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print versionNAPM hails AAP’s landslide victory
Expects greater, sustained dialogue with ‘aam’ people’s issues, movements and priorities over next 5 years
Waves of humanism and not hooliganism must define political landscape and social life of diverse India
11th February 2015, New Delhi: The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) congratulates Aam Aadmi Party for its over whelming performance in the Delhi elections. We also applaud the people of Delhi for this unequivocal mandate, sweeping away corrupt and communal elements. The Delhi vote is a negation of the multiple vices that mainstream parties represent a vindication of the need to prioritize pro-people agenda. It is therefore, a significant moment for Indian democracy.
We appreciate the commitment and creativity of AAP with the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia, and other founders and members, as well as that of its large volunteer-base, who came from the length and breadth of the country and made honest efforts to democratize the mainstream electoral process, bring back people’s agenda and cleanse politics of communal, corrupt, criminal, consumerist and crony capitalist elements. The infectious energy levels of all the campaigners was indeed felt by every aam aadmi and aam aurat, not just in Delhi but in the nook and corner of the country.
This result is a wake-up alarm to the BJP, Congress and other mainstream parties that have written off honest, common people from electoral spaces, stinking with money and muscle power, and has compelled them to introspect their politics and policies. Delhi has shown the way and given a befitting reply to the political arrogance, skewed priorities and destructive policies of the BJP in the last 8 months, which have neglected the lakhs of poor, dalits, adivasis, minorities, farmers, workers, fisher-people, small traders, hawkers, women and other genders in favour of large corporations and communal politics. Hindutva-corporate-individual centric rule must come to an end in Delhi, so in India.
As we congratulate the party and all supporters & citizens, we also hope that AAP will fully live up to the trust reposed in them by the lakhs of people and social-political rights groups that have welcomed this democratic revolution. AAP should fulfil its promises of free water, subsidized electricity, excellent public transportation, better and free education, free health facilities, rations, pensions etc. and above all free housing for the working class, safety and dignity for women. However, the commitments of water and power, must not compromise on the vision of environmental and social justice. AAP’s Budget, we hope, will bring in equity against unjustifiable inequity, following constitutional values.
AAP will also need to go beyond its electoral promises and address other serious issues such as air pollution, sex-selective abortion, female work-force participation, exploitation of workers in the city of Delhi and farmers in the out-skirts. We also urge it to critically look into the various anti-people Ordinances passed by the BJP government and pass appropriate resolutions in the Assembly. Instead of trying to make the city of Delhi ‘world-class’, or ‘smart’, AAP should try to make the city people-class and ‘self-reliant’. i.e. livable with rights and dignity; prosperity and happiness for the common masses.
National Alliance of People’s Movements certainly feels emboldened by this victory. We will certainly stand by every right move and initiative of the party. At the same time, we will also continue to voice our concerns and critique, wherever and whenever necessary, in the wider political interest and to ensure that certain elements do not allow AAP (a hope of and for millions) to stray away from the path of pro-people politics. We sincerely hope it won’t. For its long journey on this path, the National Alliance of People’s Movements wishes AAP real good-luck. We eagerly look forward to a corruption-free, transparent governance for the next 5 years.
Prafulla Samantara - Lok Shakti Abhiyan & Lingraj Azad – Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti, NAPM, Odisha; Dr. Sunilam, Aradhna Bhargava - Kisan Sangharsh Samiti & Meera – Narmada Bachao Andolan, NAPM, MP; Arundhati Dhuru & Richa Singh –Sangtin Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, NAPM, UP; Medha Patkar - Narmada Bachao Andolan and the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM); Suniti SR, Suhas Kolhekar, Prasad Bagwe - NAPM, Maharashtra; Gabriele Dietrich, Geetha Ramakrishnan – Unorganised Sector Workers Federation, NAPM, TN; C R Neelkandan – NAPM Kerala; P Chennaiah &Ramakrishnan Raju – NAPM Andhra Pradesh, Arundhati Dhuru & Richa Singh –Sangtin Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, NAPM, UP; Sister Celia - Domestic Workers Union &Rukmini V P, Garment Labour Union, NAPM, Karnataka; Vimal Bhai - Matu Jan sangathan & Jabar Singh, NAPM, Uttarakhand; Anand Mazgaonkar, Krishnakant - Paryavaran Suraksh Samiti, NAPM Gujarat; Kamayani Swami, Ashish Ranjan – Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan & Mahendra Yadav – Kosi Navnirman Manch, NAPM Bihar; Faisal Khan, Khudai Khidmatgar, NAPM Haryana; Kailash Meena, NAPM Rajasthan; Amitava Mitra & Sujato Bhadra, NAPM West Bengal; B S Rawat – Jan Sangharsh Vahini &Rajendra Ravi, Madhuresh Kumar and Kanika Sharma – NAPM, Delhi
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National Alliance of People’s Movements
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