JEJAA to Organize A Nationwide Campaign From May 16

Jan Ekta Jan Adhikar Andolan (JEJAA), which represents more than 100 progressive organisations, has given a call for a week-long nationwide campaign – “NDA Sarkar Ki Char Saal, Pol Khol, Halla Bol” which translates to “Four years of NDA Government: Expose and Protest” – from May 16 to May 22.

In a statement, the JEJAA said that the aim of the campaign is to reach out to every citizen of the country and expose the communal and anti-people agenda of the NDA government with the slogan “change policies or the people will change the government”.

On May 23, in more than 24 state capitals, lakhs of people will assemble in rallies to ‘halla bol’ against this government, JEJAA stated. “This is not only the beginning of the end of the NDA government but also launch of a countrywide people's movement to achieve the aim of building a democratic, secular, egalitarian and modern India.”

In the campaign, JEJAA will be highlighting the unfulfilled promises of the BJP/NDA government along with the anti-people policies and communal divisive agenda of Narendra Modi-led government. The following issues will be raised in the campaign.

Neo-liberal policies

While the NDA came to power promising “Ache Din” (Good Days) and “Sab Ka Vikas” (Development for all), its rule has shown that the “Vikas” was meant for only a few chosen corporate companies and their middlemen. As of today, only one percent of the population had amassed 53 percent of the assets of the country.

Unemployment

The NDA, which promised two crore employment every year, has terribly failed the youth with the employment not even reaching two lakhs per year. According to Labour Bureau, between 2014 and 2015, the unemployment rate among graduate youth (18 to 29 years) increased from 28 percent to 35 percent. In addition, demonetisation resulted in the loss of nine million jobs between October 2016 and October 2017.

Price Rise

In the present NDA regime, the prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing and the PDS (Public Distribution System) has collapsed with no funds. The mandatory linkage of Aadhar and the elimination of beneficiaries are resulting in starvation deaths.

Privatisation

The NDA is in a massive drive for privatization of our nation's wealth through disinvestment, outright and strategic sale of the public sector.

The government is promoting privatization of education and health sectors, thus allowing commercialization of the public sector institutions by negating budget allocations.

Farmers Distress

The NDA did not keep its promise of providing the peasantry with MSP at 50 percent above the cost of production to all crops and on comprehensive loan waiver. The farmer suicides have increased by 42% in the year 2014-2015 under NDA rule and still continue to intensify.

It has also allowed 100% FDI in agriculture and announced contract farming that will facilitate the large-scale takeover of cultivation by multinational agro-business companies, thus making farmers mere contract cultivators of their own land. 100% FDI in retail will endanger the existence of innumerable petty traders and petty producers across the country.

Communal Violence

The BJP and the RSS have been unleashing terror by spreading caste and communal hatred and violence. The democratic and educational institutions are being taken over by RSS cadres and there is a systematic assault on democratic spaces across the country.

Apart from the above issues, the campaign will also raise the issues of the threat to Judiciary, weakening of Labour rights, various movements led by Adivasis, Dalits, farmers, students, women and workers across the country against the NDA regime.