Social Democratic Party of India

Presidential Speech by E. Abubacker, President SDPI in the National Delegates Meet in FICCI Auditorium, New Delhi on 18 October 2009

Today, on 18th October 2009, we are in an auspicious occasion of dedicating a new national political party to the people of India. It was on 21st June 2009, the humble formation of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) took place in a hotel room in New Delhi, participated by 22 persons representing different States. On July 29, after just 39 days, when formally declared the new party before the mediain New Delhi, the member strength of the organization has grown from 22 to 60,000.

 
Presidential Speech

On that day, the media persons asked us why a new party, what is its relevance? There are lots of political parties stationed at ruling side and at opposition and a number of political organisations from Muslim community. Then why this party, a new party, they ask.

When we look at the political scenario in the country after 62 years of independence, what do we see around us? The country has gone far away from the fundamental principles we thought sacred. Our constitution was drafted by taking into account the plurality of Indian society with lots of religions, various casts and hundreds of languages. That is why we have accepted secularism as a basic value of our nation.

At the same time the concept of Indian secularism that doesn’t discriminate against any particular religion and treat every religion with equal consideration is only in the book, not in practice. Our experience proves this fact beyond any doubt. The treatment by the government towards religious minorities in the country was never akin to the generous treatment given to the followers of Hindu religion. We are the third largest Muslim population in the world. Hence the world Muslim community cannot sideline Muslim India, and same is the case with the Indian government. Nobody can ignore the Muslims in our country. And the Muslims of India cannot leave the country as home of others. But unfortunately the attitude of the government towards Muslims doesn’t match to this ground reality.

And we see that socialism is another basic principle of the country. As a nation, we have forfeited our right to utter the word socialism, by gradually opting the path of capitalism. Here, the gap between the haves and have-nots are ever increasing. When we are moving fast to the height of the world in respect of scientific and technological advancements and military power, our villages are still starving. Even after the 60 years of independence, more than 60% of our population still reels below the poverty line. Even drinking water is a luxury to the masses at large. Our country is at the top of the world in the rate of infant mortality.

Our socialist left parties are eager to turn right. They have left the left and say the right is right. Our country is the largest democracy in the world. But is the democracy prevais here in its true sense? Here the candidates are making huge payments for parliament and assembly seats. Mostly they are payment seats. They in turn purchase votes from the people. The situation here is that only the wealthy people can try their luck in the electoral politics of the country. The political parties are no longer having the inner party democracy. All parties have become either the property of some families or of private individuals. In short, we have distanced a lot from the three basic foundations of our republic – democracy, secularisms and socialism. We have betrayed the values shown by our forefathers. It was the no aligned policy of our country that helped us to hold our head high among the world nations. Today, we have become the Asian tool of the capitalist and most intolerant country - USA.

A country that helped and abetted all freedom struggles across the world in the past, now denounces all such endeavors and struggles using the terminology dictated by the American masters. Now Israel, the most notorious nation in the world is our close ally. We are on the top among the consumers of Israeli products including out dated arms and ammunitions. Here, we are initiating a noble mission to recover its robbed values and principles.

Communal fascism is on the rise in our country. From a mere isolated outfit, it has grown to become a mindset prevailing among a large section of our society. They are eating from the rotten flush of the past. They have declared Muslims as enemies in an attempt to hinder all their forward movements. They have destroyed the belongings of the Muslim masses by creating communal riots. They have perpetuated genocides. They have tightened their grip in all walks of life - in th legislature, in the executive, in the judiciary and in the media which is the fourth estate. They are playing communal cards and even caste cards as and when they need it.

They are against all religions. They are against Dalits, against democracy and against secularism. They are the real enemies of our mother land. Now it has become imperative for the country to get rid off these fascist forces. Today, the left parties are in a crisis. I mean, not the failure in the elections or decrease in the number of assembly or parliament seats. Instead, they have retracted from their much boasted ideals and values. They no longer hold their ‘identity card’ of the farmer’s party or working class party. The parties like CPM and CPI have been degraded to the level of capitalist outfits that protect the interest of bourgeois. In the past the poor had identified the red colour with their life blood. But now, they have recognized that red is the hue of their death. That is what we could see in Nandigram and Lalgarh.

