'This Peoples’ Declaration hopes to be a dynamic blueprint that addresses the needs and aspirations of all Indians, and a starting point for an “alliance of equity” of all progressive forces committed to safeguarding the idea of India'
Karnataka's Congress government on Sunday released the Bengaluru Declaration, a blueprint that it hopes will rally people cutting across political lines, signalling that the party is gearing up for assembly elections next year in Karnataka where its main opposition is the BJP.
Karnataka is one of the few states where the Congress is in power and the vision document -- announced at the end of a three-day international conference to commemorate Dr B.R. Ambedkar -- is seen as the party's platform to forge an 'alliance of equity' to take on the BJP in power at the centre.
"This Peoples’ Declaration hopes to be a dynamic blueprint that addresses the needs and aspirations of all Indians, and a starting point for an “alliance of equity” of all progressive forces committed to safeguarding the idea of India," read the document released by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. "The Bengaluru Declaration will actualize the goals of social justice. It will enhance the legacy of Babasaheb Ambedkar and fulfill his dream," he said.
The conference brought together hundreds of academics and activists from across the country. Social theorist Ashis Nandy, one of the speakers at the event, described it as the largest single assembly on the topic he'd ever seen. The declaration is a compilation of recommendations put forward at the discussions. The Congress has likened the conference to the National Planning Committee of 1938 in spelling out a response to contemporary challenges, especially with regard to the marginalised and vulnerable sections of society.
"Regressive social and political forces have consistently resisted and tried to undermine both the constitutional idea of India and the efforts of the State in the last 70 years," it said. "Now that they enjoy State power, they are systematically dismantling the institutions that are the foundations of our society, by undermining India’s holistic welfare and affirmative action architecture and by destroying the pluralistic fabric of our nation. This poses a grave threat to the idea of India espoused by the freedom movement and spelt out in the Constitution."
The document spells out 40 recommendations, starting with the need to assert political and legal accountability for any violence. "This is the only way to prevent lynchings and uphold the rule of law," it said. It also proposes, among others, state funding for elections, an Equal Opportunities Commission to address under-representation of SC, ST, OBC, women and minorities in employment, reservation in the higher judiciaries to be institutionalised, reservations in the private sector, a Farmer's Income Commission to protect farmers' earnings and new legislation to provide agricultural land to landless dalits.
"We need to address these concerns urgently, and resist these attacks boldly," it said. "India needs to return to its noblest ideals, the spirit of its Constitution. It is time for the Indian people to recognize the constitutional path we chose 70 years ago and dedicate ourselves to protect and enhance this legacy. In this quest, the Bengaluru Declaration hopes that all progressive forces, collectively and across party lines, will adopt and implement these recommendations to fulfill Babasaheb Ambedkar’s dream of an equitable, just and egalitarian society," it said.