‘Is voting enough? What is the role of the citizen in ensuring good governance?’
That is the subject of a lecture to be delivered by Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan to young professionals as part of Sawaniti Talks in Bengaluru Sunday, August 11.
Dr. JP will also be chief guest and keynote speaker at the Inter City General Forum of Rotary International District 3190 in Bengaluru in the morning.
Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today took strong exception to the Congress Party viewing Andhra Pradesh bifurcation as a party problem and appointing a committee headed by Defense Minister A. K. Antony to hear grievances of Seemandhra people.
“Andhra Pradesh is not a vassal of the Congress Party,” he fumed at a media conference and asked, “How do you expect other parties to make a formal representation to a committee formed by the Congress.“
Dr. JP said it was strange that neither the Prime Minister nor the Union Home Minister uttered a single word even as parts of Andhra Pradesh are burning.
Having concluded that its days in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema are numbered, the Congress Party decided to abruptly announce the division of the State without preparing ground for amicable separation solely with an eye on short-term electoral gains. It stands as an accused in the history of the country by playing cynical politics and promoting hatred and animosities among people. When it is rewriting the history of the State, the ruling party ought to have taken every stakeholder into confidence, built a consensus and come out with an amicable and comprehensive solution.
Dr, JP pointedly asked why the demand for formation of Telangana was not discussed at all in the Assembly and an attempt made to work out a solution acceptable to all. At least now, there should be an honest and earnest effort to inspire confidence in all Telugu-speaking people about their future.
Dr. JP appealed to people not to become pawns in politicians’ selfish games and ruin their lives. They should not resort to bandhs, road blockades and strikes, vandalize statues, indulge in violence and spew venom against each other. Any such acts will merely reinforce the impression among investors that Andhra Pradesh is not fit for infusion of capital in projects. It will burt job creation and undermine the future of lakhs of youth.
“I humbly appeal to Government employees in Seemandhra not to go on strike on State bifurcation. They will be harming the interests of the very people in whose name they are planning to go on strike. A strike by Government employees will not hurt the moneyed or the influential but only common people.” The employees have every right to express their views peacefully and safeguard their service interests but not inconvenience people.
Dr. JP recalled that the agitation for a separate Telngana State in the last few years had disrupted people’s lives and derailed economic growth. Let not history repeat itself in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, he counseled.
Dr. JP said the Foundation for Democratic Reforms and Lok Satta movement are organizing a non-partisan Round Table of intellectuals, legal experts, civil society leaders and media heads at Jubilee Hall in Hyderabad on August 10 to find solutions to problems arising in the wake of the Center’s decision to carve out Telangana. They include ensuring a sense of security to people of all regions in Hyderabad, sharing of revenue from Hyderabad city by the two States, ensuring continued growth of Hyderabad as a powerful economic magnet and rendering justice to backward Rayalaseema and other regions. The Round Table will discuss how people can be served through decentralization of power, eradication of corruption and provision of services as a right.
The Lok Satta believes that practical, acceptable solutions can be found to protect the interests of all regions, provided there are good will, restraint and spirit of accommodation.
Dr. JP said that the Lok Satta Party is in touch with a number of political parties and civil society organizations on finding solutions to problems thrown up by the Center’s decision.
He declined to comment on the demands for making Hyderabad as a Union Territory, Hyderabad as the second capital of the country and moves for formation of a Rayala Telangana. “Several ideas are floating around. All must sit together and find acceptable, effective arrangements,” he added.
State Lok Satta Party Vice President D. V. V. S. Varma took part in the media meet.
The Foundation for Democratic Reforms (FDR) led by Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan is organizing a Round Table on the measures to be taken for safeguarding the interests of Telugu people and infusing confidence among them in the wake of the Center’s decision to form a separate Telangana State.
The Round Table will take place from 10-00 a.m. on Saturday, August 10 at Jubilee Hall in Public Gardens.
The FDR says that there is no point in blaming each other, resorting to acts of violence and indulging in interminable discussions on past events that fan animosities among Telugus in the wake of the Center’s decision to carve out a separate Telangana State.
“The immediate task before all political parties and the State and Central Governments is initiating specific measures to protect the interests of Telugu people in all the regions.”
Civil society leaders, legal experts, media luminaries, intellectuals and retired top officials with rich administrative experience are taking part in the non-partisan Round Table.
The Round Table will focus on arrangements to be made to ensure a sense of security among lakhs of people who have been living in Hyderabad and become part of it irrespective of the region of the State or nook of the country from which they came. It will discuss how the revenue from Hyderabad city should be shared by the two States and measures to be taken to ensure Hyderabad’s continued growth as a major economic and commercial center in the interests of all Telugu people.
The Round Table will discuss measures to promote economic growth in backward Rayalaseema, which will face the brunt of bifurcation, and other backward areas including north Coastal Andhra.
The Round Table will discuss location of a new capital for the residual State of Andhra Pradesh and precautions to be taken to prevent economic and political centralization in it.