IIT Movement- Citizen's Convention: First Step of Public Action

Dear All

As the first step of the movement for IIT/IIEST in Orissa, a Citizen's
Convention has been organised on 18th March at Utkal University with
participation from cross sections of people. The participants,while supporting the demand, reaffirmed their faith and extended solidarity on Agami Odisha's plan of action for building people' movement to achieve the demand. You may find a brief report on this from the write-up of Sri Dhiren Ku Ray which is placed below.

The Convention approved the plan of action of Agami Odisha in unleashing the movement which are as follow-

1) Intellectuals Rally and submitting the memorandum to PM/President of India through the Hon'ble Governor, Orissa. The date will be finalised looking at the availability of the Governor.

2) Sudents convention will be organised with representations from
college/University student's Unions and Student Organisations. The date will be announced shortly.

3) Torch Light procession will be organised during the Assembly Session on a date convenient to participants, mainly students.

4) MLAs /Speaker of the Assembly/Leader of the Opposition/Chief Minister will be approached with the memorandum on the demand with request to come up with an all party resolution in the floor of the Assembly in favour of the demand.

5) There will be district processes to build up the public opinion and action
in favour of the movement.

6) All these public actions will be culminated in a rally and dharana at Delhi during the Session of the Parliament.

The above action points form the first phase of the movement and
learnings/experiences from the first phase will determine the course of action for the second phase of the movement.

NB-It is worth mentioning here,that a group of 10 people, 7 women, came from Kandhamal district to participate in the convention. While expressing their solidarity to IIT movement of Agami Odisha, the delegates requested Agami Odisha to support and facilitate their movement on various demands of the people of Kandhamala, which they are doing under the banner of Kandhamala Bikash Parishad.

Sudarsan Das