Skip to main content

Influential NGOs on Congress Lok Sabha flopshow: It was defeat of progressives to provide alternative

By A Representative
Several well-known people’s organizations, which had campaigned heavily against the previous UPA government, have declared that the results of the 2014 general elections are “not only a defeat of the Congress”, but also “a defeat of various progressive forces which were unable to provide any coherent alternative.” Pointing towards the need to “learn from the experiences during the UPA regime”, a note prepared by them says, “In the last few years, we were often preoccupied with specific issues and demands, while there was less emphasis on working together for broader socio-political goals.”
Prepared by Right to Food Campaign, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Rashtriya Mazdoor Adhikar Morcha and Pension Parishad, note says, “Some of the broad alliances formed in the early 2000s tended to become preoccupied with sectoral concerns, our language was more focused on ‘demands’ and less on socio-political assertion and challenge to the system.” It adds, “In this sense, we had not put in adequate efforts for broader united action. However, now the situation would induce us to work together” by collectively providing “a broader popular ideological counter to right-wing forces” led by the BJP.
Pointing towards what has changed, the note says, there is a “shift from social-liberalism or neoliberalism with a Nehruvian heart to majoritarian neoliberalism or neoliberalism with a Hindutva heart.” Granted that under the UPA government, economic neoliberal policies were being implemented, the note underlines, “But these were combined with some social programmes and entitlements to maintain wider legitimacy of the system.”
“However”, the note particularly stresses, “under the Narendra Modi-led government, we are seeing emergence of aggressive neoliberal policies combined with a majoritarian agenda based on Hindutva, which would divide and divert people from negative consequences of economic policies.” But now “the scope for expanding social entitlements by the government appears to be getting restricted.”
Earlier there was “positive space that some activists had for ‘advising’ the government on designing and implementing social programmes and entitlements”, but this has also “now closed down.” In fact, “due to the imperatives of aggressive ‘growth’, attacks on people’s rights to natural resources (land, forests, water etc.) and on labour rights are now likely to accelerate”, the note points out.
The note further says, “In the new dispensation, the space for protest and dissent, especially by various sections of working people is now under serious threat, which we definitely need to address. Very specific targeting of community organizations, NGOs, and social movements challenging corporate resource grab in the name of foreign funding and branding them as threat to economic security through the leaked IB report is just one of the first steps in a larger game-plan to silence all types of ‘inconvenient’ dissent.”
Insisting on the need to counter this development, the note says, the next national meeting would be held in Delhi on September 26-27, 2014, where the NGOs would “take stock of processes in various states and plan more concretely for the national mobilisation in early December.” Following this, a major national protest programme would be organised on December 2-3, 2014 in Delhi, “where upwards of 10,000 people would be mobilized collectively by various constituent organisations and campaign networks.”
While NAPM is led by Narmada Bachao Andolan's well-known activist Medha Patkar, those who prepared the note were senior activists Abhay Shukla, Anjali Bharadwaj, Anuradha Talwar, Arundhati Dhuru, Ganga Bhai, Gautam Modi, Kamayani Swami, Kavita Srivastava, Madhuresh, Mukesh Goswami, Neeta Hardikar, Nikhil Dey, Rajesh, Rohit, Rupesh, Shankar Singh and Vandana Prasad. They based their note on a meeting of the NGOs held in Delhi on August 5.
---
For full text of the note, click HERE

Comments

Drafting committee for ‘movement convergence’ Members of the drafting group – Abhay Shukla, Anjali Bharadwaj, Anuradha Talwar, Arundhati Dhuru, Ganga Bhai, Gautam Modi, kamayani Swami, Kavita Srivastav, Madhuresh, Mukesh Goswami, Neeta Hardikar, Nikhil Dey, Rajesh, Rohit, Rupesh, Shankar Singh and Vandana Prasad said…
We are writing this mail in context of a news item posted on your website counterview.net – “Top NGOs which had opposed Congress now say it was a mistake, pledge for broader socio-political alliance”. (www.counterview.net/2014/08/top-ngos-which-had-opposed-congress-now.html)
As members of the drafting committee of the note which is quoted in this news, we would like to clarify that firstly, this note was intended only for circulation among various social organisations being involved in the proposed convergence, and was not drafted as a public statement to be covered by the media. The note is reflection of work in progress and is by no means a final statement. Secondly, we feel that the note has been quoted in a somewhat selective form in this posting, and the wording of the heading does not correspond with any section in the note. Overall we feel that this posting does not reflect accurately the content of the note.
In this situation, we request you to remove this posting from your website, or at least publish this note and the full text of the document prepared by the drafting committee on your website, to avoid any misinterpretation of our views by readers. (Please find attached the full text of the document with this mail).
We appreciate your intent in posting this news, and would be happy to share with you in future any news items and information that is intended for public circulation.


Rajiv Shah said…
Necessary changes have been made. Also, a link has been provided for the complete note.

TRENDING

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

Workers' groups condemn Gujarat Ordinance increasing working hours, warn of statewide agitation

By A Representative   At a consultation organised today by the Asangathit Shramik Hit Rakshak Manch at Circuit House in Ahmedabad, leaders of major trade unions and labour rights organisations strongly opposed the Gujarat government’s recent ordinance amending the Factories Act and the draft rules notified under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code, 2020. Around 50 representatives from central trade unions, independent unions, and labour welfare organisations participated in the meeting.

Deaths in Chhattisgarh are not just numbers – they mark a deeper democratic crisis

By Sunil Kumar  For a while, I had withdrawn into a quieter life, seeking solace in nature. But the rising tide of state-sponsored violence and recurring conflict across India has compelled deeper reflection. The recent incidents of killings in central India—particularly in Chhattisgarh—are not isolated acts. They point to a larger and ongoing crisis that concerns the health of democracy and the treatment of marginalised communities.

'Bengali Muslim migrant workers face crackdown in Gurgaon': Academic raises alarm

By A Representative   Political analyst and retired Delhi University professor Shamsul Islam has raised serious concerns over the ongoing targeting and detention of Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal in Gurgaon, Haryana. In a public statement, Islam described the situation as "brutal repression" and accused law enforcement agencies of detaining migrants arbitrarily under the pretext of verifying their citizenship.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

The myth of population decline: India’s real challenge is density, not fertility

By N.S. Venkataraman*   India’s population in 2025 stands at approximately 1.4 billion. In 1950, it was 359 million, rising sharply to 1.05 billion by 2000. The population continues to grow and is projected to reach around 1.7 billion by 2050.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

A matter of deep concern: The silent struggles of India's visually impaired women

By N.S. Venkataraman  Visual impairment is one of the most severe forms of physical disability that afflicts humanity, and its impact is even more acute when it affects women. The burden becomes overwhelming when visually impaired women also belong to economically weaker sections of society, with little or no financial or institutional support. Their struggle for dignity, survival, and identity is often invisible—hidden in plain sight across cities and rural corners alike. And yet, these women form a large, neglected segment of society not just in India, but around the world. In India, governmental assistance to visually impaired persons exists but remains minimal. While policies are framed with good intent, they often fall short in implementation. More importantly, no real distinction is made between the unique challenges faced by visually impaired men and women. This gender-blind approach to disability support overlooks the compounded social vulnerabilities that women face due to...