NEWSLETTER | October and November 2022 |
|
| LOKAYAT - forum for a new world! |
|
|
|
The last two months have seen our most intensive activity of this year. The fourteen-day walk in the Bharat Jodo Yatra as it passed through Maharashtra and preparations for it took up the better part of October and November. Due to the Yatra and a small break for the Diwali festivities, our regular activities in Pune continued at a lower intensity than usual. Therefore we have combined the report of the last two months into one, with focus on the Yatra. |
|
|
|
| | As we write this, the Bharat Jodo Yatra has crossed the Narmada on its long march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. The yatra is no longer about the individual leading it, nor about the party he represents. It has now become a clarion call for boldly upholding our Constitutional values, our democracy, secularism and unity in diversity. It fearlessly calls out the BJP’s politics of hatred for what it is – a smokescreen to divert the attention of common people from the ongoing regime of naked corporate profiteering and transfer of lakhs of crores of rupees of public funds into the coffers of the corporate houses. And the people are enthusiastically responding to the Yatra. They are joining the yatra in tens of thousands, if not lakhs. They are waiting in the chill of winter mornings, lovingly welcoming and avidly cheering it on as it passes their doors, fields and villages. And most importantly, they are expressing their support to its message.
Yatras have long been heralds of change in this country. What change this 'long march' shall bring, the longest ever undertaken in recent memory, only time will tell. But for those who love democracy, secularism, liberty, fraternity and justice, the need of the hour is to strive and take the message of the Yatra to every corner of the country. Let us keep aside organisational differences and join the mammoth effort to save democracy from the jaws of the corporate oligarchy and RSS-BJP nexus.
In this spirit, Lokayat gave full support to the Bharat Jodo Yatra. We marched in the Yatra throughout its Maharashtra leg. Here is a brief report, from the frantic preparations to the journey itself. |
|
|
|
| Training workshops for Congress activists |  | As part of an effort to revive the party on the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi’s Congress, workshops on the theme of 'Idea of India' are being organised by the Training Committee of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, for grassroots activists. We have been conducting these training workshops since September.
We conducted two-day district level workshops in Akola, Buldhana and Yavatmal districts in October. To take the training down to the block level, we conducted one-day taluka (block/tehsil) level workshops in four talukas of Nanded district and two of Akola district. More than a hundred local grassroots workers were in attendance for each workshop.
Many topics were discussed: India’s freedom struggle, the struggle between the ideology of the Gandhi-Nehru Congress and Hindu Mahasabha - RSS during the freedom struggle, Constitutional values and their roots in the freedom struggle, the BJP government’s pro-corporate economic policies, gender equality and India's syncretic culture. |
|
|
|
Walking in the Bharat Jodo Yatra through Maharashtra:
7th to 21st November |
|
| | 47 of our activists participated in the yatra during its Maharashtra leg -- from Deglur in Nanded district to Jalgaon-Jamod on the state border with MP. |
|
| 14 days, 382 km and 2.5 Lakh Pamphlets |  | As the yatris passed through the Marathi hinterland, huge crowds of people were waiting along the highways and crowding on rooftops to catch a glimpse of the yatra and its leader.
Every day at dawn, we would start our walk ahead of the main yatra, announcing its arrival and distributing pamphlets and encouraging people to read and share on social media. The pamphlet had been prepared by us and published by the Congress, and it outlined the purpose of the Yatra in brief. We talked to people, explaining the content of the pamphlet, giving them short speeches about the purpose of the Yatra. After all, dialogue with the people is the aim of the yatra, and so it was our main focus. We distributed nearly 2.5 lakh pamphlets during the 14 days of the Yatra.
During our talks with the people, it became evident that the farmers, farm-labourers, youth, women and the elderly are all disappointed or angry about the failures of the BJP government, especially the rising inflation and worsening unemployment situation, but do not understand its relation to the pro-corporate and fascist nature of the regime. Through the pamphlets and conversations, we tried our best to help them become conscious of it.
A most heartening development during the yatra was that many young Yatris joined this effort and started distributing pamphlets with us. Enthused by the response, Congress leaders decided to print the pamphlet in Hindi for distribution in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. We quickly gave them the Hindi translation of the pamphlet.
