1. Having deliberated the Political and Organisational Report presented at the 5th All India Convention
We, the participants at this Convention, approve the report.
And call for the continued building and strengthening of Lok Raj Sangathan as the decisive factor in ensuring that the people of India are politically empowered.
And direct the All India Council elected at this Convention:
- To take all measures to build and strengthen Regional and local councils of LRS in as many regions of the country as possible.
- to take all measures to carry out mass membership campaign of the LRS everywhere, amongst all sections of the people, particularly among workers, peasants, women, youth, the adivasis, the small proprietors, and all the oppressed and exploited.
- to take all measures to ensure the building of Lok Raj Samitis in places of work and places of residence, which are elected by the Lok Raj Sabhas comprising all LRS members in the particular place of work or residence, as bodies which organize the people to become decision makers.
- to take all measures to develop a wide ranging discussion on the institutions through which the people are kept marginalized from decision making, and to build institutions that would serve Lok Raj, or the rule of the people.
2. Having observed that June 6 marked the 25th anniversary of Operation Blue star, the armed assault on the sacred Shrine of Golden Temple in Amritsar, in which over 4000 people were killed, according to the white paper released by the government.
And that November 1 marked the 25th anniversary of the state organized massacre of Sikhs, in which thousands of people of Sikh faith – men, women and children — were burnt alive by mobs directed by leaders of the Congress Party with the support of the police.
And that following those terrible events, for a decade and more tens of thousands of youth were killed in Punjab as “militants”, “terrorists” etc, in fake encounters.
And that many peoples tribunals have clearly pointed out the culpability of the highest leaders of the Congress party, the government, and the administrative machinery in these massacres.
And that while LRS has consistently been in the forefront of the campaign to ensure that the guilty are punished, no one has yet been punished.
We resolve that the struggle to ensure adequate compensation for the victims and to punish the guilty shall continue.
3. Having observed that in Manipur, Kashmir and other places, numerous incidents have taken place in which ordinary people have been shot dead in fake encounters, raped and murdered by the armed forces under the excuse they were terrorists.
And that despite public protests and demands, no action has been taken, either to punish the guilty, or to dismantle the armed forces Special Powers Act and withdraw the armed forces to the barracks.
We resolve that the struggle for repeal of AFSPA, the withdrawal of Armed Forces into barracks, and the punishment of army and paramilitary forces involved in crimes against humanity shall continue without letup.
4. Having noted with great concern that the Union Home Ministry has prepared grounds to launch a massive military operation, in coordination with the armed forces, against the tribal peoples in Chattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bengal.
And that many voices of protest have been raised from different quarters against this.
And that the tribal people are already the victims of savage exploitation by the corporate-contractor nexus.
And that while the government talks non stop about its concern that tribals are deprived of fruits of development, it cannot be ignored that the main concern of the government is to clear the lands of the adivasis, and their resistance, for the benefit of plunder by the Tatas, ESSAR, Vedanta and a host of multinational companies for giant projects to extract the rich mineral resources of the region.
We condemn the use of force by the state to address political, economic and social problems.
5. We demand an end to acquisition of land by the central and state governments for private parties and call for the repeal of the SEZ Act, and the Land Acquisition Act under which peasants can be forcibly deprived of their lands under this or that pretext of “greater good”.
We call on the All India Council to develop a National Plan and Program to ensure that all land use decisions are made collectively and democratically by all affected people and stakeholders.
6. Having noted with concern that the government is preparing to sign the FTA with ASEAN countries which will have a disastrous effect on the livelihood of people in India, particularly in the southern states of Kerala and Tamilnadu.
And having observed that the government is doing this willfully ignoring the concerns by the state governments of these two states, as well as the people who have been protesting.
We resolve to support the struggle of the people against the adverse clauses in the FTA with ASEAN.
7. Having noted that the crisis in Pakistan is deepening, and the US is increasing its military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
And that the Indian government is also being drawn into the intervention in Afghanistan.
And that the interests of peace and progress for all the peoples of South Asia, lie in developing good neighbourly relations and in jointly opposing the interference of all outside powers.
We resolve that the LRS will continue to organize against war preparations and military interventions and work for mutual cooperation amongst countries and peoples of South Asia to ensure peace in the region.
8. We resolve that LRS will assist in organizing workers, peasants, women, youth and all the oppressed and exploited around their rights and interests, including the right to become decision makers.
9. Having noted that March 8, 2010 will be the Centenary of the declaration of International Women’s Day.
We call upon the AIC to take steps to commemorate this event in a befitting manner.
10. We condemn the huge and tragic loss of life, devastation of property and livelihood and environmental destruction caused by the fire that broke out at the Sitapura terminal of the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOC) in Jaipur on October 29.
Questions have been raised by the workers of IOC as to whether the leakage was accidental or engineered to cover up for the deliberate illegal siphoning off of petrol by various IOC officials. It has also been reported that appropriate steps were not taken to prevent the spreading of the fire and that the IOC terminal had not been checked by the Rajasthan Pollution Control Board for pollution and environmental safety standards.
In the light of this, Lok Raj Sangathan demands a people’s inquiry into the incident and immediate, stringent punishment of all those responsible for causing this massive loss of lives and property and damage to the environment. LRS, together with other organizations of the people, will continue to agitate for this, until the truth is revealed before the people and the guilty are punished.
