Jan Pratinidhi Manch (JPM) organized a consultative meeting on February 3, 2008 at the Gandhi Peace Foundation on important topic of “People’s Role in Policy Making”.

Jan Pratinidhi Manch was formed in January 2007 bringing together many organizations working among peoples of Delhi. All these organizations decided together that genuine people’s representatives - selected by the people themselves, and those who would be accountable to the people and recalled by the people if they act against their interests – should stand in Delhi’s 2007 municipal elections.

Setting the context of this meeting, Bijju Naik - member of JPM’s secretariat, presented the analysis and learnings of the JPM during the 2007 municipal elections.

Pankaj Gupta, another member of JPM’s secretariat, explained how the present political process completely marginalizes people whose involvement is so important.

Joint Secretary of the Manch, Sucharita cited many examples – Indo-US strategic alliance and nuclear deal, SEZ policy, agricultural policy, right to shelter etc – of how people are kept out of important policy decisions affecting their lives. Decisions taken by the cabinet are often anti-people and are simply imposed on them. Even the Parliament doesn’t put forward people’s viewpoint. What kind of alternative do we need to ensure people’s welfare; what kind of political process do we need – to decide all this we need to facilitate people’s representatives standing for elections. Taking this work forward is very important, she said.

President of Lok Raj Sangathan, Raghavan, narrated his organization’s experience of making People’s Candidates contest in the 2006 Panchayat elections of Tamil Nadu. Mujtaba Farooq of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind gave an account of the clout Congress, BJP and other big political parties have in our political system. People are divided using the secular or communal plank by these parties, he added.

Social activist Arvind Kejriwal gave many examples of gram panchayats and gram sabhas playing a role in organizing people to solve their problems on their own. Member of Bharat Punarnirman Dal, Sanjay Sharma, emphasized on the need to take some concrete steps towards bringing an alternative system. Avtaar Singh, a well known social activist from Uttar Pradesh narrated the plight of people in this “democracy”.

Applauding JPM’s work, National Convenor of Lok Raj Sangathan, Prakash Rao, talked about the need for moving towards Lok Raj – the alternative to the present political system. Representative of the Manipur Students Association in Delhi, A. Onil spoke about the atrocities committed by armed forces using AFSPA in the north eastern states and Kashmir; and the peoples’ struggles against the same. Thaneshwar from Rashtriya Mazdoor Adhikar Sangh and Amjad Hassan of Damu Sangathan talked about the condition of organized sector workers and other toiling masses of Delhi.

Members from Lok Raj Samitis of Sanjay Colony and Khader Extension also shared their experience of organizing people.

Vigourous discussion took place on how to put up people’s candidates in the coming Delhi Assembly elections 2008, and how to take the work of the JPM forward. Many important decisions were taken to strengthen the organization and advance the work in the coming period.