All India Conference on Rights charts course for defence and realisation of rights of all Indians
The All India Conference on Rights organised by Lok Raj Sangathan, successfully conducted its deliberations on Feb 23 and 24 in New Delhi. The atmosphere at the venue of the Conference, the Indian Social Institute was warm and lively. Everyone listened with rapt attention as representatives of different people's movements shared their experience with the participants. There was a feeling amongst us that something new, something very positive, was beginning to take shape, and they were participating in the creation of this new.
Eminent retired jurists and human rights activists like Justice VR Krishna Iyer, Justice RS Narula and Justice Ajit Singh, parliamentarians Kuldeep Nayyar and A.K. Roy, journalists, leaders of the peasant movement in Punjab, leaders of the working class from Chattisgarh, Kanpur, Tamilnadu and Delhi, student and youth activists, leaders of the tribal peoples movements in Madhya Pradesh, thinkers and leaders of the dalit movement, writers and poets, and political and social activists and professors from the different Universities, architects, lawyers, and retired civil servants were among those who vigorously participated in the Conference proceedings. During these two days, over 350 people discussed important issues concerning: the right to conscience; political and civil liberties; rights of workers, peasants, women and youth; Dalit and minority rights; national and tribal rights and issues concerning globalisation and rights of countries. The participants who had come from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, North East, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi clearly felt that this All India Conference on Rights was an advance for the rights movement in India.
The Conference was declared open by Shri TS. Sankaran, President of the Lok Raj Sangathan. In his brief but penetrative opening remarks, Shri Sankaran pointed out that Lok Raj Sangathan was engaged in the work for the thoroughgoing democratic renewal of India ever since it was founded as the Committee for People's Empowerment in 1993. Referring to the decision of the Lok Raj Sangathan taken in September 2001 to organise an All India Conference on the Indian peoples experience with the working of the Constitution, he pointed out that the All India Conference on Rights was a major initiative in this direction. The issue of rights and the issue of having enabling mechanisms for the exercise of these rights are at the heart of any Constitution. It is not a matter of academic discussion but at the heart of the ongoing struggle in India and the world scale. He called upon the participants to vigorously contribute to the development of a unified vision of rights-both rights of individuals and rights of collectives. Shri TS Sankaran then called upon Justice VR Krishna Iyer to make the inaugural address.
The Honorary Chairperson of Lok Raj Sangathan, Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, delivered an important address to the Conference setting the stage for its deliberations. In his thought provoking speech, he brought out the character of the present period as one both pregnant with opportunities and full of great dangers for the peoples. He pointed out that anti-terrorist laws like POTO in India and the Patriots Act in the USA were aimed at suppressing growing opposition to the WTO and the globalisation agenda of the most powerful imperialist and reactionary forces. The biggest assault on rights had been unleashed by these forces and measures were being unleashed to crush the revolt of the peoples.
The Keynote address delivered by the Convenor of Lok Raj Sangathan, Prakash Rao exposed the so - called justifications advanced by the powers that be for the violation of individual and collective rights. It exhorted the India's people - her workers, peasants, women and youth - to fulfil their duty to become the real masters of this land and shape its economic and political destiny in accordance with the interests of the peoples and the future generations.
The Session on the Right to Conscience and political liberties was addressed by Shri Kuldeep Nayyar, diplomat and journalist as well as Member of Parliament of the Rajya Sabha, Human Rights activist Justice Ajit Singh Bains, veteran Ghadari and Desh Bhagat Yaadgaar Committee member Comrade Chain Singh Chain, Journalist Shivanand Kanavi, Delhi University Teachers Union Executive member Ms. Tripta Wahi and Comrade Jasvir Singh of the Communist Ghadar Party of India presented papers in this session.
The Session on collective rights of workers, peasants, women, youth and other collectives was initiated by Justice Ajit Singh Bains and Professor Manoranjan Mohanty. Vinayak Sen of the Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha and Chattisgarh Human Rights Organisation addressed the conference on the important question of lack of food security. S. Raghavan presented a paper on workers rights. Sucharita presented a paper on rights of peasantry. Sanjeevani presented a paper on women's rights. AV Kabilan from Tamilnadu presented a paper on students rights. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Punjab) President Ajmer Singh Lakhowal presented a paper on the struggle and rights of peasantry. Mona Sur, leader of workers of Kanpur, BB Taware from Pune, Bijju Nayak of the Hind Naujawan Ekta Sabha, Govind Yadav of the Modern Food Industries Employees Union and Mangal Singh from Haryana were others who elaborated on different themes. Dr. K. Shanmugha Velayuthan from Tamilnadu elaborated on Child Rights. AV Subramaniam of Tamilnadu spoke of the plight of manual workers and VK Muthiah spoke on the ongoing struggle of construction workers in that state. Anand Kumar of the Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat spoke about the lack of any rights of construction workers in India and called for a worker peasant alliance. Belson from Ambedkar Law College, Chennai spoke on rights of dalit students against state terrorism.