Every evening, Rahul Gandhi would address packed sabhas of thousands. At the beginning of each Sabha, our cultural team presented short cultural programs about key issues, about the ideals of Gandhiji and Babasaheb, about the true history of people’s king Chatrapati Shivaji. We also had the opportunity to perform for 15 minutes in the mammoth public meeting at Shegaon that was attended by several lakh people. |
|
| Public Response |  | We saw that the Yatra’s message resonated with the people. All along the route, hardly any pamphlets were being thrown away and people were taking the time to sincerely read them. The sight of long queues of people seriously reading the pamphlet made our effort very satisfying indeed.
|
|
| A Moveable Feast of Culture |  | One of the highlights of the Yatra for us was the warm welcome by the local people of all communities, castes and creeds and the beauty of their local cultural touch. Streets, schools, trees and homes were adorned with the national flag, front yards plastered and rangolis lovingly drawn. Adivasis, Banjaras, Warkaris were walking, singing, dancing, and playing music and school children welcomed us dressed as freedom fighters. |
|
| Dialogue with Rahul Gandhi, Bharat Yatris and the Congress |  | Our young activists got the opportunity to interact with Rahul Gandhi during a youth-conclave during the Yatra. On the occasion of Indira Gandhi’s birth anniversary, five of our women activists walked with Rahul Gandhi for half an hour. In addition to a freewheeling conversation, they had a serious discussion with him about the training of Congress youth and the need to create a more inclusive atmosphere for women in politics. |
|
| New friends and New Hopes |  | We befriended Bharat Yatris from throughout the country. Many of them were not Congress members but ordinary, concerned, citizens. Bharat Yatris as well as senior Congress leaders from both Maharashtra and other states, all appreciated our efforts throughout the Yatra. Congress activists trained in the training workshops taken by us were also deeply involved in organising and in public dialogue.
We were delighted to walk in step with all the various activists sincerely trying to revive democracy.
At Jalgaon-Jamod, on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra we left the yatra with a heavy heart, but not before one final performance, where all our companions from the yatra joined in song. We left enriched with many new friends and with renewed enthusiasm for the struggles ahead. |
|
|
|
Activities in Pune in October-November 2022 |
|
| In addition, our regular activities in Pune continued through these two months, with a brief break for Diwali. |
|
| Remembering the Mahatma – Activities to commemorate Gandhi Jayanti | Public Talk | |  | On the first of October, Lokayat and Pune City District Congress Committee jointly organised a public talk. Titled “Mahatma Gandhi – Some Unknown Aspects” the talk was delivered by noted scholar and author of the renowned book “Gandhi Against Caste” - Dr Nishikant Kolge (CSDS, New Delhi).
Dr Kolge threw light on many aspects of Gandhiji which have been less known, not emphasised or downright distorted in the mainstream narrative – including Gandhiji's views on labour, science and modern medicine – or his fascinating ability as a fund-raiser. Prime among such unknown/misunderstood aspects is Gandhi’s view of the caste system. Dr Kolge elaborated how Gandhi in his personal life was strongly against caste, as best seen in the culture practiced in the ashrams set up by him. However, as he was leading a mass movement, and his leadership over the movement got established only gradually, therefore in his public life he only gradually took a strong anti-caste stand. He began with campaigns against untouchability, and in the 1940s publicly declared his support for inter-caste marriage, in which at least one person should be a Dalit.
Do watch the full video of the talk on YouTube. |
|
| Rally | |  | On the second of October, Lokayat actively participated in a rally organised by Pune City District Congress Committee that passed through the heart of Pune, from Alka Talkies to Swargate. Hundreds of people joined the rally, with Dhol-Tasha as well as Warkari hymns, celebrating the message of Gandhi and the values of the freedom struggle. |
|
| Weekly Street Campaigns |  | In our weekly street campaigns our volunteers go to public places and engage in dialogue with the people on various issues. We share our analysis about the root causes of those issues and their solutions. We appeal to people to think about these issues, and invite those who are interested, to join us. In these campaigns we make use of street plays and songs as well as placards, to attract attention.
In October we organised two such campaigns on the phenomenon of “sexist songs” and other sexist content in film and media. The response from both men and women has been very good and resulted in some good discussions on patriarchy in our society.
We also organised two campaigns in October against rising inflation and the real reasons for it - the transfer of public funds to the coffers of the rich.
In November, the handful of activists who remained in Pune organised two campaigns on the issue of rising violence against women, and two campaigns against inflation. Ordinary people feel so strongly about these issues that even two-three placard-holding volunteers on the road manage to draw quite a crowd.
Such campaigns are organised by us every week in different parts of Pune. Do contact us to join the campaigns! |
|
| Activities by Abhivyakti |  | In September, a workshop on masculinity was held for new activists. It was very successful in making our male activists introspect. So much that they demanded another session to share their experiences about how patriarchy distorted their own person. So on public demand, another session was organised in October. Abhivyakti also screened a collection of short films on how patriarchy manifests itself in the distribution of daily household chores.
October’s monthly meeting saw a stimulating film screening and discussion on stereotypes that are perpetuated against women. In November’s monthly meeting of women we held a reading of poems celebrating womanhood and the struggle for equality. |
|
| Film Screenings and Discussions on Various Issues | We hold regular discussions on political and social issues. Apart from our regular activists, people who come into contact with us during our street campaigns and public programs, are invited to participate in these discussions.
