Hyderabad, June 11: Asserting that his party believes that India could be transformed constitutionally, peacefully and democratically, Lok Satta Party president Jayaprakash Narayan today announced setting up of a ‘National Public policy and Advocacy center’ in Hyderabad soon to have an indepth study on problems being faced by the country and to offer innovative solutions. The party would fight for having voting rights and dual citizenship to the nearly 30 million NonResident Indians spread across the globe to make them as partners of India’s growth, he noted.
Addressing a press conference here to share his monthlong `Rejuvenate India’ tour experiences in the United States of America, Jayaprakash Narayan said that scores of Indians transcending religion and region, and language and caste were ready to join the mission to transform the country. India has the potential to become the second largest economy of the world next only to China by 2039 provided it undertakes institutional reforms. Failure to implement values enshrined in the Constitution have resulted in problems being faced by the country. The prerequisites include eradication of corruption, healthcare to all, decentralization of power, ensuring rule of law and provision of quality education, he added.
Asked about the NRIs view on state bifurcation issue, the LSP leader said the consensus was that the people should not make it the central issue of their lives. The NRIs in USA opined that, ”Let us disagree without being disagreeable as the (Telangana) issue is decided based on facts, logic and national considerations.”
As for contesting the ensuing byelections to the 12 Assembly segments in Telangana region, he said that the party would take a decision once the election notification was issued. The LSP would not believe that it could take up educating the people when they were seized by emotions, he added.
With regard to Maoist violence, Jayaprakash observed that the violence was one more testimony to failure of the leadership to implement the Constitution. The real answer lies not in repression, but in creating opportunities for every Indian irrespective of birth, decentralization of power and rebuilding Indian politics on moral foundations, he opined.
On this occasion, the LSP leader called upon the people to say `no to caste’ in the census enumeration. He, however, favoured enumeration of backward classes (BCs) without reference to their caste or subcaste on the lines of SCs and STs. In fact, the caste could be eradicated in the long run through intercaste marriages. Even the government should encourage such marriages by offering certain incentives, he added.
–Agencies