Vigorous discussion ensued on the two resolutions on individual and collective rights that were tabled. Valuable suggestions were made. The points of differences were highlighted as areas in which discussion should continue after the Conference. These related to the question of role of technology, mechanisation and hybrid seeds in agriculture.
The session on Dalit and Minority rights was initiated by Dr. L Pardesi Singh of the COHR, Manipur. Dr. Prakash Louis, Director of the Indian Social Institute, and scholar and activist on dalit rights, highlighted the problems of dalits and minorities and the areas of struggle. Ms. Vrinda Grover, lawyer and rights activist, spoke about the lack of enabling mechanisms in punishing the guilty responsible for communal massacres. PS Krishnan, former SC/ST Commissioner, spoke on dalit rights. Kamala Sankaran of Delhi University spoke on dalit rights while Pravin spoke on the pressure on religious minorities to declare themselves as "liberal" and opposed to fundamentalism. Prof. Iqbal Ansari of the Minorities Council outlined citizens initiatives and the role of the state in addressing conflict situations. Writer Anil Awachat from Pune spoke about the plight of dalits in his state. Prof. Jean Dreze spoke on the problem of hunger.
The Session on National and Tribal Rights was initiated by journalist Siddharth Vardarajan. Rights activist Gautam Navlakha spoke on the alienation of Kashmir. Justice Ajit Singh Bains spoke about the existence in India of various nations, nationalities and tribes. Dr. Pardesi Singh spoke about Manipur and the North East. Uma Seth presented a paper on the nationalquestion. Chittarupa Palit, activist of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, spoke about the movement and the efforts of the Madhya Pradesh government to coopt the tribal peoples and dalits and divert them from fighting for their rights. Vijay of the Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha of Madhya Pradesh related experiences on the struggle to preserve traditional lands. Nandini Sundar spoke about rights of tribals. Mataji spoke about the life of slum dwellers in urban areas.
The final session on rights of countries and globalisation was initiated by Shivanand Kanavi. Kuldeep Nayyar made a hard hitting presentation against globalisation and the WTO. Prof. BS Chimni of the School of International Studies of the Jawaharlal Nehru University spoke about the attack on human rights through the WTO. Ms. Razia Ismail Abassi of the Women's Coalition pointed out the need for new initiatives from the peoples movements to assert rights. Siddharth Vardarajan spoke against the new world order initiated by the US and called for initiatives to establish peace and goodwill in South Asia and the expulsion of foreign forces from the region.
The discussions concluded with serious deliberations on resolutions on dalit and minority rights, National and tribal rights as well as the rights of countries and globalisation. Valuable suggestions from the participants were incorporated and it was decided to circulate the resolutions for further discussion as part of the struggle to develop an Indian vision of rights. An important resolution was moved by architect KT Ravindran bringing out the role of the government in the violation of rights. Amendments were moved by Chittaroopa Palit, Vinayak Sen, Nandini Sundar, Prof. Manjeet Singh Kedia, Ms. Geetha, leader of Construction workers, and others.
Messages of greetings and papers received from the Association of Indian Progressive Study Groups in New York, Broad Alliance(Australia) and the Indian Workers' Association(Great Britain), which were read out. The Conference received numerous other papers as well as greetings from all over the country touching on different aspects of rights, from people who could not attend, including from N. Sanajaoba, Dean of Law, University of Guwahati, Justice SM Daud and Justice H. Suresh from Mumbai, Dr. Anant from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Jamal Ansari from Aligarh Muslim University, Sheela Rai from Bangalore.
The Conference concluded with T S Sankaran, President of Lok Raj Sangathan, summing up the deliberations. He said that Lok Raj Sangathan was greatly inspired by the serious contributions of so many activists from different walks of life who had played a wonderful role in making the Conference an important milestone in the struggle for the definition and affirmation of rights on a modern basis. We must continue our common endeavour to make the workers, peasants, women and youth of India the real masters of this country.