Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) Correspondent
Day by day every government is increasing the privatization of health services and education, due to which more and more people are being deprived of these needs. The level of services that are still available is constantly being dropped. It has also become very difficult for the youth to get employment. In this context a vigorous demonstration was organized in Pune.
The Rashtriya Ekatmata Samiti (National Integration Committee) has been running a campaign called “Kranti Saptah Jan Ki Baat”. Under it, a protest was held on Friday, 12 August 2022 at Kendriya Bhawan, Pune on the issues of health, education and employment. The demonstration was organized to put forth the demands to strengthen the government health system, to fill the posts of doctors, teachers and health workers immediately, to implement the urban Employment Guarantee Scheme, and to repeal the New Education Policy, etc.
On this occasion Nitin Pawar, Convenor of the Rashtriya Ekatmata Samiti, senior leader Baba Adhav, senior social worker Subhash Ware, Dr. Anant Phadke Dr. Abhay Shukla, Shailaja Aralkar and Shailesh of Jan Arogya Abhiyan, Sharad Javadekar of Samajwadi Shikshan Haq Sabha, National People’s Movement Coordinator Suhas Kolhekar, Arogya Sena office bearer Hanumant Bahirat and Laxmikant Mundada, Dr. Kishore Khilare of Jan Arogya Manch, State Convenor of Yuva Kranti Dal, Jambuwant Manohar, Sudarshan Chakhale, Vishal Vimal of Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, of Jan Arogya Abhiyan, Pradeep of Lok Raj Sangathan, Lokayat’s Kalyani Manaswini Ravindra, Nikhil Ranjankar, etc. were present.
The Convenor of the Rashtriya Ekatmata Samiti, Nitin Pawar introduced the program and explained the role behind Kranti Saptah. The program was conducted by Omkar More.
Senior leader Mr. Baba Adhav said that the rights of citizens are being violated in the country; education, health and employment are the fundamental rights of the citizens but even after 75 years of the country these citizens are not getting these rights. If we don’t work for change now, history will never forgive us.
Dr. Abhay Shukla said that India has the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the world and Pune has the highest number of deaths in India. As a result of privatization of health services, deficiencies in health facilities have come to the fore in the Covid period. There is an urgent need to rebuild the public health system, taking lessons from the global pandemic of COVID. Due to non-availability of timely medical facilities during the COVID period, many people from workers to journalists, doctors, scientists, and political leaders became its victims.
Sharad Javadekar said that in the current situation only those who have money can study and only they get health and medical facilities.
Subhash Ware said that there are 72 government employees for every 10,000 people in the US, whereas in India this ratio is as low as 14. There are many vacancies in public services and public enterprises. Agriculture yield is not guaranteed, employment is not created because there is not enough investment by the government in agriculture. A concerted action program is needed to change this picture.
Advocate Mohan Wadekar, Suhas Kolhekar, Arogya Sena’s Shankutala Bhalerao, Jambuwant Manohar etc. expressed their views. Deepak Jadhav proposed the vote of thanks.
After the dharna, a Demand Letter was given to the Director of Health, the Commissioner of Education and the Office of the Collector. Jan Arogya Abhiyan, Arogya Sena, Samajwadi Shikshan Haq Sabha, Lokayat, Yuva Kranti Dal, National Coordinator of Jan Andolan and other organizations participated in it.
