People's Democracy

HARYANA

AIKS Convention Stresses Need of Social Reforms

THE Haryana state unit of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) organised a state level convention on social reforms at village Mundal in Bhiwani district on September 1. While placing the main resolution of the convention, Kisan Sabha leader Krishna Swarup Gorakhpuria focussed on the need of eradication of various social evils plaguing the society in Haryana and elsewhere. The resolution emphasised on the need to create a society based on equality and free from exploitation. The resolution enlisted a number of social evils which need to be addressed with a view to equitable development of all the sections of the society including women, SCs, Minorities and other weaker section.

The resolution cited many examples of discrimination based on gender, castes, religion and other sectarian considerations. People must launch a social reform movement against dowry, female foeticide, lavish expenditure on marriages, obscurantism, superstitions, celebrations on death (kaaj or jag), alcoholism and drug addiction. The resolution expressed serious concern over repeated instances of ‘honour killing’ at the behest of illegal and illegitimate caste panchayats in the state, which is a shame far the civil society. Saner citizens should come forward to oppose all types of such inhuman and irrational actions of a section of the society. The convention strongly condemned the behaviour of leaders of the ruling class parties for providing direct on indirect support to such inhuman, barbaric and unconstitutional acts committed by the dominant elements of the society in the name of traditions. The resolution further took note of the fast deterioration in the social status of women in Haryana, despite a manifold increase in the workload for them.

Since the social reform movement had been weak in the state, the forces based on caste divide, patriarchal outlook and feudal ideology several times succeed in misleading the common people. So there is an urgent need to launch a broad-based social reform movement in Haryana.

The speakers also criticised the policies of ruling class parties who allot prime lands in the names of  building caste dharamshalas but would not give even a hundred square yards of land for a library.

Master Sher Singh, Balbir Singh Grewal (a former MLA), Sampat Kumari, Sunita, Dr Mahavir Narwal and Surender Singh Malik (general secretary of the state unit of CITU) were among the prominent speakers.

While concluding the convention, Phool Singh Sheokand, president of the state unit of All India Kisan Sabha, urged upon the people to launch an agitation for the genuine demands of  the peasantry and other common people. These demands are related to power and water crisis, subsidy on seeds, pesticides and agricultural implements, relief against natural calamities like flood, etc. Simultaneously, however, we have also to fight against discriminations being practised and social evils prevailing in the society.

The convention was presided over by Phool Singh Sheokend, Krishna Swarup Gorakhpuria, Master Sher Singh and Kartar Singh and was conducted by Harpal Singh (general secretary of the state unit of AIKS), Pradeep Singh and Ram Swarup.