In Defense of Democracy- Meeting in Bhopal

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In Defence of Democracy

Strategy planning meeting on 14th September

We are writing to you to invite/endorse the plan to organize a one day meeting to discuss and chalk out a plan of action for the forthcoming General elections. Every election is a challenge for democracy. The forthcoming one is more so as this time the communal forces are asserting themselves through various mechanisms. On one hand the ‘image of Modi’ is being projectedand there is an attempt to encash his well constructed image of ‘development man’, ‘incorruptible man’ and on the other to polarize the society through communal actions, on the pretext of terror, in the context of relations with Pakistan and through communal violence at various places.

We have to gear ourselves to enhance the democratic-secular values and defend the rights of minorities in our society. While many of us are seriously engaged for promotion of these very values, we still need to do a bit more in the light of the coming General elections. Some of us met in Ahmadabad and thought of having a meeting to chalk out a plan of action in this regard. Friends in Bhopal offered to host this meeting.

The Tentative agenda of the meeting is as follows:

• ·       How is forthcoming election different?
• ·   What steps need to be taken at national local level to defend Democracy-secularism?

Some steps which were thought of :

• ·     Hindi mailing list on the lines of Communalism Watch for 
• different materials
• ·       Organizing Local Conventions-‘In Defense of Democracy’ 
• where we involve all concerned local groups and people under this 
• theme
• ·       To plan for informative booklets, leaflets,videos, face book 
• groups twitters etc.

T     These are tentative ideas, which need to be concretized once we meet in Bhopal on 14th. Please try to reach the venue before 10 AM.

 Looking forward to seeing you.

In solidarity,

Dr Ram Puniyani (Rashtriya Secular Manch), Shabnam Hashmi 
(Anhad), Zakia Soman (Centre for Peace Studies/ BMMA), Dr 
Noorjehan Safia Niaz (Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan)], Sarika 
Sinha (Jan Pehal), Yogesh Diwan (Jan Pehal), Harinesh Pandya [Janpath]

Venue: Hotel Amarvilas, MP Nagar, Zone 2, Bhopal
Date: 14 Sept 2013 (Saturday)
Time: 10 AM to 5 PM

Local Contacts: Yogesh Diwan (09827624289), Vijay Sen (09981773205)

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