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I am young. I too have a dream...(Rajiv Gandhi) मैं जवान हूँ. मेरा भी एक सपना है...(राजीव गाँधी)

Sunday, August 31, 2008

AAM AADMI KA SIPAHI (AAKS)

Four and a half years ago the Aam Aadmi of this nation rejected the India Shining slogan and brought the Congress party back to power under the leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi. The Congress led UPA government headed by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and guided by UPA Chaiperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi promised the Aam Aadmi, weak and poor of this nation certain benefits under the Common Minimum Program based on Congress Manifesto like Transparency and Accountability in their Governance, Employment Guarantee, Security of the future of Farmers, Political, Social, Economic and Legal Empowerment for Women, Security for the Forest Dwellers and Equal Opportunity of Education and Employment to the SC, ST, OBC and other Religious Minorities.

With in a One and a half year of the completion of it’s term the UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh keeping their promises with Aam Aadmi of the nation presented the two historic acts the Rozgaar Guarantee Act (NREGA) and peoples Right to Information Act’ 05. The need of the hour today is to ensure that the intended recipients can derive the benefits of these policies. The concept of the Aam Aadmi Ka Sipahi is to constitute enablers who will work at the Panchayat level to facilitate the aam aadmi, sensitise and create awareness and assist them in availing the benefits of the pro-people policies of the UPA Government.

The idea of Youth Congress coming up with a programme such as AAKS emanated from Sh. Rahul Gandhi’s vision of the necessity of the youth to connect with the grassroots level and popularise the historic pro-people schemes implemented by the Congress led UPA Government, especially the NREGS, which has been extended countrywide from this year.

There will be a group of 3 AAKS in each Panchayat, of which one will necessarily be female. This group will work with the aam aadmi to ensure that the people can derive the benefits of the historic policies launched by the Congress led UPA Government. In particular, Indian Youth Congress through AAKS will focus on the NREGS, and ensure that the programme benefits, which have now been extended to the entire country, can reach the common man. The AAKS in each Panchayat will act as a pointsman in this regard, listening to the problems being faced by the people, and enabling and helping them to solve these issues. The AAKS will also make people at the grassroots level aware of the RTI, one of the most revolutionary acts instituted by the Congress led UPA Government, intended to bring about transparency in functioning of institutions. This Act is a great empowering tool for the aam aadmi, and the AAKS volunteers will teach people regarding the use of this Act, and also educate them regarding the filing of applications and other procedural issues related to the same. Similar exercises will also be undertaken on other schemes of the UPA Government such as various pension schemes, loan waiver for farmers, Public Distribution System etc. to enable the people to derive the maximum benefits from these schemes.

To be successful in this mission, professionals working in this field will give the training AAKS volunteers of the Youth Congress from across the country. They will also be provided with a kit containing the achievements of the Congress led UPA, application models, information regarding all the programmes, and publicity material such as pamphlets, banners, T-shirts, posters etc.

Overall, the AAKS programme is committed towards fulfilling the organisation slogan Congress Ka Haath, Aam Aadmi Ke Saath in letter and action.

JAI HIND!!!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

देश के युवाओं से आवाहन

(१)
उनका कर्ज चुकाने को,
अपना फर्ज निभाने को।
नया ख़ून तैयार खड़ा है,
राजनीति मेँ आने को॥

(२)
जागी अब तरुणाई है,
देश ने ली अंगडाई है।
नई उमर की नई फसल,
अब राजनीति मेँ आई है॥

(३)
जण गण मन अधिनायक,
जो है भाग्य विधाता।
लोकतंत्र के सिंहासन का,
असली मालिक मतदाता॥

(४)
किसी वाद पर दो मत ध्यान,
राष्ट्रहित मेँ दो मतदान॥

(५)
जाती धर्म और भाषावाद,
करना है इनका प्रतिवाद॥

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Revised IYC Constitution (With Comments)

I have spent the better part of the past two months redrafting the Constitution of the Indian Youth Congress. It has not been changed (or for that matter- read) since it was first adopted in 1983: consequently, the late Smt. Indira Gandhi continues to be lifetime chairperson of its penultimate Central Advisory Board. Some of the provisions suggested, like having two-yearly elections to fill organizational posts, have never been put into actual practice. More than a quarter of a century since its adoption, the overall feeling one gets from reading the document, therefore, is that it belongs to another age; and is hardly suited to the needs of our own time.

