Send @ least 1 email today…

Thanks to Sandeep for alerting me to this post by Sh Rajeev Chandrasekhar, published yesterday. In the post (emphasis added), Sh Chandrasekhar mentioned how 421 million fellow Indians continue to live in abject conditions (almost a third of our population) even as the country registers a growth of 8.5% and how the private wealth of 49 Indians on Forbes list is nearly 31% of India’s GDP.

He asked a simple question:

…So, where is the money going? Why are we so complacent about people’s lives? Why is there no debate or Bharat Bundh over misuse or abuse of funds and sheer poverty of such gigantic proportions?

He went on to write:

Even today..the country has no clue about a predictable and definite timetable to eradicate poverty! …why are we not able to plan a clear Timebound path to a Poverty free India? A decade or 2 decades – whatever the case may be, but we should be able to have a national Plan.

…and proposed:

Given that there is very little discussion on issues like this in Parliament or in Media, one of the suggestions that a group of Parliamentarians including me have made to the Speaker and Vice President – is to have Special sessions of Parliaments of 3-5 days, which will only discuss National Priority issues – with no disruptions’, No partisanship. Such a session will also serve to get the attention of ‘heavily distracted media’ to focus the nation on the REAL challenges facing us.

If the Parliament can be convened specially to hear President Obama of America, surely we can also convene a special session to discuss National Priority issues like Poverty.

Image Courtesy: Partha Sarathi Sahana (via Flickr)

But why am I re-posting all this? What is the point?  This is the point:

So, if you agree with this idea of special sessions of Parliament that will focus on ‘National Priority issues’ – write a letter or email to the Vice President vpindia@nic.in and/or Speaker of Lok Sabha speakerloksabha@sansad.nic.in or Prime Minister manmohan@sansad.nic.in and copy me rajeev.c@nic.in on it so I can get a sense as well of how many of us really want this focus to start.

As Sh Chandrasekhar wrote,

I can think of many ways of service to the country – this is one real way of serving by getting all of us to focus on creating a Poverty and destitution less India!

I cannot agree more. I am posting the email Sandeep sent (with his permission) in Hindi… Below that is what I sent in English…Pl feel free to use either, as appropriate…Let us try and create some momentum around this…

Subject: देश में बढ़ती गरीबी हटाने के लिए संसद में ३-५ दिन की चर्चा का आयोजन किया जायें, यह प्रार्थना

आदरणीय उपराष्ट्रपति, लोकसभा अध्यक्ष, और प्रधानमंत्रीजी, सादर प्रणाम,

उपरोक्त विषय के हेतु यह इ-सन्देश भेजकर आपको कष्ट दे रहा हूं. लेकिन अब रहा नहीं जाता. राजीव चंद्रशेखरजीने दारिद्र्य रेखा के बारे में लिख कर (यहां पढ़े) हमें यह अहसास दिलाया की हम आप तक पहुँच सकते हैं. इस के लिए मैं उनके आभार प्रगट करता हूं. मैं अपने परिवार तथा गाँव की और से आपको यह बिनती करता हूं की आप तुरंत से तुरंत देश की बढ़ती हुई दारिद्र्य रेखा की निचे की लोकसंख्या नियंत्रिक तथा कम करने हेतु एक विशेष संसदीय चर्चासत्र का प्रयोजन करें.
धन्यवाद!

आपका,
संदीप नारायण शेळके
Pune,
जय भारत!
कृषीदेश

Subject: A request to convene special sessions of Parliament to discuss National Priority issues

Honourable Vice-President, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister of India,

Sirs, You may be aware of a recent article by Sh Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP (Rajya Sabha) proposing “Special sessions of Parliament” lasting a week  to discuss issues of National Priority and critical importance, such as the seemingly endemic poverty. May I request you to kindly consider this suggestion and convene these sessions so that the political leadership can come to a consensus – and a plan of action – to tackle these issues?

Thank you,

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!

Shantanu @ http://Satyameva-Jayate.org/

***

Please don’t forget to send at least this email today. And when you are done, pl update your facebook profile with these words: “Done” and this link: http://bit.ly/9UAa3m

Then please share with all your friends and acquaintances. Thanks.

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“Breaking Free of Nehru” – Book Review

“Kaam Aadmi” Politics – Can it work?

P.S. In case you are wondering, I have no formal or informal connection with Sh Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Indeed, I have never met him. Of course, I know of him. He is someone I regard highly…and someone who I feel we should support.