Lok Sabha Elections 2019: 28 Maharashtra organisations join hands, want demands in parties’ manifestoes
Some demands include 50% women’s reservation in electoral politics, ending manual scavenging and rehabilitation of workers, enactment of Rohit Vemula Act to prevent atrocities and caste discrimination in Universities and a policy to ensure that minimum wages for any employment should not be less than ₹18,000 per month.
Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, various organisations in Maharashtra have come up with a people’s manifesto. Twenty eight organisations have made a list of 44 demands under the umbrella of Jagnyacha Hakk Andolan (JHA).
Some demands include 50% women’s reservation in electoral politics, ending manual scavenging and rehabilitation of workers, enactment of Rohit Vemula Act to prevent atrocities and caste discrimination in Universities and a policy to ensure that minimum wages for any employment should not be less than ₹18,000 per month.
Ahead of World Water Day on Friday, the body also demanded ending any form of privatisation in water distribution and a water security act to be enacted for equitable distribution of water.
The organisations have started meeting heads of various political parties to place their demands.
Sitaram Shelar, convenor, Pani Haq Samiti and a member of JHA, said, “We will be meeting all political leaders in the next few days to make them include our demands. These demands are representative of the workers of this state.”
Shelar also said the organisation did not invite any leaders from the ruling alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena in its first meeting. However, Congress, NCP, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders were present.
“The ruling parties did not meet any of our demands in the past five years,” he added. The organisations had a meeting in Dadar earlier this month, which was also attended by members of political parties. It will be arranging more meetings before the elections.