NEWSLETTER | September 2022 |
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| LOKAYAT - forum for a new world! |
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Bharat Jodo Yatra and Our Role |
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| Today, with the fundamental pillars of the Constitution – democracy and secularism – being undermined, with the BJP determined to subvert the Constitution itself, while at the same time running the economy for naked corporate profiteering, the country is clearly facing its most difficult time since independence.
For progressives and socialists, when democracy itself is under threat, the first task is to defend democracy. Let us keep aside our petty organisational interests, join hands with all anti-BJP-RSS organisations and political parties, and unite to fight the BJP-RSS combine. In this spirit, we are giving our full support to the efforts of the Congress party to save democracy.
If the Congress party is to become an alternative to the BJP, it must not remain a party of power but become a party of the people. It must rejuvenate the spirit that inspired our freedom struggle, it must once again become the party that Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru tried to build. We believe that the Bharat Jodo Yatra initiated by Rahul Gandhi is a step in this direction and we support this endeavour.
We are playing a role in the ideological training of grassroots activists of the Congress. Our team conducted several workshops for Congress activists in Washim, Nanded and Hingoli districts of Maharashtra, the very districts through which the Yatra will pass in November.
The workshops talked about the history of our freedom struggle, evolution of “the idea of India”, the ideology of the Congress vs ideology of the RSS, the role of Mahatma Gandhi, Constitutional rights and directive principles, and the role of the Congress in building the nation during the past 70 years. We then discussed the BJP government’s economic policies, and how the Modi Government is running the economy solely for the profit maximisation of the big corporate houses, and the real reasons for the huge inflation and the unemployment crisis gripping the economy. It is to cover up its pro-corporate policies that the BJP is seeking to divide the people along religious lines, the very tool used by the British to weaken the freedom struggle. The feedback was very heartening. Many ordinary activists gave the feedback that they gained ideological clarity, belief in the Congress of Gandhi-Nehru, and the confidence to debunk RSS propaganda and reach out to ordinary people and have a dialogue with them on the economic crisis gripping the country.
We fervently hope that this small contribution will go a long way in the reclaiming of our republic.
Our regular activities in Pune continued in parallel throughout the month. Here is a brief report of the same.
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Street Plays and Exhibitions in Ganeshotsav |
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| | Ganeshotsav was celebrated with all its pomp after a gap of two years. Tens of thousands of people hit the streets to pray at Ganesh pandals and enjoy the variety of themed decorations. As we have done every year before the pandemic struck, we campaigned among these crowds on various issues.
We prepared two street plays. The first, “Ban Sexist Songs” exposes the misogyny and sexism of film songs, and the second, “Chaupat Raja - Janatecha Baja” (Wastrel King - People Suffering) talks about inflation, unemployment and their roots in the pro-corporate economic policies of the Modi government.
Previously, we used to have two teams of six to eight activists. But since our numbers have increased, this year we made four teams. While two performed street plays in the old city, the other two reached out to Ganesh Mandals in various parts of the city and performed on their stage.
After three evenings of intense rehearsals, “Ban Sexist Songs” was performed twice and “Chaupat Raja … ” was performed thrice among the crowds at Bajirao Road in the old city. The plays received a great response.
The play on inflation was performed in seven Ganesh Mandals, in various areas of Pune, including Khadki and Sahakarnagar. The response to these performances was encouraging - people from the audience spontaneously contributed a total of more than Rs 2000!
|  | In addition to the play, Lokayat Nagari Samiti also put up the Sanvidhan Melava at four Mandals. This is a unique exhibition which conveys democratic and secular values through interactive exhibits and games. Hundreds of people visited our stalls and our activists helped them play the games – themed on gender equality, syncretic culture as well as economic and social justice. It was an enlightening experience for people.
A spell of torrential rain in the last two days of the festival put a stop on further performances, but we continued to perform these plays in our regular campaigns throughout the month. |
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| | We organised three campaigns on “Ban Sexist Songs”. As always the response from both men and women was very good and resulted in some good discussions on patriarchy in our society.
We organised two campaigns on rising prices, in areas with dense student populations. An unusually high number of students walked up to us on seeing our placards, they shared how price rises of everything from rents, library fees to monthly mess charges have hit them hard.
We campaign every week to raise awareness about these issues in society, share our ideas with people and appeal to them to join us. Do join the campaigns!
This month there were two talks in colleges, one each on gender equality and climate change, as well as a film screening and discussion on the freedom struggle. |
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Activities by Lokayat Nagari Samiti |
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| | As part of our campaign for a universal and improved Public Distribution System (PDS), the Nagari Samiti organised two campaigns in the Peth areas of Pune on the true causes of the ongoing inflation crisis.
Along with locals from Nana Peth, our team held a series of successful follow up meetings with the District Food Security Officer to start rations of 17 families. This effort was quite significant as the lower level officials were not cooperating with the residents earlier.
For our own volunteers, we held a screening and discussion of the documentary “Bombay Hamara Shahar” which talks about the struggle of the slum dwelling working class of the cities. |
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| | Abhivyakti, our women’s wing, organises regular intellectual and physical activities for girls and women living in the vastis, with the aim of increasing their self confidence. This month, we organised two such activities -
A session of cooperative-games for women activists at Tadiwala road. These games reward not competition but collective action and solidarity. A session of various exercises and sports for girls from the Wadarwadi vasti. |
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| Workshop on Understanding Masculinity | Patriarchy crushes the humanity of women on the one hand, but also distorts the personality of men. Just as a “woman is made, not born”, so is a man 'made, not born'. We ensure that both our male and female activists are made conscious and sensitive of this. For this purpose, we organised a workshop on this issue for newly active activists. |
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Lokayat Stands in Solidarity with Unorganised Sector Workers and Contract Workers |
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| | Lokayat works closely with some unions of unorganised sector workers, with a view to strengthening their organisation, cadre and outreach activities.
Rashtriya Mazdoor Sangh (RMS) is an umbrella union of numerous unorganised sector workers. An important part of the RMS is contract workers of the Pune Municipal Corporation. Security guards, garbage disposal depot workers, garbage-truck drivers, domestic workers, hospital staff, cremation ground workers, sweepers, garden security, sewage treatment plant workers – all these workers are vital to running the city. But in keeping with the prevailing neo-liberal economic policy, all of their jobs are on contract. Not only do they get low wages, they also suffer frequent delays in salary payments and perpetual job-insecurity. Most of them have rendered exemplary service during the COVID-19 pandemic and have worked long hours overtime, but their work has not been compensated.
Demanding a solution to all these grievances and also a festive-season bonus at par with permanent employees, the workers of RMS organised a sit-in protest outside the PMC headquarters on the 30th of September. Around a thousand workers participated in it, and our activists also joined in solidarity. This protest was a one day protest, a warning of a much larger protest in the coming months.
In the run-up to these protests, our activists participated, along with union leaders, in organising dozens of meetings in various wards of the city. They visited workers at their place of work and held short meetings, helping mobilise the strength of the union. |
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|  | व्याख्यान: "अपरिचित महात्मा गांधी"
- डॉ. निशिकांत कोलगे |
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 | कोळी आणि माशी । ऑडिओबुक
- कामगार चळवळीचे जगप्रसिद्ध हँडबुक |
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| 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. |
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| 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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| | | Fill this form to join us: |
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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 |
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