Join Us: Become an Organizational Member of NAPM
Appeal for Organizational Membership of NAPM
Dear comrades,
Greetings from NAPM. As you are well aware, NAPM is a 27-year old pan-Indian alliance of grassroots organizations, independent struggles, collectives as well as rights activists, academics and well-meaning citizens from across the country, who, while retaining their autonomy and identity, have also been working collectively to bring the struggle for people-oriented, truly sustainable development, transformative social justice and the core constitutional values to the centre-stage of politics and public life, alongside working on alternatives. The Alliance is clearly committed to challenging and ending all forms of fascism, inequality, exploitation, discrimination and oppression based on caste, class, gender, race, region, religion, ethnicity, nationality, language, access to information, resources and technology.
Your movement / organization has been a co-traveller of the Alliance for many years. More recently, you have also been an active organizer / participant in the energetic All-India Samvidhan Samman Yatra, from 2nd Oct-10th Dec, 2018, which received overwhelming response and support from more than 200 struggle spots across the country. Following the yatra, we had a couple of intense meetings at Delhi (11th Dec, 2018); Wardha Chintan Baithak (3rd to 5th March, 2019); Delhi (1st-2nd April, 2019), Mumbai (13th May and 16th-17th June, 2019) and Bhopal (14th-15th Sep, 2019), leading to multiple state conventions and the 12th Biennial National Convention of 25 Years of NAPM at Puri, Odisha (23rd to 25th Nov, 2019).
At many of these meetings and conventions, while raising key contemporary socio-political issues, we also undertook detailed reviews of our work, reflected on the status of NAPM in today’s context and felt the strong need to streamline many of our processes, plan concrete follow-up actions and firm up NAPM’s organizational & Alliance structures at the national and state level, considering the serious political situation in the country and the challenges as well as possibilities before NAPM. While Covid-lockdown has limited inter-state physical interactions in the past two years, even as state repression and corporate onslaught has intensified, we have all tried to remain in solidarity in multiple ways, including during the anti-CAA-NRC movement, the 9-months strong farmers resistance, Campaign to Defend Democracy as well as through intense virtual engagements like ‘We Shall Speak’, ‘Grounded Voices’ and ‘Yuva Samvad’. Since 9th August, 2021, we have kickstarted a year long campaign called Jan Azadi 75: On the Path to Freedom, to remember the many values of the freedom struggle, re-assert the strength and gains of people’s movements in the past 75 years and reach out to people and organizations across the country, while we grapple with the current crises.
As we mark 27 years of significant journey, we are even more convinced of the need for a robust and autonomous all-India platform of people’s movements like NAPM, which is inclusive of diverse progressive ideas, ideologies and issues, to take on the many challenges we are facing head-on and move towards a truly transformative and just society. During the 2018 yatra and in the subsequent meetings, we received many requests from states and organizations to activate the membership process of NAPM. People’s Organizations have always remained the core strength of NAPM. It is in this context that we are writing to you to kindly consider taking / updating formal membership of NAPM, as an organizational constituent / associate.
We seek your active co-operation in this process. We wish to reiterate that NAPM is a broad-based alliance and the constituent organization retains complete autonomy and identity regarding their activities. Likewise, the constituent is free to be part of any and any number of other platforms, campaigns etc. that are progressive in nature and in particular, further the rights of struggling and marginalized peoples. We would appreciate an early response to this letter and submission of membership form from your end.
In solidarity,
National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)
Membership Norms for Organizations
NAPM encourages progressive movements, organizations, collectives, alliances and small parties that share the vision and principles of the Alliance and want to participate in this process of building a democratic, just, peaceful and equitable national and global world order free of all forms of inequity, discrimination, oppression and injustice to become organizational primary members / associate members of the Alliance. The norms for organizational membership are below.
| Primary Members | Associate Members |
| Unregistered and non-party: progressive grassroots movements, people’s organizations, student groups and citizens collectives | All Other Progressive NGOs |
| Non-party Trade and Labour Unions (Registered in India) | Issue-based / Mass Organizations / Trade Unions affiliated to registered-progressive, secular political parties |
| Progressive Registered Indian NGOs /Trusts (without FCRA) | Unregistered National and State Alliance of People’s Organizations / Movements/ Groups / NGOs |
Procedure for Becoming an Organizational Member:
Step-I: Application:
Any organization / group as listed above which wishes to become an organizational member of NAPM must:
- Fill in the organizational membership form, which includes an undertaking to abide by the Value Charter (Vision & Principles) of NAPM .
