An all India convention of mass, class and social movements was held on 18 September at Mavalankar Hall, New Delhi to launch the Jan Ekta Jan Adhikar Andolan. The various movements and organizations came together to intensify the struggle against price rise, unemployment, attacks on people’s rights and on democracy and diversity by the Modi Government. The Convention gave a call for People’s Unity, People’s Rights, People’s Resistance- Jan Ekta, Jan Adhikar, Jan Pratirodh.
A presidium comprising of Hannan Mollah(AIKS), Amarjeet Kaur(AITUC), K Hemalata (CITU) Atul Kumar Anjan(AIKS Ajoy Bhawan) A Vjijaya Raghavan (AIAWU) Rajeev Dimri (AICCTU), R K Sharma (UTUC), Manoj Bhattacharya (RSP), Anil Choudhury(INSAF), Shankar(MSM), Marium Dhawale(AIDWA) Annie Raja( NFIW), Kavita Krishnan (AIPWA), Vikram Singh(SFI), Gautam Modi (NTUI), K Madhuresh Kumar (NAPM), Roma Malik (AIFWPU) and P Krishnaprasad (AIKS) conducted the proceedings.
Activists from a range of mass organizations addressed the gathering. A resolution was adopted, expressing concern at the ongoing assaults on people’s rights, the growing climate of hatred and divisiveness, and the attacks on dissenting voices. The resolution called upon all left, democratic, secular, rational, progressive and broad minded people to come together to reclaim our country and our democracy; and unite to fight back these fascistic, authoritarian and autocratic elements and the divisive ideology that guides them. It was resolved to hold similar conventions in state capitals and district headquarters to propagate the issues and united actions and to organise united people’s ‘Jan Ekta Mashal’ (People’s Unity Torch) processions with torchlights/candles on 30 October, 2017 in districts across the country.
Along with raising a range of demands related to food security, workers’ and peasants’ rights, women’s rights and freedoms, and rights to education and employment, the Convention called for a stop to plans to deport Rohingya refugees who are fleeing genocide in
Myanmar. The charter of struggle also demanded the enactment of a Prevention of Communal Violence Bill and scrapping of draconian laws like the sedition law and AFSPA. The convention expressed support and solidarity to the ongoing struggles by the joint platform of central trade unions- the three day’s continuous mass dharna on 9,10,11 November 2017 before Parliament and the struggles by the joint platform of peasant organizations- the march to parliament on 20 November 2017.
Activists of mass, class and social organizations representing workers, peasants, agricultural workers, students, youth, women, employees, tribals, dalits, minorities, other socially oppressed sections, writers, cultural groups, intellectuals, as well as secular progressive individuals from all the states attended in the convention.
