THE CPI(M) is going to organise a massive public meeting – Telangana struggle convention for social justice – to mark the conclusion of Mahajana Padayatra on March 19 at Nizam college grounds in Hyderabad.  Chief Minister of Kerala and CPI(M)  Polit Bureau member, Pinarayi Vijayan will be the chief guest. CPI(M)’s Telangana state secretariat members G Nagayya, B Venkat and T Jyothi released the Party’s charter of demands to be taken up by the movement for social justice at a media conference in Hyderabad on February 23. They appealed all the social and mass organisations, intellectuals and progressive democrats, irrespective of political affiliations, to participate in the struggle convention, to discuss extensively the alternative plan released by the CPI(M) and to launch a plan of action with common understanding. They condemned the repression and dictatorial measures of the government on people’s movements and urged all forces to agitate for democratic rights in Telangana.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Brinda Karat will participate in Mahajana Padayatra at Nalgonda on March 9 and address a public meeting.

The following are the demands put forth by the CPI(M) to be taken up by the movement for social justice:  

·                     Distribute three acres of land each to the families of dalits, tribals and the landless poor.

·                     Give pattas on forest lands being cultivated by tribals and other poor. Stop steps aimed at dispossessing them of the lands in the name of green belt. Withdraw false cases.

·                     Construct double bed room houses for all the poor without houses. Allocate house sites forthwith.

·                     Do not dilute the Sub-Plan Act for the SCs and STs. Like in Kerala, retain the plan as it is and continue the Sub-Plan Act in our state.

·                     Enact a law for reservations in the private sector. In consonance with the population of STs, increase reservations for them to ten percent. Implement 12 percent reservations for the Muslims.

·                     Prepare Sub-Plan Acts for BCs and minorities.

·                     Prepare a special development plan for MBCs. Allocate funds on the basis of their population to the MBC Corporation to be newly set up by the government.

·                     Enact an anti-rape law.

·                     Concentrate on housing and special schools for the development of nomadic castes.

·                     Fill up immediately about two lakh vacancies in the government. Regularise the contract and outsourcing employees.

·                     In the place of outdated GOs, issue new GOs relating to minimum wages and implement the increased wages accordingly. Implement labour laws effectively. Pay equal wages for equal work.

·                     Implement Land Acquisition Act, 2013. Withdraw Land Acquisition Amendments Act in the state. Do not acquire lands from farmers forcibly.

·                     Release funds for waiving of loans of farmers fully and in one installment.

·                     Pay dues for reimbursement of fees for students immediately. Increase mess charges for hostel students. Along with Telugu, introduce English medium simultaneously. The government itself should appoint teachers according to the requirement.

·                     Transform tribal thandas (hamlets) into panchayats.

·                     Confer judicial powers to wakf boards and protect wakf lands.

·                     Announce and implement 12 percent reservations to the minorities.

·                     A board has to be set up for the welfare of weavers. Set up textile parks. The government should purchase their products.

·                     There are no federations for the welfare of nearly 90 castes among the BCs. Consider the problem of each caste among BCs separately and help their protection.  Set up federations for castes that do not have one.

·                     Devolve powers to the local bodies. Funds should be released to provide minimum facilities in the villages. Appropriate powers should be given to the sarpanches and panchayats. Funds of panchayats should be spent in the ratio of population.

·                     Solve problems of tenant farmers. Give them identity cards and loans from the banks.

·                     Ensure remunerative prices to the farmers. Implement input subsidies and free subsidies to small farmers.

·                     Special sessions of the assembly should be convened and social agenda be discussed.

·                     Bring about an enactment for categorisations of SCs. Burial grounds should be created for dalits.

·                     Restore immediately the rations cards cancelled. Sanction pensions to all the eligible people.

·                     As stated in the TRS manifesto, give interest-free loans of Rs 10 lakhs to all DWCRA groups.

·                     Implement employment guarantee scheme effectively. Increase the daily wage to Rs 400. Pay a sum of Rs 5000 as honorarium to supervisors of teams of workers under employment guarantee scheme.

·                     In the budget for 2017, funds should be allocated in proportion to the population of social classes and toiling masses.

Sundarayya Vignana Kendra Expands its Sphere of Activities

SUNDARAYYA Vignana Kendram at Gachibowli in Hyderabad, as a part of expanding its sphere of activities, added an amphitheatre and a conference hall.  At a function organised on February 26, the most popular comedian of Telugu film industry, recipient of Padmasri award and Guinness Book of World Records holder for acting in largest number of films, Brahmanandam, inaugurated Suddala Hanumanthu Amphitheatre. Speaking on the occasion, he asked artists not to make art subordinate to individuals.  Brahmanandam lauded the move of the SVK for starting the amphitheatre for encouraging economically backward artists.  Praja Natya Mandali, started by late Garikapati Raja Rao, had created a number of artists, several of them had become popular in the film industry also, he said.  Brahmanandam pointed out that the greatness of Praja Natya Mandali lied in developing arts to influence the lives of the people and that it would continue its existence as long as hunger and inequalities continued in the society.

Eminent educationist and former MLC, Chukka Ramaiah, opened Vattikota Alwaru Swamy conference hall. Only when economic and cultural change takes place, it has to be recognised as a change in the society; if political change takes place, it would benefit a few individuals only, Ramaiah said. All of us should endeavour for economic, social and political change for the better, he said. Film artist Madala Ravi opened the cafeteria. S Vinay Kumar, secretary of the SVK managing committee, announced that a film school would be started with a view to encourage and giving training to those who are economically backward but interested in films and that classes would commence from April 3. A two-year course also would commence from August next. Nandyala Narsimha Reddy, a member of the SVK Trust and former MLA, who presided over the function, explained various programmes being conducted by the SVK.