Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu: All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and Incharge J&K Affairs Dr Sayeed Naseer Hussain MP alongwith PCC President Tariq Hameed Karra today launched the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram in Jammu.
The movement was launched as a part of the nationwide call of the AICC for a 45 days long movement against replacement of the mega rural employment scheme in the country.
Addressing a largely attended gathering of senior leaders and prominent functionaries of the party including present and former legislators, former ministers, newly appointed District Presidents, Frontal wing leaders, Block Presidents and others, Dr Naseer said that UPA government headed by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh enacted several significant laws to give legal rights and guarantees to the people, as per constitutional spirit contained in the shape of fundamental rights and directive principles, like right to work (MGNREGA), Right to Food (FSA), Right to Information (RTI),Right to Education ( RTE), Forest Right Act, etc, but the central government is destroying, diluting or taking away those rights systematically .
He said Right to work with legal guarantee of 100 days in a year, with right to wages and accountability was the most significant right which was described as the biggest ever rural job guarantee scheme in the world and it ensured jobs to the poor, landless checking forced migration in search of jobs .
Dr Naseer said that BJP couldn’t achieve 400 plus target to change the constitution although weakening it and institutions but diluting and replacing important legal and statutory rights like MGNREGA enacted by the UPA government.
He asked the participants to take down the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram to the grass root levels to educate the masses about the plan to snatch the right to work from the rural jobless.
He said that newly appointed District Presidents have to carry out this responsibility effectively as they have been selected through the AICC process.
JKPCC Chief Tariq Hameed Karra in his address strongly criticised the government for replacing the historical rural job scheme in the country after the name of father of nation Mahatma Gandhi, who led the freedom struggle.
“Crores of rural poor got the legal guarantee to work every year by the unique scheme, throughout the country but by replacing the entire spirit and pattern of the scheme, they have snatched the right to jobs of the poor people,” Karra said.
He appreciated the presentation of two experts Prof Sandip Singh and Prof Iqbal Shawl in the day-long workshop on the various facets of the MGNREGA and the new scheme and asked the participants to circulate pamphlets detailing the various aspects in order to educate the masses.
CWC member Vikar Rasool Wani, Former PCC President Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed, several former ministers, MLAs, Ex-MPs, Ex-MLAs – MLCs, besides other senior leaders from Kashmir and Jammu region attended day-long session at Kashmir Hills Resort Ploura, Jammu.
AICC Secretary Divya Maderna co-Incharge J&K Affairs highlighted the historical background of the MGNREGA which was the brainchild of UPA leadership Sonia Gandhi and then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to give legal rights to the poor for jobs. She asked the cadres to educate the masses to safeguard their constitutional, legal and democratic rights.
Working President Raman Bhalla in his welcome address targeted the BJP for communal and divisive politics and their politics of hatred and vendetta against political opponents. BJP has no history in freedom struggle, so they are jealous of great leaders of freedom struggle like Mahatma Gandhi and Pt Nehru and others.DD