In two months, we screened two classic films – the iconic Chaplin film “The Kid” which stimulated a discussion on child-labour and our society’s treatment of children – and “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron”, a superb satire on the system.
We also held a discussion on the worsening nightmare that is Pune’s traffic – its roots, solutions and its links to the global climate crisis. |
|
| Support to SPPU Students’ Protest |  | Students of Masters and Doctoral courses at Savitribai Phule Pune University continued their struggle against the NEP2020 inspired exorbitant fee hike. We supported these efforts by participating in their mobilisation campaigns, meetings and sit-in protest in the first half of October.
Due to the efforts of the students, the University administration eventually agreed to roll back most of the hikes. Let us hope that this victory paves the way for our main demand – the Constitutional promise of free, universal, equal education for all, from KG to PG. |
|
| Lokayat Nagari Samiti: In Solidarity with Contract Workers |  | Lokayat works closely with some unions of unorganised sector workers, with a view to strengthening their organisation, cadre and outreach activities. We lend our support to their agitations against injustice and exploitation.
Rashtriya Mazdoor Sangh (RMS) is an umbrella union of various sections of unorganised sector workers, the bulk of them being contract workers of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). We participated in the sit-in organised by the RMS outside the PMC gate last month. Workers had warned the PMC of a bigger protest on the eve of the Diwali holidays.
In October, Lokayat Nagari Samiti lent its full strength to the efforts of the workers to organise this protest and voice their grievances in front of the common people of the city.
| Kamgar Jansanvad – Public Outreach by Workers | | RMS and Lokayat organised a public meeting on 12th October at Goodluck Chowk – the crowded square near Fergusson college is a popular hotspot for the youth and the middle class. The object of holding this meeting at such a location was to air the grievances of the workers who run the city, in front of ordinary people who benefit directly from their labour.
In this meeting, held on 12th October, workers of the RMS raised their concerns and engaged in a dialogue with the people. They not only gave speeches and raised slogans but also sang songs. The workers who spoke out included security guards, sanitation workers, domestic workers, hospital staff and cremation ground workers. Citing a long list of injustices, they asked why their jobs are perpetually insecure, why they have abysmal wages and frequent delays in salary payments and why the PMC has hundreds of crores of rupees to fix potholes but not a single paisa for their Diwali bonus.
We helped in the organisation as well as the songs-rehearsals for this unique meeting. | Sit-In Protest Outside PMC | | Workers led by the RMS organised a huge sit-in protest outside the PMC headquarters on 18th October.
In the run-up to this protest, our activists joined with union leaders and organised dozens of meetings in various wards of the city for contract workers of various branches of the Corporation.
On the day of the demonstration, we sat in protest alongside the few thousand workers who had come to join the protest, amidst a torrential downpour. A charter of demands was submitted to the Commissioner’s office by the RMS leadership.
The authorities released the wage arrears. However, the major demands remain unmet. The struggle against anti-worker policies continues and we stand with the workers. |
|
| Celebrating Constitution Day |  | The following programs were organised on 26th November: | Pre-Dawn Preamble Reading with
Rashtriya Majdoor Sangh | | Workers of the RMS at the Pune Municipal Corporation’s garbage disposal vehicle depot in Marketyard organised a collective reading of the Preamble, early in the morning. Lokayat activists joined them. Our activists presented a song and briefly talked about the importance of the Constitution. RMS members at the vehicle depot also briefly presented their views, then we collectively read the Preamble, pledging to uphold the Constitution’s values. This was followed by tea, and then the workers manned their trucks and were off for another long day of work – all before the sun was up. | Film Festival | | That evening, we organised a film festival at Lokayat hall. We screened clips from “Sanvidhan” – Shyam Benegal’s wonderful portrayal of the Constituent Assembly debates and four other films, which highlight the challenges facing the young republic about which Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had warned in his final speech in the assembly. Many young people attended the program and there was a good discussion. | Constitution Day Talk | | Pune City District Congress and Lokayat organised a joint program at Gadital, Mangalwar Peth. Adv. Monali of Lokayat and Datta Pol of the Congress spoke in brief about the Constitution and its relevance to the challenges facing the country today. Our cultural team performed a song. The program concluded with a collective reading of the Preamble. |
|
|
|
|  | व्याख्यान: "अपरिचित महात्मा गांधी"
- डॉ. निशिकांत कोलगे |
|
 | कोळी आणि माशी । ऑडिओबुक
- कामगार चळवळीचे जगप्रसिद्ध हँडबुक |
|
|
|
| We continue to regularly publish progressive content on social media. Among the issues we raised this month were 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. |
|
| | | Fill this form to join us: |
|
| Lokayat, 129/B Erandwane, opposite Canara Bank,
Law College Road, near Nalstop, Pune.
Rishikesh : +91 94235 07864 | Shakuntala : +91 98502 54679 |
|
|
|
|
