Focus on social welfare: Yechury

Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member, CPI (M), called for making empowerment of women and marginalised sections central to the country’s policy trajectory. The agenda must be altered to focus on these issues of social welfare, he said.

Mr. Yechury, who delivered the 27th endowment lecture to mark the 105th birth anniversary of Andhra Mahila Sabha (AMS) founder, Durgabai Deshmukh, here on Tuesday touched upon several issues passionately pursued by her.

Mr. Yechury said the country could realise its inherent potential only by investing in the youth. Ms Durgabai wanted the younger people to be trained in the affairs of the State. “Wisdom does not depend on age”, she had told the Constituent Assembly while calling for reducing the age of entry into the Rajya Sabha from 35 to 30 years.

The contributions made by Ms. Durgabai to the Constituent Assembly debates were immense. She fought to ensure that people were able to exercise the rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The concept of public interest litigations was the result of the amendments moved by her. Ms. Durgabai, who believed in humanism, also moved amendments for throwing open the Hindu religious institutions to all without making any distinction between one class of Hindus and another.

The CPI (M) leader referred to the ‘contradictions in life’ spoken by Dr. Ambedkar while presenting the draft Constitution and said the warning sounded by him had become ominous now. The younger generation had to be prepared to overcome this persistent contradiction in the socio-economic order. The left parties had extended outside support to the UPA government only to extend the rights provided in the Constitution.

Legislations like right to rural employment, right to information, education and food security were possible because of the insistence of the Left parties. “Though there were inadequacies in terms of coverage and implementation, these rights are a major advance from those guaranteed by the Constitution”, Mr. Yechury said.

Earlier, Telangana chief secretary, Rajiv Sharma, launched the website of AMS and assured all support to the organisation. K. Lakshmi, president, AMS, spoke.