[Imc-india] rozgar adhikar yatra

[shivani chaudhry]

Dear friends, 

This note contains important information on the Rozgar Adhikar Yatra. After this note, there is a list of a few forthcoming employment-related events.

ROZGAR ADHIKAR YATRA
NOTE FOR PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS

An extended "rozgar adhikar yatra" will be launched from Delhi on 13
May 2005, and continue until the end of June.  The aim of this Yatra
is to affirm the right to work as an aspect of the fundamental right
to live with dignity.  In particular we demand the immediate adoption
of a full-fledged, universal and irreversible Employment Guarantee Act
(EGA).

The Yatra is a follow-up to the "display of banners" of 21 December
2004, when thousands of banners from all over the country, bearing
about 10 lakh signatures demanding a full-fledged EGA, were displayed
in Parliament Street (New Delhi).  The banners will travel with the
Yatra and be displayed in various places on the way.  The main slogan
is "har haath ko kaam do, kaam ka pura daam do".

The Yatra is a joint effort involving many organizations committed to
the right to work.  It is being planned (at very short notice!) in a
highly "decentralized" manner: the Yatra relies mainly on local
organizations to plan the activities and make the necessary
arrangements in their own area. This note has been prepared to
facilitate this process.

 
Details of the Yatra

Route: The Yatra will be leaving Delhi (from Constitution Club, Rafi
Marg) on 13 May 2004. It will pass through the states of Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, West
Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.  The proposed itinerary is attached. 
The Yatra is expected to return to Delhi at the end of June.  The
Yatra will proceed from District to District, with one or two days
being spent in each District.  There is a special focus on Districts
covered under the National Food For Work Programme (NFFWP).

Transport: The Yatra will proceed in a bus (about 45 seats) – the same
bus for the entire journey.  The bus will be decorated with banners
from the December event.

Participants: Few participants, if any, will travel the entire route. 
Instead, the Yatra is envisaged as a "relay", with participants from
local organizations traveling some distance with the Yatra and then
"handing over" to other organizations in the next area.

Stay and Hospitality: The Yatra is being organized on a shoestring
budget and depends heavily on local hospitality to move forward. It is
hoped that local groups will be able to make arrangements for food and
a place to stay. Contributions to diesel costs, where possible, are
also welcome.

Speakers: A number of "invited speakers" will be asked to join the
Yatra.  The idea is partly to ensure that the Yatra includes some
effective speakers at every step, and partly to facilitate media work.

Media: The Delhi team will be attempting to draw national media
attention to the Yatra.  However, local media coverage is no less
important, and therefore local groups are encouraged to mobilize the
media in their areas. If you need help with media material (e.g. press
kits, background material, general information) please contact the
Delhi team or check the "Rozgar Adhikar Yatra" info on the web (see
below).

Finances: The Yatra is a leap of faith in the generosity of the
public. A decision has been made not to approach funding agencies for
support. A "chanda" (collection of donations) has begun in Delhi, and
it will continue on the way. Support from participating organizations,
e.g. in the form of local hospitality or contributions to transport
costs, is also welcome.

 
Yatra on the web: A special section on the Rozgar Adhikar Yatra is
available at www.righttofoodindia.org (the website of the right to
food campaign).  Updated information, including contact details of
local organizations, will be posted there from time to time.

This note was prepared by People's Action for Employment Guarantee,
based on two preparatory meetings held in Delhi in April 2004. 
People's Action for Employment Guarantee is an informal platform of
organizations that came together in December 2004 around the demand
for a full-fledged and universal Employment Guarantee Act, as an
aspect of the right to work and the right to life with dignity.  For
further details see the "employment guarantee" section at
www.righttofoodindia.org

People's Action for Employment Guarantee (PAEG)
Location: Siddiqui Building, Bara Hindu Rao, 6122 Bahadurgarh Road,
Delhi 110 006.

Tel: 011-2351 0042, 5514 0814 (Priya), 09811087811 (Navjyoti),
09811553633 (Annie), 09810810365 (Subhash).

E-mail: rozgar at gmail.com

Correspondence address: c/o B-19, Subavana Niketan, Pitampura, New
Delhi 110 034.


FORTHCOMING EVENTS


8-9 May: NAFRE convention on the right to work in Jodhpur. For details
contact Ambarish Rai (Amb1857 at yahoo.com) or nafredel at rediffmail.com


10 May: Delhi. 
Dharna and march to Parliament, organized by All India
Agricultural Labourers Alliance (AIALA) jointly with the All India
Kisan Sangharsh Samiti. The demands include "employment guarantee for
all and a central legislation for agricultural labourers and
food-for-work scheme to be implemented in every district and each
village". For details contact the CPI-ML(Liberation) office in Delhi,
tel 2252 1067.


13 May: Launch of the Rozgar Adhikar Yatra from Constitution Club (New
Delhi) at 9 am.  For details write to rozgar at gmail.com or contact
People's Action for Employment Guarantee (tel 011-2351 0042).

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-india/attachments/20050509/9a40e839/attachment.html