Corruption is still a bane for our country. We know that the drugs and pesticides banned in USA and Europe are being imported to our country, the politicians and bureaucrats taking billions of rupees as bribes from the foreign manufacturers. These unscrupulous people are playing game with the life of our citizens. And this must be stopped. We know, anti national and destabilizing activities are on the rise in our country. Today, we come across many a ‘Judas’ who carry out spy activities for the sake of 30 silver coins from our enemy countries. We should expose and alienate all those forces which work to destabilize India in collusion with any other country, whether it be China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka, America or Israel.

Our society is witnessing various kinds of discriminations, mainly on the basis of religion. The situation is so worse that, a Muslim is not in a position even to secure a flat in posh areas of our cities. Shabana Azmi, the Bollywood actress had openly spoke about this plight 5 years ago. The signs of Muslim identity are being used to symbolize terrorism and treason. A Muslim has to carry the burden of producing evidence to prove that he is not a terrorist. Muslim ministers and MPs are forced to distance from their community. They issue statements, under compulsion against their own community as proof of their commitment to the nation.

The discrimination against lower classes has posed a serious threat to our society. Dalits are still being discriminated. In the past lower classes were denied education by pouring hot lead into their ears. And now they are kept away from learning by denying them the right to reservation.

And the discrimination on the basis of language also prevails in the country. When some languages are enjoying elite status, some others are ill treated. The attitude towards Urdu and Punjabi are ample examples for this double standard. Women may be getting 50% reservation in the legislative bodies. But in fact it is a ploy of upper cast to impose their indirect rule. Women are still the victims of gender discrimination. The India women even today are meeting the same tragedy as that of Sita in Ramayana and Droupathi in Mahabharatha.

The disparity between urban and rural India is disgusting. Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit had said, Delhi will be called the city of over-bridges. But the question is , our villages will be called by what name. Rural India has no roads, no electricity no drinking water and no schools. Mahatma Gandhi said, India lives in its villages. But Rahul Gandhi’s India is dying in its villages. Though the villages have no drinking water, they are bearing the burden of frequent floods, due to the indiscriminate exploitation of nature. No where in the country, the eco-balance has been maintained. The natural resources are exploited not for the common good, but for the sake of monopolies.

Last month a journalist asked me a question in a press conference in Rajastan: why you, a south India came to north with a political party. I replied: please don’t divide India again. We are not south Indians and you are not north Indians, but we all are Indians.

When Gandhiji came south with the message of the freedom struggle, the people in Kerala, Thamilnadu, Karnataka and Andra Padesh extended him a very warm welcome. They ignored his regional identity and responded to his ideals. Sonia Gandhi, though a lady of Italian origin, has lots of followers in the south and north. Though L. K. Advani hails from Sindh now Pakistan, Indians didn’t deny his political space.

So we in the SDPI strive for the welfare of the people in this country. This is not a sectarian part. And we expect that the objectives and action plans the party put forward will be accepted whole heartedly by the citizens all over the India.

During a press conference in Delhi, a question came. How will you manage to raise funds while opposing the capitalism and monopolies? In this question lays a big fact. The present political parties in and out of power are getting the sustenance from big corporate monopolies. The democracy is defined as the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Now it is redefined in our country as the government of monopolies, for monopolies and by monopolies.

I reiterate. Our party SDPI is for the people. It will be well supported and nurtured by them. It will draw strength from the people only to be returned to them.

I am concluding my address. There are two main tasks before us. Firstly, as I told you earlier, to retrieve the lost values and principles our country. Secondly, to create a new India of equal rights to all without any discrimination.

Here, we should redistribute our resources for the welfare of our society. Change should reach each and every minuscule of the country. The people of the country must unite to achieve this task.

All weaker sections of the society including Adivasis, Dalits, Muslims and other minority communities should come together to build a new India. They should roar down from each and every hill tops, amassing enough strength. Their voices should reverberate all over as thunder bolt heralding change. Here, is a dawn waiting for us.

Dear friends. Definitely we are in the midst of pains, sorrows and agonies. At the same time our destiny rests in these very depths of sorrows and pains. From here we draw strength for our forward leaps.

Dear colleagues. It is beneath the tear drops in the eye corner of our women, the ray of hope and the colour stream of rainbows rest.

During the past, we were running away, hiding from the reality. Now we have no caves to hide. We also run out of time. So let us move forward hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder. Let all the mountains be flattened in our way. Let the oceans split and pave us the way forward.

Alas, for who turn back after reaching this doorstep;

There is no way for him to escape.

Jai Hind.