsh Ki Rah Par

Social media activities

We continue to regularly make progressive content on social media. This month as well we targeted issues of petrol, diesel & gas price hike, privatisation, caste inequality, Gender & Economic crisis etc.

Volunteer for poster making activity if you are interested.
Contact us if you want to host our program on your channel.

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Lokayat, 129/B Erandwane, opposite Canara Bank,
Law College Road, near Nalstop, Pune.

Rishikesh : +91 94235 07864 | Shakuntala : +91 98502 54679