In all, I have proposed more than 27 major and several minor amendments. Suggestions I had proposed in an earlier presentation (Blueprint for Building a New IYC) have also been incorporated. Below is a brief 15-point Synopsis of the Amendments:

1. Membership rules have been changed to incorporate one common Form (as opposed to three for becoming primary and active members and for renewal of membership) to be filled annually by members; performance-determined levels of membership have been assigned; and strategies have been proposed for substantially enhancing the number of women members. (Art. VIII)

2. Form A has been made digitally readable and includes blood group-type information and an eye-donation form. This will transform IYC into India's biggest blood bank and eye-donor agency.

3. Schedule One contains the algorithm that the digital-reader would follow for determining membership-level based on information supplied in Form A. (Art. IX)

4. To increase organizational-penetration at the grassroots level, two new primary units have been introduced: booth-level Rajiv Gandhi Shakti Kendras (RGSKs) and panchayat-level SHGs called Indira Gandhi Svasahayata Samitis (IGSSs). (Art. XI A and B)

5. RGSKs are purely political bodies dealing with booth-management during elections.

6. IGSSs are self-sustaining, income generating, socio-economic units ultimately aimed at creating what could possibly be the largest multifaceted NGO in the country: personally I can think of no better way to counter Ekal vidyalayas, Vanvasi kalyan ashrams and other such RSS outfits that have infiltrated the rural belt of India. They combine a distinct social welfare agenda with innovative income-generating asset-creating techniques within the political framework of the YC.

7. IGSSs are governed by a separate subsidiary constitution provided in Schedule Two.

8. Both the RGSK and IGSS networks will be sort of a proto-cadre of the Congress.

9. A formula has been worked out for the number of elected and nominated posts in IYC, PYC, DYC and BYC executive committees; precise rules for work allocation have been framed; specific tasks assigned; monitoring and feedback mechanisms are in place; and guidelines for setting up departments and their functions have also been specified. (Arts. XI C, XII, XIII, XVI, XIX)

10. The election process itself has been overhauled completely: a CEC (Central Election Committee) has been created as an autonomous body; precise schedules, guidelines, and modus operandi have been laid down; executive committees are proposed to be dissolved to prevent any overriding interference/tweaking with the election process; the block level elections would be direct; executive committee members thus chosen would elect the DYC executive, who will in turn elect the PYC. All elected executive committee members- Block, District and Pradesh- would then be delegates at a national convention where the national committee would be elected. (Art. XVIII)

11. Differential Criteria has been fixed for who can vote and contest- based primarily on their involvement with the organization (to eliminate the possibility of candidates making members only for the purpose of getting themselves elected while also ensuring that performance- merit- gets rewarded). (Art. VIII, IX)

12. Dates- and time- have been specified for simultaneous nationwide meetings of executive committees; & block, district, state and national-level conventions; agendas- and formats of minutes- have been set.

13. A permanent training facility (Rajiv Gandhi Yuva Prashikshan Kendra)- and a monthly magazine- have been incorporated in Schedule Three of the constitution.

14. A comprehensive Budget has been proposed: new sources of revenue have been created; collection points identified; and precise function-based distribution of revenues done. (Art. X)

15. A definitive target-oriented socio-political agenda has been incorporated into Art. III (Functions) based on additional institutions and functions that have been inbuilt into the constitution.

Below I reproduce the text of the 1983 document; followed by my comment, and the proposed Amendment. Your suggestions are, as always, welcome, particularly with respect to Art. II dealing with the OBJECT (AIM) of the IYC.

Amit Aishwarya Jogi

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