Dear friends,

This is a short Update with confirmed details of the “display of banners” event in Delhi on 21 December. The outlook for this event is very good, with some 3,000 banners (demanding a full-fledged “employment guarantee now”) expected from all over the country, and at least 1,000 participants.

The previous Update (if you missed it, see www.righttofoodindia.org) dealt with the attempted sabotage of the “Employment Guarantee Act” (EGA) by the government. Since then, some ground has been regained, but the main concerns remain, including the absence of any time frame for the extension of the EGA to the whole of India. Against this background, the planned demonstration of public demand for a full-fledged EGA on 21 December is very timely – all the more so as the draft Act is expected to be tabled in Parliament very close to that date, and in any case before 23 December.

As announced earlier, a preparatory meeting was convened in Delhi on 11 December to finalise the programme and other details. The meeting was very well attended and the spirits were high. After two hours of animated discussion, the following decisions were made:

1. The banner display event will be held at Jantar Mantar and Ashoka Road (a nearby location) on 21 December. We will assemble at Jantar Mantar at 11 am.

2. Plans are being made for striking banner displays in various locations near Jantar Mantar and Ashoka road.

3. Aside from the main display at Jantar Mantar and Ashoka Road, the banners will be also be put to other creative uses, such as other displays in public places, presentation to Members of Parliament, etc.

4. The event will take place under the ad hoc banner of “People’s Action for Employment Guarantee” (‘Rozgar guarantee ke liye jan sangharsh’ in Hindi). The participating organisations are also welcome to bring their own banners.

5. All participating individuals/organisations are expected to meet their own travel and subsistence expenses.

6. An informal meeting is likely to be convened on 22nd December, to discuss further mobilisation on this issue during the next few months. Further details will be circulated after wide consultation.
7. A small working group was formed to take charge of the practical arrangements from now on. The group consists of:
Subhash Bhatnagar (Nirmana) - 9810810365
Navjyoti (secretariat, right to food campaign) 9811087811
Vivek (secretariat, right to food campaign) 011 30917116 (R)
Somanathan (Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti) 981099464
Gurminder (Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti) 9810980324
Annie D Raja (National Federation of Indian Women) 9811553633
and if possible, one member each from the All India Agricultural Workers Union and Hind Mazdoor Sabha.

If you require further information at any stage, please contact any member of this working group or write to rozgar@gmail.com. Regular updates will also be posted on the website of the right to food campaign (www.righttofoodindia.org). In case you would like to send banners by post, you can send them to any of the following addresses:

1. Secretariat Right to food campaign
C/o. A – 16 (basement) Jungpura Extension
New Delhi.

2. C/o. CORD
F – 24 Nizamuddin West
New Delhi 110 013.

3. National Federation of Indian Women
1002 Ansal Bhavan,
Connaught Place
New Delhi – 100001.