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Citizen collective recommends reforms to 'reclaim' Indian republic
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SME Times News Bureau | 06 Feb, 2019
Suggesting all-round reforms, including in policies, laws and
institutions along with the mechanism to implement them, a citizen
collective on Tuesday sought the cognisance of political parties and
voters at large in their bid to ensure that pertinent issues are raised
during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The reforms document
titled "Reclaiming the Republic" has been drafted by experts from
various fields, including lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan,
politician-psephologist Yogendra Yadav and economist Prabhat Patnaik,
under the chairmanship of former Delhi High Court Chief Justice A.P.
Shah.
Releasing the document here on Tuesday, they said the
Indian republic was facing multiple challenges from the Narendra
Modi-led dispensation and the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections were an
opportunity to "retrieve and reclaim" the republic from manipulation and
subversion.
"Today our republic is under great threat and we are
here to defend it. Defend it not just by opposing one party or the
other, but by coming out with a document which is a rough guide to
democracy," said Yadav while talking to the media about the reforms.
Besides
putting up the details of the reforms, including the mechanism to
implement them, on a website "reclaimingtherepublic.in", the collective
has invited all political parties to share suggestions and get them
incorporated in their manifestos.
"The Lok Sabha elections are
on the horizon and the only political discourse that we have is the
blame game. We have invited all the political parties on February 8 and
will share with them the reforms we have suggested so that they are
incorporated in their manifestos. Pertinent issues like agrarian crisis,
slumping economy and rising unemployment are not just raised during the
elections but the ways to tackle them are also ensured," said Yadav.
The
citizen collective will also campaign across the nation ahead of the
general elections with the reforms that include guaranteeing universal
basic services and social security, assured income for farmers, doing
away with draconian laws and electoral reforms to reduce the influence
of money in elections.
Speaking on the occasion, Shah expressed
concerns over the way dissent was being crushed and democratic
institutions subverted under the Modi regime.
"We are at a time
when fundamental notions of a modern India appear to be under great
threat. From the freedom to think and express being trampled upon to
people's choice of food being dictated, there are numerous threats that
the republic is facing today.
"Today our loyalty to the country
is being tested on new grounds like chanting of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jay' or
unfurling the tri-colour," said Shah.
Shah and Bhushan harped on
the judicial and electoral reforms that include scrapping of draconian
laws like sedition, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the
Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and criminal defamation and
blasphemy laws.
The document also has elaborate details about
the ways to implement the reforms, including the budget and the sources
to fund them.
"The reforms that we have suggested will roughly
need funds to the tune of 5 per cent of the GDP which can be achieved
through increasing the level of direct taxes which is currently very
low.
"We have suggested a combination of inheritance tax, wealth
tax and income tax so as to raise the direct tax level," said Patnaik.
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