Samajwadi Vichaar Yatra reached Karnataka | Boycott NPR to save constitution

Press Release – 20/Feb/2020

On its 22nd day, Unite India – Save the Constitution Samajawadi Vichaar Yatra reached Belgaum, Karnataka where B.R Patil (ex-MLA), Arvind Dalwai (State coordinator of Samajwadi Vichaar Yatra) and other supporters welcomed the Yatris. The Yatris visited Veer Soudha where they paid respects to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

This monument was built to commemorate the 34th Congress plenary session in Belgaum in 1924. This was the only Congress Plenary session which was presided by Mahatma Gandhi. A well was built in that area with the help of Shramdan to supply water to those attending the conference.

After this a press conference was organized.
Addressing the press, Dr sunilam said that earlier Home Minister of Karnataka, Vastav Raj Bomai claimed to solve the Mahadayi river dispute within 24 hours but now he is keeping quiet. Dr. Sunilam raising the issue of crop loss due to heavy rains said that farmers did not get crop insurance till date. Even 10,000 Rs. announced by the Government, is yet to be received by all the farmers. Dr sunilam also raised issue of crores of rupees duesof farmers of Sovereign Sugar Teradal, and Bhagya lakshmi sugar .He demanded that price of Sugar cane be raised to 4000 Rs per quintal while at the moment farmers are not getting even 2700 Rs per quintal. Dr Sunilam addressing the conference said that Belgaon has led the freedom movement in Karnataka and now it’s time to save the values of Freedom and Constitution. He made an appeal to the citizens of Karnataka to not participate in the process of NPR. Participants in the hall raised their hands to boycott any survey related to NPR.Terming Modi – Trump alliance as a fascist alliance, Dr. Sunilam called upon all the progressive forces to oppose the visit of Donald Trump ,as 120 crore from Tax payers money is spent on his visit and slum dwellers have been removed so that face of poor people cannot be seen by the American President. .His visit needs to be opposed because he wants to sign an agreement with Government of India of 47,000 crores regarding dairy and poultry products, which will destroy the Indian dairy and poultry industry, employing 15 crore people.

Addressing the press, Arvind Dalwai said that the new political developments in the country are deeply saddening. Certain people, parties and groups are wanting to replace Mahatma Gandhiji with the likes of Savarkar and Godse, which is nothing but replacing the values of the Freedom struggle and that of our Constitution. I condemn this development and this Samajwadi Vichaar Yatra has set out to majorly contain the implementation of this divisive law.

Post-conference the Yatris addressed a public assembly in Kumargandarav hall, Belgaum. Especially present were B.R Patil, Arvind Dalwai, Maulana Salim (President, Jamat), Mallesh Chougale (Dalit Leader), Wasim Maskewala, Jaishree Malagi (ex-corporater), Advocate RP Patil (Congress leader), Ashfaqahmed Madaki (JDS leader), Salim Khatib (Minority Leader) and Moshin Jamadar (Social worker), Annapurna Nirvani (Congress Leader), Memon (Minority leader), Kalyan Rao Muchulambi (Editor, Hasiru Kranti daily), Professor Parshuram Honakeri (Professor, Karnataka University). The assembly was also attended by eight freedom fighters – Krishna P Mense, Vithal Rao K. Yalgi, Apanna Shivray Karlingnavar, Gangadhar V. Kamat, Adv. Ram Apte, Sadashiv Rao Bhosle, Pavadeppa Golbhavi and Ganga Devi Rayappa Nirvani.

Addressing the assembly, B.R Patil said that India’s Constitution formed the basis and Gandhiji paved the way for the secular, federal and multi-lingual ethos of India as a nation. Those who talk against the Gandhian values, who have denigrated the Father of this Nation, are conspiring to manipulate the Constitution and declare India as a Hindu Rashtra. He said that no one can turn India into a Hindu Rashtra or an Islamic State. India will not tolerate any form of extremism as India is a nation of Sufi saints.

Maulana Salim said that laws are made to foster peace and constitutional values in a nation. Laws are made for economic development. He said that one needs to remember that in a country, laws take precedence over everything else. Neither the government nor its people can go against the laws of this land. Government’s every action is confined within the Constitution. India’s Constitution does not pander to any particular religion, rather it is secular in nature and gives equal respect to all religions.

Talking about the Yatra, Arun Shrivastava said that Unite India – Save the Constitution, Samajwadi Vichar Yatra has been taken out by Samajwadi samagam on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji and to mark 85 years of socialist movement and the freedom movement, Samajwadi Samagam in collaboration with Rastra Seva Dal, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, National Association of People’s Movements (NAPM), Socialist Organizations, Hum Bharat Ke Log, Yusuf Meher Ali center and PAIGAM is launching the Samajwadi Vichar Yatra to restore the values of the socialist movement of India and to establish constitutional values and counter anti-constitutional measures like CAA-NRC and NPR, privatization of public sector, rising unemployment, rising inequaity, mob lynching, conspiracy to destroy crores of tribals, increasing crimes on Dalits, women and minorities, deepening agrarian crisis, abolition of labor laws and making the lives of fifty five crore workers insecure by implementing the four labor codes.

Addressing the assembly, Advocate Aradhna Bhargawa said that as a woman, she is proud that this is the first time after independence that women are leading the fight for change. She said that it is here pleasure that she is getting to meet these brave women.

Other Yatris of Samjwadi Vichaar Yatra – Rohan Gupta (Jharkhand), Lokesh Bhiwani (Haryana), Ganesh Gondare (Maharashtra), Anjana (Uttarakhand) and Bale Bhai (Madhya Pradesh) also kept their views in the assembly.

The first phase of Yatra will conclude in Hyderabad on 23 March. The yatra will pass through 16 states in this phase. The second phase starts from Champaran on 11 April and will conclude in Patna on 17 May, during which 10 states will be covered. The third phase starts from Sitabadiyara (Ballia) on 11 October and conclude at Narendra Niketan, Delhi on 31 October. More than 500 programs will be organized across the country for the Samajwadi Vichar Yatra. The yatra is being led by chief Convenor Arun Srivastava and co-convenor Dr. Sunilam (former MLA).

The process of Samajwadi Samagam started five years ago to reinvigorate the freedom movement, restore the values of the socialist movement and to fortify constitutional values. Samajwad Samagam’s objective is also to unify the various movements that include people’s movements, human rights movements, environmental movements and all democatic and secular movements associated with socialist, Gandhian, Sarvodaya, leftist and Ambedkarite ideals.