LUCKNOW: The People's Democratic Front (PDF) and the Indian Justice Party (IJP) have formed a separate alliance without the Jan Morcha for strengthening the Dalit-Muslim movement in Uttar Pradesh.

The thrust of the new political formation is to secure justice and rights for the Dalits and Muslims in every sphere of the socio-political spectrum. Both the PDF and the IJP claimed that it would lead to a fresh polarisation of political forces in the State.

The Indian Justice Party and the PDF were allies of the Jan Morcha of former Prime Minister V. P. Singh, who had also launched a campaign against exploitation of the poor, the farmers and other deprived sections of the population.

IJP president Udit Raj and PDF general secretary Nehaluddin told reporters that the Dalit-Muslim movement would not have been possible under the umbrella of the Jan Morcha alliance. Which is why it was decided to form a separate alliance to work for a common goal, they stated.

Divergent views

Mr. Raj said Mr. Singh was spearheading a farmers' movement of over a dozen organisations that had divergent views on several issues of crucial importance. However, the Justice Party president hastened to add that he was very much with the Jan Morcha alliance, which in his opinion was a secular organisation.

Mr. Raj said the Jan Morcha alliance would be strengthened by the PDF-IJP understanding.

He said the action plan of the new alliance would be initiated in the State from September 20.

Relating to the separate concerns of the Dalits, Mr. Raj said the underprivileged were being deprived of their land in the rural areas and in the present regime, the Dalits have been given insignificant postings in Government service. He said though the lot of the Dalits had improved due to reservation, their representation in the fields of media, art and culture, industry, finance and modern education was negligible.

He demanded reservation for the Dalits in the private sector. He said Dalit-Muslim unity would weaken the communal forces.

Population ratio

Mr. Nehaluddin said the Dalits and the Muslims constituted 45 per cent of the population and it was high time they were given their share in the political pie in accordance with the ratio of their population. The PDF general secretary said the representation of the Muslims in Parliament and State Assemblies was declining. The PDF-IJP alliance would restore the balance in socio-political life, he added.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail