The Jan Pratinidhi Manch (Platform of People's Representatives), which had fielded candidates selected by residents’ committees in several wards for the Delhi Municipal Corporation elections in April 2007, is continuing to organise after the elections, to widen the scope of its work.

As has been reported in earlier issues of PV, the enthusiastic response to the campaign to field Jan Pratinidhis or candidates selected by the people themselves, marked a new beginning in the politics of Delhi. It reflected the rejection of the political parties of the establishment and the assertion of the right of the people of Delhi to exercise control over the elected representatives.

In the past two months, activists of the Manch have been actively taking up the problems of the residents in different wards. In some slum colonies and resettlement colonies, the residents have established their own sangharsh samitis. Representatives of the sangharsh samitis have met the newly elected councilors and put forward their demands. They have led agitations on burning issues such as water and sanitation. They are also actively discussing how to ensure accountability of the councilor towards the residents and how to exercise citizens’ control over the affairs of their colonies. The sangharsh samitis are being strengthened in this process.

In some of the middle class residential colonies, the residents’ committees are organizing around issues such as take-over of public parks and residential spaces by private enterprises. In other places, activists have taken up environmental concerns raised by the plans for the elevated metro. Other concerns such as demolition of slums, lack of proper rehabilitation, land acquisition for private profit and the hazardous implications of the Delhi Master Plan are also being raised and discussed. In this period several other organizations and individuals have expressed their desire to be involved in this initiative called the Jan Pratinidhi Manch.

Members and activists of the Jan Pratinidhi Manch (JPM) met on June 30. The meeting reiterated that JPM was founded to organise the residents of Delhi around the program of an alternative political process that brings the concerns of the people to the centre-stage.

It re-elected its coordination committee, to include all those who want to actively advance the work of JPM at this time.

People's Voice considers the work taken up by JPM as an important contribution to the movement to organise the masses of working people to be their own rulers, and wishes it all success in its endeavors.