Bhopal, October 12 (Pervez Bari): Advocate Sajid Siddiqui of Bhopal has been elected president of the Madhya Pradesh state unit of the newly launched Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI). The MP state unit was constituted unanimously at the SDPI’s Madhya Pradesh State leaders get-together held here on Sunday.
The announcement of the MP state unit was made by Maulana Usman Baig Rshadi, National Working Committee member of SDPI, here at a Press conference this evening. The other office-bearers are: vice president – Ishratullah Khan (Gwalior), general secretary – Abdul Rauf (Indore), secretaries – Irfan-ul-Huq (Jabalpur), & Mohammad Saleem (Indore), Treasurer – Akhtar Ali Ansari (Sheopur).
The Executive Committee members are: Prof. Mateen Ahmad Siddiqui (Bhopal), Saeed Bilgrami (Bhopal), Adv. Ms Nahid Kirmani (Bhopal), Khan Bahadur Khan (Bhopal), S. P. J. Bari (Bhopal), Abdul Ghani Khan (Gwalior), Ateeq-ur-Rahman (Ujjain), Saeed Rahmat Ali (Ujjain), Adv. Munawwar Ali (Sheopur), Liyaquat Hussain (Indore) and Shabbir Ali Ansari (Jabalpur).
It may be mentioned here that Adv. Sajid Siddiqui has been burdened with dual charge. Apart from being elected MP State president on Sunday he is already national vice president of SDPI.
Six District Committees namely of Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Sheopur were also constituted on the occasion.
Maulana Baig informed that the SDPI will hold its first national delegates’ meet next week on October 18 in FICCI auditorium in New Delhi. The party will also release its manifesto at the convention. The SDPI president is Mr. E. Abubacker.
He pointed out that the SDPI was formed to realize a social order and political system based on the Indian Constitutional ideals of justice, equality, liberty and fraternity. The SDPI was officially formed on June 21, 2009 in New Delhi and was formally launched on July 29, 2009.
In a reply to a question he said doors of SDPI are open to one and all and persons from other castes and religious denominations would be included and assigned responsibilities in the party in due course of time after observing their dedication for the cause of the party.
Replying to questions Maulana Baig said the SDPI upholds a political ideology founded on the principles of : (a) National integration, communal amity and social harmony; (b) Democratization of society and politics; (c) Rule of law; (d) Freedom from fear and hunger; (e) Eco-friendly and non-destructive development model; (f) Welfare and progress of the weaker sections; (g) Security and dignity of the marginalized classes ; (h) Cultural identity of the tribals, the dalits and the minorities; (i) Empowerment of minorities and backward castes & (j) Unity and solidarity among the depressed communities
He declared that SDPI would fight for realization of the basic values of justice, freedom, security and cordiality which are upheld by the Indian constitution. Party would bring together all sections of people to fight democratically for the purpose. It shall mobilise the people to enjoy civil rights through democratic struggles including elections. The SDPI shall strive for the establishment of governance in the Union and the States, capable of fulfilling equal rights to all citizens and all classes in India. It aims to unite all depressed classes in a national political movement. It is the need of the time that there be a political party for the empowerment of all the marginalised and under-privileged classes of people, he emphasized.
Maulana said that the SDPI shall bear full faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established and to that principles of socialism, secularism and democracy and would uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India. The jurisdiction of the party is Indian Union, he added.
He told a questioner that SDPI is not a personality-oriented party and does not believe in highlighting any personality around which party would revolve as is wont of other personality-based parties. Without naming any party, he said other parties presidents are party president and the party is their fiefdom while SDPI is a new democratic party where party cadres are supreme whose suggestions are taken into consideration before arriving at any decision.
The SDPI shall have a two-tier membership pattern: – (i) Party Cadre and (ii) Party Member, he said.
SDPI’s national general secretary A. Sayeed, said the SDPI has its presence in 16 states with about 1.5 lakh cadres. The state committees have been formed in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Pondicherry and Manipur state committees will be formed before October 18, he added.
National vice president Adv. Sajid Siddiqui and Central coordinator C. P. Muhammad Ali were also present on the occasion along with many delegates from various cities of Madhya Pradesh. (pervezbari@eth.net)