People's Democracy

Demands For March 12 Rally

Stop Price Rise.

1) Scrap targeting the TDS; make it universal and effective; delink PDS entitlements from bogus Planning Commission poverty estimates; guarantee through legislation, adequate and cheap food grains, pulses, sugar and cooking oil.

2) Ban futures trading and speculation in all food articles.

3) Cut customs and excise duties on oil and reduce retail prices of petrol and diesel.

4) Initiate a nationwide crackdown on hoarders and black-marketers.

5) Strengthen disclosure norms for private foodgrain stocks in godowns and warehouses.

Expand Employment and Protect Livelihoods.

1) Enact an urban employment guarantee legislation with equal wages and rights for women.

2) Remove the existing general ban on recruitment and fill existing vacancies in the SC/ST/ and quotas for the disabled in government services and public sector.

3) Review and revise the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to increase workdays and wages. Enact an Urban Employment Guarantee Act.

4) Stop retrenchment of workers in the name of recession.

Protect and Expand Land Rights of the Poor.

1) Implement comprehensive redistributive land reforms; stop reversal of land reforms and relaxation of ceilings.

2) Assign the government lands, barren lands and wastelands to the poor; stop transfer of this land to corporate sector.

3) Provide homeless/landless/ small and marginal farmers household/homestead land and a house in a time-bound manner.

4) Amend the Land Acquisition Act 1894 and enact a rehabilitation and resettlement bill in order to minimise displacement, ensure adequate compensation; profit share, livelihood security.

In Solidarity with West Bengal.

1) Fight Against the TMC-Maoist collaboration in West Bengal and the violence unleashed by them against Left cadre and sympathisers.

2) Defend democracy, end violence.