---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sukla Sen <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2009 16:06:45 +0530 Subject: Mallika Sarabhai Stands Up to LK Advani: Campaign Picks Up Momentum I/IV. http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/obama-said-yes-we-can-i-say-now-we-must-mallika-sarabhai-interview_100175702.html Obama said yes we can, I say now we must: Mallika Sarabhai (Interview) April 5th, 2009 - 1:18 pm ICT by IANS
By Murali Krishnan New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) The firebrand danseuse has been hotfooting it around her Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat, meeting thousands of voters in slums, condominiums and in villages to understand their issues, find solutions in partnership and even involve them in her campaign. “If Barack Obama believed in yes we can, I say, now we must,” exclaims Mallika Sarabhai, 55, who has embarked on an enormous challenge taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate, L.K. Advani in Gandhinagar as an independent candidate in the Lok Sabha polls. “I never knew whether I had it in me to jump into the electoral fray some months back. But after meeting close to 70,000 people in the last nine days I am more than convinced that I am grounded. This is my karmabhoomi (workplace),” Mallika told IANS in an interview. Belonging to one of Ahmedabad’s leading families, Mallika has an excellent pedigree. Her father Vikram Sarabhai is considered the father of India’s space programme and mother Mrinalini was a renowned danseuse herself. “There are real issues which have been ignored in so-called vibrant Gujarat. Questions relating to livelihood, sanitation and safety of ordinary people to which mainstream politicians pay little heed. Politics is going from bad to worse and it needs to be reclaimed from their hands.” Mallika has taken on the political establishment in Gujarat on several occasions. She incurred the wrath of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his supporters for her open criticism of the 2002 communal riots in the state, describing it as genocide. Apart from criminal cases including that of human trafficking that were booked against her, BJP workers allegedly beat her, along with activist Medha Patkar and others. She was subsequently acquitted and declared innocent by the Gujarat High Court. “Advani may have been representing this constituency since 1991 but I want to know how many times he has raised Gandhinagar’s problems in parliament. Not once. Isn’t that a shame?” she queries. “He (Advani) wants to challenge Manmohan Singh to a debate but I dare him to debate with me. He will be exposed.” According to Mallika, who has over 25 years of experience working in grassroots development, her dedicated band of supporters has been swelling over the days. “More volunteers are joining up and donations are also trickling in. Till date we have mopped up Rs.500,000 though I know the Election Commission limit is Rs.25 lakh (Rs.2.5 million).” She is trying hard to obtain the drum symbol from the Election Commission as she believes it is significant. “The nagara (drum) is something special to Gujarat. It is used traditionally to summon people for meetings. And for me this instrument will be used to take back space, space which has been usurped by mainstream politicians.” Along with Captain Gopinath, the pioneer of budget air travel, entering the electoral fray from Bangalore and Meera Sanyal, ABN-AMRO senior executive, contesting from Mumbai South, Mallika believes contesting as an independent candidate should be construed as a symbolic censure of mainstream political parties. “I have an alternative view of politics and want to claim democracy back for the people. The common man has been reduced to the level of a non-entity,” she holds. And Mallika is confident that when results come out on May 16 she will create electoral history. “Now, we must.” (Murali Krishnan can be contacted at [email protected]) II. http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1245682 Magnet Mallika draws massive crowd Dayananda Meitei Monday, April 6, 2009 *Ahmedabad: *Mallika Sarabhai, independent candidate from the Gandhinagar seat for the Lok Sabha elections, on Sunday visited the Rama Pir Tekra and charmed the residents extending them hope and promise. A well-known face among the people of the area, Sarabhai was the proverbial magnet that managed to pull huge crowds wherever she went. It was an excitement-filled day for the residents of Rama Pir Tekra when the renowned danseuse's stood amid them discussing their lives and asking about their problems. As the people came running to get a glimpse of Sarabhai and have a word with her, the small streets in the locality were flocked with people wherever she went. One woman could be heard whispering to her friend, "She is the one that we saw in the TV." Yet another voice from over the terrace said, "Arre! Don't you know she is the daughter of Vikram Sarabhai?" People here appeared to have lost faith in all political leaders due to the false promises they are fed every election. A fresh face as candidate seems to have sparked new hopes in their eyes.Standing amid filth, Morarji Waghela, a resident of the area, said, "The BJP has come and gone and so has Congress. We never get to see the representatives of these parties once elections are over. But, we would definitely vote. Once again, this time too." Another resident, DJ Solanki said that the people are fed up of politicians' false promises. This time they are looking for some change and probably some action of responsibility and commitment too by candidates even before the elections, he said. Twenty-one-year-old Sonu Rajubhai Maratha, who still hasn't got a voter I-card, said that he and others who do not have cards will cast their votes for that candidate who helps them get one. After spending more than three hours meeting different people in the area, Sarabhai shared her experience and feelings with DNA, "I am horrified by the poor condition of this area. Despite being in the heart of the city, this area has been badly neglected and no political party has done anything for this place and the people here. When there are 35,000 families living in such neglect, what kind of mega city are we talking about? I have never been so shaken. I am the first person to come here and meet them and enquire about their problems." III. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Support-extended-to-Mallika/articleshow/4363216.cms Support extended to Mallika 5 Apr 2009, 2335 hrs IST, TNN Ahmedabad : A citizens' meeting was conducted on Sunday morning near Law Garden, where participants extended their support to Mallika Sarabhai, who is contesting election as an independent candidate against BJP's prime ministerial candidate LK Advani, from Gandhinagar constituency. In this context, senior advocate Girish Patel, Dr Mukul Sinha, Fr Cendric Prakash, Ilaben Pathak and Gautam Thaker from PUCL addressed a gathering of 250 persons on Sunday. They called upon people to support Sarabhai and work hard to form a favourable opinion among people. Sarabhai was present in the meeting. A resolution was passed that the group would hold public meetings across Gandhinagar constituency to campaign for Sarabhai. "This is not a symbolic contest. This is a model election contest. Mallika has been is in public eye since long. Particularly after 2002, she has openly spoken against divisive and oppressive forces. She has been among the first ones to support minorities, women and diamond workers," said Thaker. IV. http://mallikasarabhai.in/media-corner/press-release-0505200 LEADING CITIZENS AND NGOs IN GANDHINAGAR-AHMEDABAD ADOPT DR MALLIKA SARABHAI AS “THEIR” CANDIDATE At a meeting held at Gajjar Hall on Sunday, leading citizens and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) endorsed Dr Mallika Sarabhai as ‘their’ independent candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Dr Sarabhai will be contesting from the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency. Assembled luminaries located Dr Sarabhai’s candidacy as being in keeping with the Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar tradition of yielding fearless, independent political leaders such as GV Mavalankar, Indulal Yagnik and Purushottam Mavalankar. This meeting was attended by activists and intellectuals like Ila Pathak, Prakash Shah, Girish Patel, DN Rath, Mukul Sinha, Gautm Thakar, Father Cedric Prakash, Abid Shamshi, Hiren Gandhi, Ghanshyam Shah, Digant Oza, Ramesh Dave, Nayana Shah, Bharti Dave, Dinesh Shukla, Anwar Sheikh, Kirti Shah, Tridip Suhrud, Hanif Lakdawala, Sheeba George, and a host of others. A resolution in support of Dr Sarabhai’s candidature was formally adopted. -- http://venukm.blogspot.com/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
