Trade unions and diverse organisations of farmers, youth, women, NGOs and rightist groups have jointly launched a national platform for debate on developmental issues.

Called ‘People’s parliament for unity and development', it aims to take the debate to every corner of the country, says DT Franco, convener of the coordination committee.

Sample topics

A random sampling of the topics for discussion, with contemporary socio-economic relevance, came up with the following list:

Why do farmers, traders, women, workers, youth and students complain lack of access to credit when needed, while bankers say there is no credit off take?

Why is it that even after 70 years of Independence all eligible children do not have access to education at schools and colleges?

Why is universal healthcare not available to all?

Why do farmers commit suicides? What keeps youth away from taking up farming?

Why don't women with a history of prompt repayment get adequate credit even in SHGS? Budget funds, Tax?

Why is unemployment increasing and what are the prospects for creating employment in rural and semi urban areas?

Where does Budget funds go?

Where does the tax that we pay go? Why is it that the government can’t fulfil the promise of the Constitution – provide equal opportunity to all?”

What does GST (Goods and Services Tax) mean to the common man?

These and more will be debated at presented in the ‘district parliament for unity and development.’ This will later go to the state- and national-level people’s parliament.

One lakh sessions

The coordination committee plans to have at least one lakh dialogue sessions with farmers, women and youth throughout the country.

The national platform features organisations such as the All India Bank Officers Confederation; All India Public Sector and Central Govt Officers Confederation; Centre for Indian Trade Unions; Nabard Officers Association; Indian National Trade Union Congress; All India Peoples’ Science Network; Sanchar Nigam Executives Association; and National Confederation of Officers Associations.

Also on the list are All India Bank Pensioners and Retirees Confederation; Confederation of All India Traders; All India Kisan Sabha; All India Democratic Women’s Association; Wada Math Thodo Abhiyan; Centre for Financial Accountability; Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability; National Fish Workers Forum; and Mazdoor Kisan Sangarsh Samiti, among others.

Launch in South

Former civil servants such as MG Devasahayam and SP Shukla IAS and academicians such as TS Ramakumar, Archana Prasad, Dinesh Abrol, Praveen Jha, Atul Sood, Dushyat Chavan and journalist P Sainath have been roped into the people's parliament.

The national platform has decided to launch the campaign at Kanya Kumari on August 19, followed by a series of co-launches at Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati and Nagaland.

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