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In March 2008 the SSN secretariat contacted celebrity
Gazhal singer Jagjit Singh to associate him in the campaign;
later the Delhi based SSN working group members which
met on 15th March endorsed the proposal to involve celebrities
in the campaign.
The Delhi based SSN working group members also suggested
that few core constituencies should be identified for
the campaign of SSN, as discussed in Media Strategy
meeting during the budget session of the Parliament.
The core constituencies could be groups or organizations
working for Dalit rights, Tribal rights, Women rights
etc. It was suggested that we can focus mainly on five
groups like (i) Women group, (ii) Dalit group,(iii)
Fish Workers group, (iv)Hawker group (v) Adivasis and
Agriculture Workers group for convergence of various
campaigns.
In
the meeting of SSN National Working Group members held
at YUVA Centre in Navi Mumbai on March 28, 2008 it was
decided that various social security campaign groups
should be associated and a meeting should be called
on May 5, 2008 for dialogue/collaboration. It was decided
to invite groups like transport workers, domestic workers,
hawkers, construction workers, agricultural workers,
NCL, NTUI, NACDOR, NAPM, Jan Sangarsh Manch, National
Fish-workers Forum, NCC-USW, National Forum of Forest
Peoples and Forest Workers. The agenda of the meeting
was social security and to make it an election agenda
in the coming election.
It
was decided to associate Gazhal singer Jagjit Singh
and other celebrities in the campaign; initiating district
level workshops and adopt other campaign tools. As per
the decision letterheads were sent to all member organizations
of Social Security Now to raise the fund. This was done
to encourage decentralization in the process.
A
National Meeting of the Campaign Groups, Movements,
Civil society organisations and Trade unions of unorganised
workers, was called on May 5, 2008 at ISI. In this meeting
participants came out with the following decisions:
(i) To organize a National Seminar during the monsoon
session of parliament and (ii) To launch a massive campaign
to target the general election for reaching the grass
root level/working people. Participants in the meeting
decided for a planning meeting on May 21, 2008 in the
ISI, New Delhi.
In
the second National Meeting of the Campaign Groups,
Movements, Civil society Organisations and Trade unions
of Unorganised workers on May 21, 2008 it was decided
that:
1. The name of the 2009 General Elections specific campaign
demanding comprehensive social security for unorganized
workers would be: 'SAMAJIK SURAKSHA ADHIKAR ABHIYAN'(
Mera Vote Meri Samajik Suraksha Ke Liye);
2. State consultations/conventions will be organised
within two months;
3. The Mahapanchayat or People's Parliament, will be
organised in September 2008 to consider a. Adoption
of the Social Security Charter or the People's Manifesto
at the Mahapanchayat, after the completion of state
consultations. b. Adoption of alternative Social Security
Bill incorporating the concerns and issues from the
state level consultations. c. Launching of National
Campaign with components of Signature Campaign, Cycle
Rally, Courting Arrest (Jail Bharo Andolan) etc. The
memorandum, people's manifesto, social security charter
and all the signatures collected from various states
to be brought to Delhi and submitted to the Government
of India in a Mass Rally and Assembly in February 2009.
In
the 21st May meeting the following Organisation Structure
emerged.
a. National Coordination Team: Besides the existing
National Working Group members of SSN, all those who
attended the meeting on May 5 and 21 2008 will be the
member of the coordination team. This team will be not
only responsible for national level activities but also
ensure that state level actions are on.
b. Beside National Coordination Team, there will be
a National Organising Group with following persons/organisations:
Ashok
Choudhary, NFFPFW
K. Vinay Kumar/Arun Khote, NCDHR/NFDLR
M Preeti Darooka, PWESCR
Rajesh Malviya, NIWCYD
Subhash Bhatnagar, NCC-USW
Subhasis Chakravarti, NFWR
Dr. R S Tiwari/J. John, CEC
The
national secretariat will continue to be at Centre for
Education and Communication (CEC), 173-A, Khirki Village,
Malviya Nagar, New Delhi - 110017.
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The National Organising Group met twice on 11 June
and 8 July 2008 and planned to organise Mahapanchayat
in Alahabad on September 24-25 and a mass rally on
September 26, 2008. Meanwhile state level meetings/workshops
are being planned and organised by different partner
organisations and campaign groups, details of which
are awaited.
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The 'Social Security Now' working group members have
been actively associated in expanding the campaign.
The Network now involves other campaign groups and
joint action programmes are being planned focusing
the up coming election. The social security issue
would become a political one in the election. This
goal would ultimately culminate in achieving right
of social security for informal and unorganised working
people in the country.
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The 'SAMAJIK SURAKSHA ADHIKAR ABHIYAN' targeting general
election is all set to take a lead role along with
Social Security Now. It is our working group endeavor,
which brought campaign groups together. State level
conventions/ workshops are being organised as per
the earlier decisions. Working group members are associated
with various state level actions like workshops, post
card campaign, signature campaign, rallies, padyatras
etc. The detail reports are awaited.
The
SSN secretariat proposes to call a meeting on August
9, 2007 to review the campaign, strategy for the Alahabad
Mahapanchayat, sharpening the campaign tools, considering
further suggestions and proposals etc. In this regard
the secretariat will communicate with the members over
phone.
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