Civil society groups urge public to ‘teach dictatorial ruling parties a lesson’

Hyderabad: In the light of the ensuing Telangana Assembly elections, multiple civil society organisations came together to appeal to the people of Telangana to opt for a change from ‘dictatorial and allegedly anti-democratic forces’ by not voting for the parties ruling the state as well as the country.

Over a dozen leaders from diverse civil society organisations including Telangana People’s JAC, Jago Telangana, Muslim Organisations JAC, Telangana Samakhya, Bharath Jodo Abhiyan and Bharat Bachao participated in Monday’s meeting at Somajiguda where they addressed the media regarding the ‘misrule, corruption and attack on Constitutional rights by the ruling parties.’

The speakers pointed out that Telangana was formed after a prolonged democratic struggle of lakhs of people. “However, inefficient governance, dictatorial rule, unaccountability and corruption have exploited the people’s aspirations. Every section of the public including youths, students, widows, tenant farmers, and Dalits has suffered and have been exploited. There is widespread unemployment and several posts are lying vacant in all government departments,” they said.

Addressing the press, the speakers also spoke regarding the rule at the Centre. They said that prices of all essential commodities, especially gas and petrol have increased during the BJP rule. Privatisation and demonetisation have hit the country’s economy and the country’s resources were given away to a few big corporations, they claimed.

“The ruling party played one community against the other, one religion against the other and did not bother about the unrest unfolding in Manipur, creating a civil war-type situation,” said Dr Gopi Nath, one of the speakers at the meeting.

Advocate Sadiq Ali said, “People should vote for a change to keep democracy alive and teach a lesson to the present dictatorial ruling parties.”

Criticising the BRS government, professor Padmaja Shaw, associated with the Jago Telangana organization said, “The state tops in violence against women among South Indian states and ranks last in women’s education. And now, just before the elections, the liquor policy has been changed to ensure an abundant supply of liquor against post-dated cheques. Liquor addiction is a bane for families and society, where the male folk are drunk throughout the day, run into debt, do not work, and abuse the wife and children, who are forced to do all the work and earn. The government does not take any action to ban the belt shops and rampant use of liquor.”

Vissa Kirankumar, one of the organisers of the meet, emphasised the united stand that the civil society organisations have taken to raise awareness among the public to save the state from “dictatorial, anti-democratic forces.”

He said, “BRS has betrayed the aspirations of the Telangana movement. The youth lack jobs while natural resources like water have been diverted for producing beer and other polluting chemicals rather than for public benefit. The problems of 22 lakh tenant farmers have been ignored and they are not even recognized. A handful of corporate companies stand to benefit exactly like the Adanis make profit with support from the Central government.”

“Anyone raising voice against the rulers is shut down, even Cabinet ministers are not taken into consideration and it is like a one-family rule in the state. Similarly, in the centre, conflicts between religions and different communities, especially involving minorities, have escalated in the last few years, which is harmful to democracy and goes against the spirit of our constitution. In such a scenario, BJP is not an alternative to BRS in Telangana as both are anti-democratic forces and people must vote judiciously for a change,” he added.