The Delhi Regional Council of the Lok Raj Sangathan (recently elected at the Convention held in Delhi on August 26) met on September 9 to plan its strategy for the coming months.

The meeting began with an animated discussion on the Indo-US strategic alliance and nuclear deal. Members unanimously expressed their apprehension that a strategic alliance with the US will necessarily be an imperialist alliance, which will threaten peace in our subcontinent and lead to Indians being used as cannon fodder in imperialist wars. They demanded that the government should explain how this is supposed to benefit the Indian people. They also demanded that treaties such as this should be subject to public debate and parliamentary ratification, and that the Constitution of India should be amended to make this mandatory.

The terrorist attacks in Hyderabad in which innocent people lost their lives, and the subsequent state terrorism, the persecution of the Muslim community there in the name of “catching the terrorists” – this was another issue on which views were shared. Several members pointed out that such incidents are occurring with increasing frequency and seem to be following a pattern. The real culprits are never identified or punished; instead, specific communities are targeted by the security agencies of the state and innocent people are simply locked up, tortured or even eliminated in fake “encounters”. The Delhi Regional Council agreed that state terrorism in all its variants has to be consistently exposed and denounced and the rights of the people defended.

The Delhi Regional Council made serious plans for expanding membership of LRS in Delhi and the neighbouring regions of the National Capital Region. The work of LRS in defence of the rights of the students and youth from the Northeast, the UNI employees, the Honda workers in Gurgaon and other aggrieved sections provides ample scope for this.

The important role of LRS in the struggle of the people of Transit Camp against the demolition of their houses and eviction, the order of the Delhi High Court to the DDA and MCD to provide documents showing the terms and conditions under which the people were settled there and what are the resettlement plans, came up for discussion. This struggle needs to be energetically pursued. In this context it was also proposed that a campaign be launched in coordination with other organizations, against the drive of the civic authorities to demolish slums and seal small commercial properties, as part of the ongoing struggle in defence of the right to shelter and livelihood. Proposals were made to try to popularize all struggles of the people in various parts of Delhi and surrounding areas through the media.

The need to build and strengthen Lok Raj Samitis in residential colonies and work places was discussed. These are essential to organize people to fight on the basis of their own strength, without relying on favours and hand-outs by the political party leaders. People organized in the Lok Raj Samitis have to demand that they alone have the right to decide on issues affecting their lives and that the elected councillors have to be answerable to the people. The ongoing efforts in this direction will be stepped up, while trying to expand into newer areas, it was decided.

The Delhi Regional Council of LRS took the important decision to study the Constitution and Program of LRS, in order to organise better and take the work forward. It noted that the Fourth All India Convention of Lok Raj Sangathan on the theme “Building the future – organize for people’s power” is to be held in Delhi on November 17-18, 2007 and the Delhi Regional Council has a significant role to play in mobilizing and organizing people in the region for this important event.