Press Releases Archive

Let demolishers re-install statues: Lok Satta

Severely condemning the demolition of statues, and attacks on media and Members of Parliament on the occasion of ‘Million March’ on Tank Bund in Hyderabad on March 10, the Lok Satta Party said today there is no place for anarchy, destruction and violence in democracy and that people should pursue their legitimate causes peacefully and constitutionally. Those leading agitations should realize that violence and destruction would ultimately be counterproductive.

In a media statement, Lok Satta Party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma said that destruction of 16 of the 33 statues of Telugu legendary figures on Tank Bund could not be wished away as coincidental or collateral since the demolishers had come prepared with the requisite tools to carry out their diabolical mission. Some people had earlier kicked up a row over the statues describing them as symbols of cultural imperialism. Taking pledges at the statue of Pothana, author of the Bhagavatam in Telugu, and demolishing the statue of Yerrapragada, the author of the Mahabharatam in Telugu, merely exposed the cultural bankruptcy of the participants. Neither Mahabharatam nor Bhagavatam can be de-linked from Telugu culture.

Mr. Varma said that it was not proper for a Government, which could not protect the statues to assert it would re-install them. “We will be doing great disservice to the Telugu legendary figures as long as there are iconoclasts on the one side and installers on the other and as long police have to be deployed to safeguard their statues. Only when the demolishers deemed the statutes as forming part of our cultural legacy, their reinstallation will be appropriate.”

Whoever might have physically demolished the statues, the organizers of Million March would have to take responsibility for the March 10 incidents. It would be in the fitness of things if they take the initiative for re-installation of the demolished statues, Mr. Varma added.

Mr. Varma asked people to maintain restraint and not display passion in the wake of such unfortunate incidents.

Friday, March 11, 2011 - 17:06

Lok Satta, farmers’ organizations to seek free movement of food grains

Representatives of independent farmers’ organizations and the Lok Satta Party will be representing to the Director General of Foreign (DGFT) trade to permit free export of food grains to countries where there is good demand. There is no alternative to exports if justice is to be done to the farmer at a time the country is reaping bumper harvests and warehouses are overflowing with stocks.

The DGFT is visiting Hyderabad on March 12.

In a media statement, Lok Satta Party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma pointed out that lopsided policies of the Union and State Governments, rather than unusual rains, hurt the farmers this year. Farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka would have received a better price for paddy had the Government of India permitted export of BPT variety of rice (Sona Masoori) and boiled rice made out of rain-soaked paddy as suggested by the Lok Satta Party and independent farmers’ organizations. Government failure to act on the representation in time resulted in farmers selling their rain-damaged produce at 50 percent of the minimum support price.

Mr. Varma recalled that thanks to the efforts put in by Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, the Andhra Pradesh Government permitted export of 1.5 lakh tons of BPT rice outside the State in December 2010. Following Dr. JP’s representations to the Vice Chairman of the Planning Commission, the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and others in Delhi, the Government of India permitted export of 1.5 lakh tons of rice, including one lakh tons of BPT rice, outside the country. Had the State and Central Governments been liberal in permitting movement of rice within and outside the country, the farmer would have been spared distress sale of his produce.

Mr. Varma also recalled that the Lok Satta tooth and nail opposed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s request to the Union Government to impose a total ban on cotton exports. Because of the Lok Satta’s intervention, the Government did not ban cotton exports. As a result, cotton producers received a good price for their produce this year.

The Lok Satta Party and independent farmers’ organizations will tell the DGFT that farmers shall have the freedom to market their produce wherever there is demand within and outside the country. The entire country should be treated as a single market.

Mr. Varma wanted the State Government to announce a State Advisory Price of not less than Rs. 2300 a ton for sugarcane. It should straightway pay the outstanding dues of Rs.52 crore to palm plantation owners, without waiting for Central share.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 - 17:10

Mahila Satta celebrates Women’s Day Amidst sanitary workers

The Lok Satta Party’s women’s wing, Mahila Satta, celebrated International Woman’s Day amidst Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s women sanitary workers.

Mahila Satta leaders including K. Gita Murthy, D. Lakshmi, S. Manorama, T. Padmaja Rani, Y. Ramadevi, Bhavani and Annapurna distributed masks and sweets to sanitary workers and held an interactive session with them in the GHMC auditorium.

A number of workers pointed out that they had to part with their hard-earned money for their spouses’ addiction to liquor. They were happy to learn that Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan had facilitated direct remittance of wages into sanitary workers’ bank accounts and enabled them to enjoy provident fund facility in Kukatpally, which he represents in the Assembly. Illiteracy and ignorance stood in the way of women’s empowerment, they conceded.

Mahila Satta leaders pledged to conduct such interactive sessions with a view to empowering them.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 - 11:45

Pages