People's candidate touches hearts of South Delhi voters

Delhi: Birju Nayak, people's candidate selected by the Lok Raj Samitis of South Delhi constituency, is actively campaigning among the people here, winning their hearts with his electoral platform of making the elected representative accountable to the people and giving people the right to recall their representative if he violates their interests.

He is supported by the Lok Raj Sangathan, together with the Communist Ghadar Party of India, Hind Naujawan Ekta Sabha, Purogami Mahila Sangathan and other people's organisations. Birju Nayak, standing on election symbol torch, presents the vision of a new society in which the working people will be the rulers and reorganise the economy to fulfil the needs of the working masses, rather than the super profits of the big monopoly houses.

The activists campaigning for Birju Nayak are going house to house, seeking support for him and his vision. In stark contrast to the candidates of the big political parties backed by money power and muscle power, Birju Nayak's supporters, mainly working class youth, are appealing to the people of the constituency to contribute generously towards his bold initiative. Birju Nayak's record as a staunch fighter for the people's interests, is making the workers respond enthusiastically, with many a worker's family dipping into its already lean resources to support his campaign.

At public meetings organised by the Lok Raj Samitis of various colonies in South Delhi, hundreds of residents gathered to express their support and solidarity for Birju Nayak. Public meetings were organised by the Lok Raj Samitis in Sanjay Colony, Okhla Phase 2 on April 26, in Prahlad Pur on April 29, in Indira Kalyan Vihar on April 30, in Giri Nagar, Kalkaji on May 2, in Transit Camp and in Bhoomiheen Camp on May 3. Sharing the podium with Birju were Shri S. Raghavan, President, Lok Raj Sangathan and comrade Sucharita of the Communist Ghadar Party of India.

Expressing the support of Lok Raj Sangathan for Birju Nayak, Shri S. Raghavan announced, amidst much applause, that LRS is supporting the campaign of two other such people's cndidates, Suryakant Shinge, a textile worker in South Mumbai and Wilson, a plantation worker in Kanyakumari. Both these candidates are campaigning on the same platform as Birju Nayak, for a renewal of the political process to make the working people the rulers. Exposing the lies and deception of the political parties that serve the interests of the big monopoly houses, he explained that only when the people themselves have control over the political process, they can reorient the economy to serve the needs of the working people. He emphasised the importance of building Lok Raj Samitis in every workplace and residential area, as organs of people's power. Birju Nayak's campaign is an important step in ensuring people's control over the political process, he declared and appealed to all to support him.

Comrade Sucharita explained how the alternative political process that Birju is campaigning for, is an important step in organising the workers and all the oppressed in the struggle to establish the rule of the workers and peasants, which alone can open the path to a bright future for all the exploited and oppressed.

Workers active in the Lok Raj Samitis came up and spoke of Birju Nayak's staunch struggle in defence of the interests of the people of the area. Women activists, who have been spearheading the struggle for water, sanitation and toilet facilities for women in the slums, spoke of how Birju Nayak has always wholeheartedly supported their struggle and come forward to provide leadership. When a young worker and former student of Birju came up and spoke of the qualities of Birju as a fearless fighter for the downtrodden, as a loving and caring comrade, guide and friend, there were few in the audience who could control their emotions.

Meetings have also been held at Tekhand, Railway Siding in Okhla Ph I and Tughlakabad Railway Workshop Colony. Street corner meetings have been organised in different working class colonies in Tughlakabad, Badarpur, Mehrauli, Sangam Vihar, Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar and Kalkaji assembly constituencies. From morning to evening, the campaigners have been busily talking to the people, striking a direct rapport with them.

At the busy Prem Nagar Chowk in Okhla Industrial Area, as thousands of workers pass by on their way home from work in the evening, they are regularly greeted by banners of torch and spirited slogans by excited campaigners for Birju Nayak. On April 28, they stopped by to participate in a public meeting where representatives of the supporting organisations and activists of the Lok Raj Samitis explained how Birju's campaign represents a hope for the future and called on all to support and vote for him.

Inspired by the message of Birju Nayak, many workers' organisations have come forward to support him. On April 28, Birju was invited to address a meeting of several hundred workers of the National Thermal Power Corporation employees union at their Badarpur plant. The workers enthusiastically offered their support for his campaign and also contributed money for it.

Birju Nayak's campaign caravan, a brightly decorated van bearing the symbol torch and the slogan "Hum hain iske maalik, hum hain hindostan, mazdoor kisan aurat aur jawan", has been going from one colony to another in this vast constituency, spreading his message. The campaign van visited all the ten Assembly constituencies, including the far flung rural and semi urban constituencies of Bijwasan, Chhattarpur and Palam. At busy bus stops, groups of youth alight from the van and distribute copies of Birju's manifesto. People gather around to talk to the campaigners and express their disillusionment with the existing political parties. Birju's campaign for people's control over their elected representatives is generating much excitement and a hope for the future.