A New Era of Politics
India is witnessing a change on the political stage, with a group of young visionaries led by Indian Political Strategist Prashant Kishor coming together to form I-PAC, the Indian Political Action Committee. The I-PAC is a cross-party advocacy group, which endeavours to support the election of visionary, progressive and inclusive leaders to public office. IPAC was set up with the motto to support deserving and good leaders for political offices, with just three members in 2015 and today has grown into a team of 800+ members.
This year, on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, they resurrected the conversation around the Mahatma’s 18 point Constructive Programme. This was done in an attempt to change the face of politics in India for the better. Such is the power of Gandhiji’s principles that the NAF has received support by distinguished personalities from all over the world including Nobel laureates and Padma awardees, contemporary Gandhians, eminent sports persons and Bollywood celebrities.
58,39,758 people participated in the survey which put on record the issues on people’s radar which will prove decisive for the next year’s contest. The 10 top issues in order of importance were: Women, Kisan, Economic Equality, Students, Education in Health & Hygiene, Communal Unity, Provincial Languages, New or Basic Education, Village Sanitation and Adult Education.
Supporting the endeavour, Here and Now 365‘s MD Manish Tiwari said: “‘Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.’ On the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, this quote of his is imperative in today’s volatile times. Spearheading India’s freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi stood for many principles from non-violence, to unity to non-discrimination, but one of his lesser known ideas of – Constructive Programme, which is carrying out a struggle through community and self-improvement by building structures, systems, processes, and resources that are alternatives to oppression and promote self-sufficiency and unity in the resisting community, is something which is applicable even in today’s day in time. This is why I-PAC’s initiative to bring out Mahatma Gandhi’s policies through the National Agenda Forum is commendable and a befitting tribute on his Birth Anniversary.”
