|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Social Democratic Party of India
announced
New political party to cater
needs of marginalized people including Muslims, Dalits, tribals, women & some
sections of BC
New Delhi, July 29 (Pervez Bari): A new party has emerged on the political
horizon of India which would cater to the needs of a large number of extremely
marginalized people including Muslims, Dalits, tribals, women and some
sections of the backward communities.
The announcement of the new political party christened as Social Democratic
Party of India, (SDPI), was made here on Wednesday at a Press conference held
at the Press Club of India by .its president E. Abubacker. He said that the
announcement of this national level political party is endorsement of the
Calicut Declaration and follow up of the National Political Conference held in
Calicut in February this year.
It was revealed that the new political party SDPI was formed in a meeting of
representatives from different states held in New Delhi on June 21st this
year. The meeting approved the constitution of the party and decided to
approach the Election Commission of India for registration. The application
for registration has been submitted to the Election Commission. The meeting
also constituted the National Working Committee consisting of 31 members from
different states to lead the party till the completion of party election as
per the clauses of the constitution.
The SDPI office-bearers include President: E. Abubacker, Vice president: Adv.
Sajid Siddiqui; General Secretaries: A. Sayeed & Muhammad Omar Khan;
Secretaries: C. R. Imtiaz, M. K. Faisy & Fauzia Kabeer; Treasurer Islamuddin
Qureshi. They along with party spokesman Prof. P. Koya, who is National
Working Committee member also, addressed a joint Press conference saying that
SDPI will not follow sectarian demands but focus on the identity, security and
equal rights for the underprivileged sections of the society.
Addressing the Press conference the ad hoc office-bearers of the party said
the party will focus on the objectives of the realization of a social order
and political system based on the ideals of justice, liberty, equality and
fraternity as enshrined in the Indian Constitution; Mobilization of the people
to enjoy civil rights through democratic struggles including elections;
Establishment of governance in the Union and the States, capable of fulfilling
equal rights to all citizens and all classes in India & Unity of all depressed
classes in a national political movement.
They said the party ideology is founded on the principles of Freedom from fear
and hunger; Eco-friendly and non-destructive development model; Security and
dignity of the marginalized classes; National integration, communal amity and
social harmony; Democratization of society and politics; Rule of law and human
rights; Welfare and progress of the weaker sections; Cultural identity of
tribals, dalits and minorities; Empowerment of minorities and backward castes
&Unity and solidarity among the depressed communities.
Replying to a question president E. Abubacker said:“SDPI is not in a hurry to
jump into electoral politics. We will see and study the political scenario and
do accordingly wherever the situation demands”.
Vice president of SDPI Adv. Sajid Siddiqui said the party will have a two-tier
membership system: Party Cadre and Party Member. The party structure consists
of a hierarchy of functional bodies from Branch Committees to National Working
Committee with committees at Panchayat/Municipality/City Corporation,
Constituency, District and State levels in between. The task of recruiting
Party Cadres and buildings party structure at various levels are in progress
in 16 states.
SDPI general secretary A. Sayeed informed that the State Working Committees
are expected to be constituted in many states before the National Delegates
Convention which is scheduled to be held on October 18th this year at New
Delhi to discuss future plans and to release the manifesto of the party. The
Central Office functions in New Delhi, he added.
Meanwhile, president of SDPI E. Abubacker stated that the basic principles of
the Indian Republic face grave threats from both inside and outside. In the
past two decades predatory capitalism has vandalized the country. New forces
have come out, but the feudal, upper caste ruling class still exercises great
control on the republic. The political camps led by the Congress and the BJP
have in fact become midwives to the birth of a new class unbridled in their
pursuit of capital accumulation.
The regional political parties also have often found it expedient to
co-operate with this new class. Left parties have turned right garnishing
their neo-liberal policies with leftist terminology. A modern India with
socio-political equality and economic justice transcending the religious,
linguistic and caste barriers still remain a distant dream, he added.
Spokesman Prof. Koya said in the contemporary political landscape, democracy
has become a game for the rich and the privileged. The republic is soon to
become an empty shell. Instead of inclusiveness exclusiveness is ruling the
roost. We still have a glass-curtain economy with teeming millions having
denied entry to the world of bare necessities. This new economy is killing
India’s farmers who are two thirds of Indian population. The sizzling growth
figures hide extreme marginalization of a large number of people including the
Muslims, the Dalits, the tribals, the women and some sections of the backward
communities. Denied access to the national kitty they rot on the margins of
the urban and rural habitats.
Since Independence Muslims have faced well planned and well executed riots in
which they have lost lives, limbs and property. The demolition of historic
Babri Masjid in 1992 and Gujarat genocide in 2002 were marked for official
patronage and mob terror. Muslims are severely underrepresented in all sectors
of community life. They have a disproportionately high representation when it
comes to being in prison. Most of the Muslim majority villages have no primary
schools. Their access to clean drinking water is very limited. Dalits do not
fare better. They are the new underdogs of the country. Every two hours a
Dalit is assaulted, every day three Dalit women raped, two Dalits murdered and
two Dalit homes are torched.
Human rights violations have become very common. Encounter killings and other
extra legal executions are glorified as efficient police work. India usually
comes to the top of the list of most corrupt countries. The rise of Hindutva
fascism has also left deep, bleeding wounds on Indian polity. RSS with
unadulterated fascist tendencies have used religious symbols and the identity
problems of the urban middleclass and professionals to vitiate the society and
system.
General secretary Omar Khan said still greater is the threat from neo-colonial
powers led by the United States. India’s withdrawal from anti-colonial
international forums and her rejection of ethical foreign policy positions
shows the strength of the current nexus between India and the US. India is
covert partner in US War on Terror which is nothing but war for control over
oil and natural gas. The country has become the crucial factor in the strategy
of the global imperialism.
The fragility of the new system demands a different political strategy in
which the Muslims have a very crucial role to play. Muslims hoped against hope
that the secular parties would help them. So it is time that they take their
fate into their own hands and painstakingly build up a secular political party
committed to the cause of achieving adequate representation and equal justice
to all classes of people in India. It should be an endeavour covering
different states and include all other marginalized classes who remain in the
outskirts of our society and polity. (pervezbari@eth.net)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
