REAL NEWS THAT INDIAN MEDIA DON'T DARE TO PUBLISH: Request to Partner with Jan Satyagrah- Rallies / Meets across India on 17th Oct 12- For Pro Poor National Land Policy

Jan Satyagraha for Pro Poor Land Reforms

Mass Collective Action across India on 17^th October 2012

Calling all Civil Society Organisations and Concerned Citizens for Collaboration

Rallying the Nation through Rallies across Nation

Plan of Action:

What: Organise rallies / meetings across villages, towns and cities of India

Why: To submit Memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the elected representative or the local revenue officials and demanding formulation of a Pro Poor National Land Policy that would guarantee land to every landless Indian

When: Date: 17^th October 2012- International Day for Eradication of Poverty- Time: Any time locally convenient

Who: Any institution, organisation, group or concerned citizens can organise a meeting / rally to submit the Memorandum Addressed to the Prime Minister of India through the local authorities for Pro Poor National Land Policy

Target: organise 2000 rallies / meetings across India on 17^th October 2012 to submit the memorandum to the Prime Minister of India for Pro Poor Comprehensive Land Reforms

Introduction

Due to the absence of effective land-reforms, 40 percent of India's population mostly from the dalit, adivasi, nomadic and minority groups are landless and nearly 30% people in rural areas do not have safe tenure rights to their homes and can be evicted as encroachers. On the other hand, Lakhs of hectares of agriculture and forest land is being transferred to corporations for non-agriculture purposes, like mining, plantation, urbanization, and infrastructure development. As a result of this transfer of land, villages, farmers and the rural poor are losing access and control over their livelihood resources at an unprecedented rate. Lack of reasonable food security in rural areas coupled with abysmal employment opportunities in cities for the displaced rural youth is making them disillusioned and is pushing them towards violence.

To address these issues, Ekta Parishad, under the leadership of Rajagopal P.V had organised a March in 2007 from Gwalior to Delhi involving 25,000 landless and homeless people to advocate with the Government of India for a Pro Poor Comprehensive National Land Reform Policy. Despite promises to consider the issues, the Government of India did not take any action and the problem of landlessness became grimmer.

Jan Satyagraha

In October 2008 Ekta Parishad announced Jan Satyagraha, a month long March from Gwalior to Delhi from 2^nd October 2012 to press for the formulation and implementation of a Comprehensive Pro Poor National Land Policy. In preparation for this Rajagopal P.V and a small group had started a Samvad Yatra from Kanyakumari on 2nd October 2011 to dialogue with different land-struggles around the country and build public opinion for a national campaign for a pro-poor comprehensive land-reform policy. In one year, the Samvad yatra travelled 80,000 km, conducting 1138 meetings in 24 states and 338 districts meeting hundreds of struggles. An outcome of the Samvad yatra is that more than 2000 organizations are part of Jan Satyagraha Campaign. The issue of Jal, Jangal, Jameen was raised more than 5000 times in print and electronic media around the country.

Recognising the tremendous groundswell of support during the Jan Samvad across the country, the Government of India came forward for negotiations and with a request to call off the Jan Satyagrah. Organisers of the Jan Satyagraha engaged in many rounds of serious negotiations with senior ministers and functionaries of the Government to evolve a consensus for a National Land Reform Policy. On 2^nd October 2012, Shri. Jairam Ramesh, Minster of Rural Development, and Shri. Jyotirajaditya Scindia made a written announcement on behalf of the Government of India at a Public Meeting in Gwalior to the demands raised by Jan Satyagraha. The civil society leaders who have been involved in Jan Satyagraha for the past one year have rejected the government's response as they felt that the government needs to show greater seriousness and commitments to address the legitimate demands to find a solution to the problems of landlessness and homelessness through formulation of an appropriate National Land Policy.

