more-in Two hundred and seventy two mass organisations with and without political affiliation on Tuesday formed Telangana Mass and Social Organisations Forum (T MAS Forum), with the aim of waging struggles for democracy, social justice and people’s rights. Conspicuous by their absence were representatives of mass organisations of the Communist Party of India, and Telangana JAC. The latter, it may be recalled, had joined hands with the Left parties in ‘Occupy Dharna Chowk’ agitation a few weeks ago. A steering committee was elected after the launch, with balladeer Gaddar, revolutionary singer Vimalakka and academic-writer Kancha Ilaiah prominent among its members. The general council was constituted with two members drawn from each affiliate organisation, and an executive council with 80-plus members. Addressing the launch meeting at L.B.Nagar in his capacity as vice-president of the Kula Vivaksha Porata Samithi (KVPS), Tammineni Veerabhadram, state secretary of CPI(M), said the forum was formed with the common minimum agenda and had no political purpose. The CPI(M) would not play the role of “big brother” in leading the forum, he said. The idea of the forum for social action had stemmed from the ‘Maha Jana Padayatra’ undertaken by him and eight others a few months ago. Though a political forum was aspired for, there were differences among various stakeholders, he said. The coming together of various mass fronts was towards waging struggles over people’s issues, he said. Mr.Veerabhadram castigated the state government for defaulting on its election promises, and expressed concern about the threat to secularism by the NDA government at the centre. The forum would strive for economic, social, cultural and political equality among various sections of society, he said and wished that the T MAS Forum would have its branches in all mandals and villages. Vimalakka representing Telangana United Front called for formation of trained armies at village level, to counter the “murderous mobs” that were a threat to the secular fabric of society. Gaddar said social justice had remained a distant dream after three years of TRS rule, while the Central government was trying to impose the Hindu state concept on the country. Both should be countered by forming a joint force of democratic and secular organisations, he said, and vowed to work for development of T MAS Forum from village level, towards setting the social justice agenda for 2019 elections. He called for similar efforts in Andhra Pradesh too.

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