Unite India, Save Constitution yatra seeks legal ban on cop firing on nonviolent protests

By A Representative
A Unite India, Save Constitution yatra, which was not allowed to commence from Delhi on January 30 by the police despite having necessary permissions, continued normally after it crossed Rajasthan border after it passed through Gurgaon. While in Rewari in Haryana, BJP workers protested against the yatra, on reaching Rajasthan, it was able to conduct programmes in Kotputli, Shuklawas and Chandwaji, before reaching Jaipur.
After conducting public assemblies at Jaipur's Albert Hall, Kumaranand Hall and Shaheed Smaarak, where people were told about adverse impact of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR), the yatra reached Udaipur, where it addressed media.
To proceed to Madhya Pradesh via Dungarpur and Baswada, apart from making people aware of CAA-NRC-NPR, yatra leaders told people how the government was failing to create jobs in the rural areas, even as undermining the premiere rural guarantee scheme. Mahatma Gandhi National Employee Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Socialist leader Dr Sunilam, a yatra leader, told newspersons in Udaipur that the yatra was meant to observe 85 years of socialist movement. Those participating in the yatra include representatives of the Samajwadi Samagam, Rastra Seva Dal, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, National Association of People's Movements, Socialist Organizations, Yusuf Meher Ali Center and the Samajwadi Vichar Yatra.
The aim of the yatra, said a communique by its organisers, is to restore the values of the socialist movement of India, establish constitutional values and counter anti-constitutional measures like CAA-NRC and NPR, privatization of public sector, rising unemployment, rising inequality, mob lynching, conspiracy to destroy crores of tribals, increasing crimes on Dalits, women and minorities, and so on.
Dr Sunilam said, the 2020 budget presented by the Finance Minister was anti-people and favourable to corporates. Instead of allocating 65 percent of the budget for the 65 percent of the population living in rural India, the budget allocation for farmers was not even 2 percent of the total, he added.

65 percent of the population lives in rural India, but budget allocation for farmers is not even 2 percent of the total

Criticizing privatization of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) as it "will destroy the insurance industry", Dr Sunilam said, the country does not need trains like Tejas, rather the government needs to improve the conditions of existing trains and the quality of services and security offered to passengers.
He added, sufficient funds have not been apportioned for farmer debt-relief and Minimum Support Price (MSP). A co-convenor of the yatra, he said that the budget has made no provisions of unemployment grants for the 15 crore jobless people of India and that the government has completely failed in its promise to provide 100 day employment under MGNREGS.
Saying that the reduction of 9,500 crore in MGNREGS budget is against the interests of the unemployed, Dr Sunilam asserted that the allocation should have been at least 1 lakh crore. He added, even after having 14 different kinds of government-approved identity cards, the proposal of a 15th card through the new law, costing coffers Rs 70,000 crore, is a wastage of taxpayer’s resources.
Those leading the yatra included Doctor Javed of the Samajwadi Vichaar Yatra, Bal Bhai from Rajasthan, Rohan Gupta from Jharkhand, PJ Josey from Kerala, Lokesh Bhiwani from Haryana and Ganesh Gondare from Maharashtra.

The yatra put forward several demands from the Government of India, including cancellation CAA, NRC and NPR; legal restrictions on police firing on non-violent movements; prohibition of privatization of public sector units, education and health services; include the right to employment in fundamental rights; debt relief to farmers; and so on.

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Civil society flags widespread violations of land acquisition Act before Parliamentary panel

By Jag Jivan Civil society organisations and stakeholders from across India have presented stark evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj , alleging systemic violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 , particularly in Scheduled Areas and tribal regions.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Dr. Ram Bux Singh: Biogas pioneer’s legacy gains urgency amid energy crisis

By A Representative In an era defined by a global energy crisis and a desperate search for sustainable solutions, the visionary work of an Indian scientist from the mid-20th century is finding renewed, urgent relevance. Dr. Ram Bux Singh , a pioneering figure in biogas and renewable energy , is being posthumously honored by the Government of India, even as his decades-old innovations provide a blueprint for today’s challenges.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Protesters in UK cities voice concerns over alleged developments in Bastar region

By A Representative Demonstrations were held across several cities in the United Kingdom on March 28, as groups and activists gathered to protest what they described as state actions in India under the reported “Operation Kagar.”

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Search This Blog