The Hindu : Medha Patkar not to contest `as of now'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

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National

Medha Patkar not to contest `as of now'

By Gargi Parsai

The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader, Medha Patkar, addressing presspersons in New Delhi on Monday. — Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

NEW DELHI, MARCH 22. The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader, Medha Patkar, today announced here that ``as of now'' she had decided not to contest the elections but ``stay out'' and strengthen the hands of Magsaysay award winner, Aruna Roy, and the veteran Gandhian, Siddharaj Dhadha, in their joint struggle against ``communal, corrupt and corporatised'' forces.

Presenting an outline of the manifesto of their newly-formed party — the People's Political Front — they said that those involved in people's struggles had got together to challenge the ``communal, fascist politics'' that had come to occupy the political space.

The PPF announced the candidature of Jnanpeeth award winner and eminent Kannada writer, U.R. Ananthamurthy, from Bangalore and declared its support to the tribal leader, C.K. Janu from Idukki, Kerala, Sunil from Hohangabad, Shamim Behan from Betul. It also supported the candidature of Lingarajbhai from Bargarh, Orissa and Digambar, a sitting zila parishad dalit adivasi from Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district in Orissa. The rest of the candidates would be announced in due course.

The front said that it was supporting candidates emerging from people's movements and those close to localised people's movements. ``The winning candidates would extend support to secular parties who take up people's issues in Parliament or State Assemblies,'' said Ms. Roy who leads the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan in Rajasthan and is the convener of the National Alliance of People's Movements, which has formed the Front.

Disabled rights activist, Javed Abidi, who is contesting as an independent in New Delhi constituency, may also get the PPF support. ``We want to usher [in] alternate politics which is value-based, reflects genuine concerns of the electorate and in which the process of contesting elections is just as important,'' she said adding that non-party people's formations had understood the importance of electoral politics and consequence governance.

``Corrupt governance has led to the shaping of national policies detrimental to people's concerns and for the arbitrary use of power for the benefit of vested interest groups and the power elite.''

``If this anti-democracy, anti-poor, anti-people, communal politics continues, no space would be left for people's movements and people's issues. We are challenging the kind of politics that privatises sources of oil, water and energy and seeks funds from those very business houses to contest elections. Ours will be the beginning of a larger ``desh banao'' process for the participation of those who have been marginalised,'' said Ms. Patkar.

She said the Front would not form alliances with any party so that secular votes did not get fragmentised. It would be ``practical'' in giving and taking the support of secular parties. ``Yet this would not take away our right to question them and seek answers from them on people's issues of livelihood, employment, poverty, forest rights, food and right to information,'' she asserted.

The PPF manifesto, focusses on the right of the people to natural resources, adivasi self-rule, right to work and guaranteed employment, a labour policy to cover the unorganised sector and the literate unemployed youth and needs of women, fish workers, farmers, agricultural workers and crafts people.

It seeks transparency and accountability in governance to eliminate corruption and commits itself to social action against untouchability, gender inequality and religious discrimination.

The manifesto will be released in Mumbai tomorrow. The Front will undertake an ``abhiyan'' in Maharashtra to inform the people about its manifesto. ``I will not call it a yatra,'' Ms. Patkar said.

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