March from Gwalior to New Delhi- 3^rd October to 28^th October 2012- 1 Lakh to Participate

In these circumstances, despite appeals by the government to call of the March, Jan Satyagrah launched the Padayatra from 3^rd October 2012 from Gwalior with 50,000 landless from across the country. It is estimated that 100,000 people will be participating in the month long 350 km March when it reaches Delhi on 28^th October 2012 to appeal to the Prime Minister of India to formulate and implement a pro-poor comprehensive land-reform policy.

Solidarity Rallies across India on 17^th October 2012

As thousands of organisations and lakhs of individuals are in complete agreement and solidarity with the urgent need for a Pro Poor Comprehensive National Land Reform Policy but will not be able to participate in this historic March, it is proposed that different institutions, organisations, groups and concerned citizens come together in their villages, towns and cities across the country to organise rallies / meetings on the issue of Pro Poor National Land Reform Policy and submit a copy of the same common Memorandum all over the country to generate maximum pressure and policy impact.

It si requested that these solidarity Rallies / Meetings are organised on 17^th October 2012- International Day for Eradication of Poverty- at any time that is locally convenient. Organisations planning activities on this day are requested to consider inclusion of The Pro Poor National Land Policy and presentation of the Memorandum to the Prime Minister as part of their program.

Copy of the issues raised by Jansatyagraha in Rajagopal P.V's letter to The Minister for Rural Development, Government of India, is attached.

Partner Organisations and Nodal Organisation / Person

Please encourage participation of as many organisations and concerned citizens of the area as possible as Partner Partners. . It is requested that one organisation of the Partner Organisation with one contact person is nominated as Nodal Organisation to coordinate the Event(s) and take responsibility for all organisational and communication responsibilities.

Resource Kit

A Resource KIT is attached for all those planning to organise the rallies / meetings in their areas of operation. The Resource Kit contains the following;

1. Format of The Common Memorandum to be submitted to the Prime Minister of India through the local authorities. Please get as many signatories to the Memorandum as possible. Apart from submitting the Memorandum personally to the local authorities, please also fax it to the Prime Minister's Office (Fax Numbers: 011-23019545 / 011-23016857 ) and one copy to 040-24574527 for record of the organisers.

2. Copy of the Core issues raised by Jan Satyagraha for information and dissemination to the public and media

3. Format of Press Release for preparation of the Press Release for events in different locations is attached. Please make appropriate modifications/ additions to release it to the media.

4. Format for information regarding the event / program being planned. Information being requested in the Format includes location of the event, starting and end point for the rally or venue of meeting, dignitaries participating etc. To be filled and sent to COVA at covanetwork@gmail.co or fax to 040- 24574527 or post: COVA, 20-4-10, Charminar, Hyderabad, A.P. India. 500002. Information received from different organisations from across the country will be collated to pool together and propagate the total number of events being organised all over the country on the same single day in solidarity of the Pro Poor National Land Policy.

5. Format of the Report of the Event organised. This is to be filled in and sent by email/fax/post to COVA at the address given above (in Point 4) on or before 20^th October 2012.

Translated versions of the Material of the Resource Kit in Hindi, Urdu and Telugu will also be provided by 10^th October 2012. Organisations requiring translated versions in other languages are requested to arrange for the same locally. We also request them to share the translations in other languages through emails sent to COVA address for wider circulation.

We thank in anticipation all the institutions/ organisations / groups and concerned citizens who will take the initiative to organise the rallies / meetings in their villages, towns and cities to bring about enough pressure to make Pro Poor National Land Policy a reality!!!

To inform about the event being planned in your area or for any information or clarifications please contact:

Mazher Hussain Ravi Bhadri

Covanetwork@gmail.com 07382668804

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COVA (Confederation of Voluntary Associations) is a national network of voluntary organizations dedicated to the issues of social harmony, peace and justice. The prime focus of COVA is on citizenship rights and on perspective building for harmony and peace in South Asia. Through direct programmes and by networking with other CSOs, COVA organises perspective building activities and programs, carries out campaigns, and conducts research for influencing diverse sections of civil society and the state apparatus to adopt inclusive, secular and egalitarian outlook and policies that would foster rights and secure justice and peace for all.
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