Welfare Party of India

Welfare Party of India
Leader	Mujtaba Farooq
Founded	2011
Headquarters	Delhi
Ideology	Value-based politics Welfare state Religious pluralism
Website
http://www.welfarepartyofindia.org/index.php
Politics of India Political parties Elections

Welfare Party of India is an Indian Political party launched by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on 18 April 2011 striving for "value-based politics" in India. Its first National President was Mr. Mujtaba Farooq . The current National President is S. Q. R. Ilyas

It won several seats in the Kerala local elections.

Office-bearers

• President: S. Q. R. Ilyas
• Vice Presidents:Father Abraham Joseph, Ml. Abdul Wahab Khilji, Dr. B.T. Lalitha Naik
• General Secretaries: Mr. P. C. Hamza, Mr. Shafi Madni
• Treasurer: Mr. Abdus Salam
• Secretaries: Mr. Subramani A., Ms. Sheema Mohsin, Mr. Ambujakshan

News Updates - April 2016

• Welfare Party of India fields candidates in 22 seats in West Bengal, 54 Seats in Kerala and 22 seats in Tamil Nadu

History

Welfare Party of India was launched in Delhi on 18 April 2011 in the presence of around 3000 people gathered at the Ambedkar Bhavan. The party was projected as “voice of the voiceless”, projecting itself as the saviour of the downtrodden in India. The list of 35 member working committee, truly representing the plurality of Indian populace with diverse regions, religions and communities had stunned many as there was apprehension in air that the to-be-launched Party would be composed of only some groups and communities. There were seasoned political persons, religious personalities, Dalit, human right and social activists in the team led by Mr. Mujtaba Farooq (President), a veteran trade union leader, social and educational activist.

• With more than a thousand registered political parties and innumerable unregistered ones filling the siyasi maidan with little space, it is relevant to deal in brief here the relevance and necessity of the new political outfit from the national and societal perspective. The driving force that energised the freedom fighters led by Gandhiji, the Father of the Nation, Nehru, Azad etc. was to wipe out and wash off the tears of the poorest and the least privileged. The pro-poor leniency witnessed during the early post-independence decades was taken over by liberalism and “Manmohan-ism.” Care and concern were shifted from aam admi to corporates. Gulf between poor and rich gets widened to the extent that about 77% of the Indian populace earn less than Rs20/ per day according to the Report on Condition of Work and Promotion of Livelihoods in the Unorganized Sector (2007). Lack of concern to public health care by governments, central and state alike, causes death of about 5000 children EVERY DAY due to easily preventable causes like diarrhoea, pneumonia and neo natal problems, as per UN CHILDREN’S FUND REPORT. Most of them die before they see even the fifth day sunrise. Agriculture, the bone of India has become bane for our farmers due to the wrong agrarian policy causing 46 farmer suicides EVERY DAY for the last 16 years.
• Politics in India for our freedom fighters was karma and was driven by dharma. It was not a mean to amass wealth but a mode to serve the masses. Corruption at all levels has led to the loss of confidence of people in democratic institutions and practices. The Election Commission has been forced to appoint brand ambassadors to drive people from picnic centres to polling booths. Strengthening democratic values and reinforcing the confidence of the people is a sincere service to the nation and its people.

Democracy is a system wherein all are equally included and duly accommodated, not isolated or excluded; opportunities are available to all and the most marginalised and deserving get special care. There is no majorityism, but inclusiveness. Golden letters of promise written in the constitution were countered and contradicted by real happenings. Dalits, tribals and the minorities were driven away from various walks of social life. With legal and legislative acts failing to provide protection and mainstream political parties playing to the tunes of caste interests they were forced to turn to assertive and affirmative political formulations for an inclusive democratic social order.

• The purity of politics in the post- independent scene gradually drove towards nepotism and authoritarianism. Democratically elected governments were thrown apart for mere political bias. Communal riots began to show its ugly face. Failure of government institutions in providing security and protection made promises of inclusive democracy hollow and shallow. Caste conflicts continued unabated in independent India also and a large chunk of the population still remained “untouchables and unwanted.” The situation compelled the marginalised sections including minorities seek alternatives and thus emerged non-Congress coalition governments in many states in 1970s. Other than a few states, these coalition practices didn’t function cohesively and continuously. The political scene witnessed dramatic tremor by the submission of Mandal Commission report. It resulted in energising the political and social awareness of the backward classes and communities. Mandalisation of Indian politics was initiated thereafter. Privileged caste congregations, controlling power and authority with clout hitherto, felt danger of the consolidation of Mandal-inspired sections. Their conspiracy to divert the attention succeeded with aggressive communal postures in the Ram mandir-Babri masjid issue. Overt operations of communal fascists and covert cooperation from soft rightists divided populace, and witnessed the blackest day in post-independent history-demolition of the Babri masjid.
• Mandalisation of Indian politics had witnessed the emergence of and activation of a number of political and social movements aimed at social justice. Alas! Aspirations and ambitions of manadal-people could not go further and fruitful; political parties with agenda of social justice soon gripped in corruptions, scandals. With goodbye to transparency and accountability, they almost became family business houses. Muslims, the largest minority community, stuck and stumped with the demolition of Babri masjid, began to exhibit political maturity and assertiveness and got rid of the practice of casting wholesale vote to either this or that party. Secular parties made many promises to them for their social emancipation, but they got disappointed when found that the tall promises made to them were false. They soon came to the conviction that rather than emotional outbursts and communal or sectarian formulations, constructive and non-communal value-based initiatives taking all pluralities of Indian society on board can only yield better result.
• This realisation and evaluation of political undercurrents accelerated the thirst and search for an alternative political platform based on values. Discussions and interactions with like-minded individuals and institutions held at various places of the country led to some conclusions and a draft concept paper of the proposed party was circulated among political leaders, community chiefs and social activists. With slight modifications, the concept was finalised. (See Vision Document). It was in unison accepted that the new political outfit should be truly plural, committed to social justice, transparent, accountable, adopting constructive and peaceful means. And thus emerged the WELFARE PARTY OF INDIA.

External links

• Official website