LSP to try to fill void left by PRP's merger

Lok Satta Party president Jayaprakash Narayan called upon the youth to shed complacency and cowardice and make the Lok Satta as their forum to shape their destiny. The political climate for realizing their dreams has never been so conducive as of now, he added.

Commenting on the merger of the Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress, Dr Narayan said that while the rise and fall of parties in a democracy is natural, the disappearance of the Praja Rajyam Party within a short period of its inception left a trail of despair among large sections of people. Such mergers might serve the power-oriented objectives of leaders but not people’s interests.

The LSP chief likened the 125-year-old Congress and the 28-year-old Telugu Desam Party to Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Barring the names of leaders, there are no basic differences between the two parties. In fielding candidates in elections and in choosing leaders, they focused on their families’ fortunes and not on people’s welfare.

The youth should unshackle themselves from such parties. “You have the right and power, the need and responsibility to shape your future. Become heroes in your lives. Do not be distracted by parties which try to divide you in the name of caste or religion. You will succeed if you unite and fight for your rights constitutionally and in a disciplined manner. Nothing is impossible if only you have the will. Take a leaf out of the revolts against dictatorships among people of West Asian countries in the recent past.”

Dr Narayan said that the Lok Satta is planning to train 25000 youth in leadership skills and organize district conferences soon to turn the Lok Satta into a forum for the youth. He demanded that the Government impart skills to 10 lakh youth of Andhra Pradesh every year so that they would find livelihood opportunities. Such training would not cost more than Rs.2500 crore.

The former IAS officer said that the Lok Satta Party, unlike other parties, is prepared for a sustained and systematic struggle to change the face of politics. It has always practiced what it preached. It believes that if the Government is sincere and serious it can ensure a better future for youth and farmers, eradicate corruption and empower people to solve their own problems. In this connection, he recalled that the U. S. Government had sentenced an Indian American doctor couple to 15 years in jail, imposed a penalty of $43 million, and confiscated its entire property for siphoning health care funds to drive home the point that corruption can be tackled if the Government is serious.

Saying that sections of media have become handmaidens of some political parties, he appealed to media persons to be objective and independent.

Answering a question, Dr Narayan said that if anybody believed that the Government is out to combat corruption, he or she is living in a world of make-believe. Here is a Government which lacks guts to cancel irregular 2G spectrum allocations and recover lost money through a windfall tax.

In reply to another question, he said he did not subscribe to disruption of a legislature session as a means to further any demand. Legislatures are expected to mirror people’s problems and pin down Governments to address them.