Key Demands

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1. Basic Infrastructure: Water, Sanitation, Electricity, Roads & Transport facilities

• Basic Infrastructure in every village and urban settlement, which includes safe drinking water, household level toilets and water supply, effective drainage and sanitation systems, electrification, connecting roads, public transport services and rail networks.
• Special focus on upgrading infrastructure in communities inhabited by dalits, adivasis and minorities.

2. Quality Health & Education as a Right protected by Law

• Quality Health and Education must be guaranteed through public schools and health centres. The Right to Health and Education should be protected by law, primary level services made freely accessible and public facilities expanded and upgraded on a priority basis.
• Increased investment of 6% GDP for public expenditure on education and 3% GDP for public expenditure on health. Privatization of health and education services not to be allowed.
• Equip every village with quality facilities and personnel for maternal and child survival, nutrition and overall health. Create a separate Act to protect the rights of people living with HIV-AIDS and stronger implementation of the People with Disabilities Act.

3. Special measures to Ensure Food Security and Nutrition

• Every family to be assured of food supplies and nutrition, and protected against inflation and price hikes in essential commodities.
• Existing programs such as the Public Distribution System, Mid-day Meal and Integrated Child Development Scheme to be significantly expanded and monitored to ensure equal and universal coverage.

4. Expansion of Right to Work and Social Security entitlements

• 365 days of employment to be assured to every adult and an Urban Employment Guarantee Act on par with NREGA to be introduced.
• Make special efforts to integrate women and marginalized groups in the economic sectors, including through the provision of reservation in the private sector. Create a special program to support working women – including childcare facilities, transport, health insurance and maternity benefits. Child labour to be abolished.
• Strengthen the Inter-state Migration Act to ensure safety, minimum wages, housing and social security for all migrant workers in the country.

5. Lifeline programs for Agriculture and Rural Economy

• New agricultural policy to be introduced to ensure greater investment and industry status. Support prices provided to agricultural products at reasonable rates and local support centres for farmers, producers, entrepreneurs and artisans created to facilitate credit, research and technical expertise.
• Farmer status for women and mandatory purchase of goods produced by women and marginalized groups by government agencies. Special support program for artisans and small scale industries with objective of strengthening rural economy.

6. Protection of Land Rights and Promotion of Livelihood for Marginalized Groups

• SEZ Act to be scrapped and Land Acquisition Act used only for the development of public utilities.
• Transparency in all projects involving land acquisition and natural resources with participation of and accountability to local communities.
• Land to be earmarked and allotted to women, dalits, adivasis, denotified / nomadic tribes, single women, disabled and other socially excluded groups. All asset building, livelihood promotion and community development programs to necessarily involve joint participation and ownership of women and marginalized groups.

7. Greater Political Representation of Women, Youth and Marginalized Groups

• Women, Youth and marginalized groups to be made equal partners in the political process. The Women’s Reservation Bill to be enacted on a priority basis and National Youth Policy to be strengthened.
• Social Justice Committees to be introduced in Urban Local Bodies and those already existing at the Panchayat level to be further strengthened with resources and programs to reach marginalized communities.
• National and State Commissions for Women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to be strengthened with clear policies and resources. The Sachar Committee recommendations to be implemented.

8. Transparency in Government Dealings and Greater Public Participation

• Financial and operational details of all government programs to be made readily and regularly available in the public domain.
• Mechanisms for public participation and monitoring such as through the Right to Information, Social Audit and Vigilance Committees to be strengthened.
• Every government department and elected representative to be made to present an annual report of work done and expenditures incurred through a public meeting.

9. Electoral Reforms and Accountability of Political Parties / Representatives

• Prevention of candidates having criminal records or religious, casteist or communal sentiments from contesting for elections. Stringent action against representatives involved in corruption.
• An Election Watch team comprising civil society representatives and officials to be formed in every constituency and given due authority to monitor the election process. Monitoring of election expenses and creation a common platform for candidates to communicate with people to be undertaken.
• Right to recall system to be introduced and modification of the current ‘first-past-the-post’ system. Mechanisms for protection of women and representatives belonging to marginalized groups from harassment and discrimination across levels of governance.

10. Implementation of Police and Judicial Reforms

• Police and Judicial reforms to be undertaken with focus on responsiveness to marginalized groups and speedy redress of appeals. The D K Basu Guidelines to be implemented to ensure prevention of unlawful arrest and torture. Judgments on atrocity cases to be declared within one year.
• Greater representation of women and members of socially excluded groups in the police force and judiciary. Special protection for women from marginalized groups against caste and communal violence.

11. Priority for National Integration and Zero Tolerance for Violence and Terrorism

• National Integration and Communal Harmony to be prioritized and a Special Cell against discrimination on social or religious grounds to be created.
  The government must practice zero tolerance for religious extremism and terrorism in the country and play a key role in ensuring safety and prosperity in the subcontinent. A Joint Action and Investigative Agency for Regional Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in South Asia must be initiated.

12. Global Responsibility

• India must play a demonstrative role in protecting and promoting non-violence, democracy and respect for pluralism in the global community and in setting these principles in action through the UN.
• Even while being counted as a global power, India should continue to ensure that the development, trade and security interests of less powerful countries are represented in international negotiations.
• The government must publicize information within the country about the quantum and impact of its overseas aid and international development initiatives.
• India must play a proactive role in the formulation of global environmental policies and balance the interests of the developed and developing countries in this dialogue.