- Either fill in and submit the google form at this link (https://tinyurl.com/9zenhpx8) or e-mail the filled-in form to membership.napm@gmail.com or whatsapp the filled-in form at 8281807961
Please mention your district and state, in the e-mail subject / whatsapp message.
Step-II: Procedure for Acceptance of Organizational Membership:
- A decision on acceptance or otherwise of the organizational membership form shall be taken by the National Memberships Committee (NMC), in consultation with the National Advisor / Convenor / state convenors of the respective State Unit. In case, a given state does not have an active National / State Convenor, such decision shall be taken by the National Memberships Committee, in consultation with the Zonal Convenor, within whose area that state exists. Such a decision shall normally be taken within 15 – 30 days from the date of receipt of organizational membership form.
- After aforesaid due process, the NAPM National Memberships Committee shall issue a Certificate of Membership, to the concerned applicant organization, usually within 15 – 30 days since the date of application. The said Certificate shall remain valid, unless revoked by NAPM, as per procedure below. In case a decision is taken to not accept membership application, written communication in this behalf shall be sent to the concerned organization, within 30 days of such decision, mentioning reasons for non-acceptance.
Rights and Duties of Organizational Member of NAPM:
- Only Primary Members shall have the right to vote, participate in and stand for elections of the Alliance. Associate Members can participate in open meetings and proceedings, upon invitation, but shall not have the right to vote, participate in and stand for elections.
- All organizational members shall get periodical updates over e-mail and whatsapp on the meetings and events organized by NAPM and its constituents. Organizational members are encouraged to assist the various sub-groups and committees, based on their expertise or contribute to the work and campaigns of NAPM based on their skills, experience and interests.
- Organizational Primary Membership / Associate Membership is a position of responsibility and any member / associate member found to be violating the spirit of NAPM’s Value Charter (Vision & Principles) or using NAPM for any other purpose than public interest, shall stand to lose the membership, after due process, opportunity of hearing and based on a decision of the Membership Committee and the NAPM National Convenors Committee.
- The relationship between NAPM-Alliance and organizational members shall broadly be guided by the Charter below.
The National Co-ordination Committee (NCoC), as constituted by the National Convenors Committee (NCC) shall also function as the National Memberships Committee (NMC). The NMC shall place a brief quarterly report before the NCC on the status of organizational memberships. In case of any dispute or ambiguity, the decision of the NCC shall be final and binding.
Charter on Relationship of the Alliance and Constituent Organizations
A) Alliance Expectations from Constituent Organizational Members: Every constituent organizational member (COM) is expected / requested to: Ensure that the COM and all members of the constituent organization are aware of and attempt to abide by the core values, principles and positions of NAPM. Participate actively in the activities of the alliance at the district, state and national level, including meetings, solidarity events, state and national conventions and elections. Respond actively to calls given by NAPM and its allies, for national/regional/local on-ground and online actions and mobilize, when necessary. Educate and engage its members on the values and activities of the Alliance, during its meetings / programmes / events etc. as well as share its political learnings and materials with the Alliance. Consider identifying (also) as a constituent / associate member of NAPM in all their public records, printed materials, programmes, such as using NAPM’s logo, along with the individual organization logo. (for primary members) Communicate about itsstruggles and activities to the Alliance, through a brief quarterly update. Nominate at least two persons including one woman as contact points between the constituent organization and NAPM to engage on an organizational/alliance basis and ensure that such members, preferably, have minimal responsibility of parent organization. Promptly send a draft of issues that they seek solidarity on, along with related documents, evidence etc. Raise contributions in Indian rupees and / or in-kind for the activities of the Alliance, as and when needed and as per its capacity. (for primary members) Attempt to publicize NAPM literature, statements, magazine, amplify social media posts etc. within their organization /area and share it with people as well as with media and also obtain subscriptions. Attempt to devote some portion of its human resource, skills, expertise etc. for the alliance work. B) Alliance Commitments towards Constituent Organizational Members To the best of its collective capacities the Alliance commits to: Enable the constituent organization to evolve a wider, inclusive and progressive political perspective by being part of a nation-wide people’s process. Facilitate prompt solidarity to constituent members to amplify local issues by way of press releases, solidarity statements, posters, calls, representations and delegations to authorities, fact-findings, SMS, Whatsapp, twitter storms, online campaigns, action alerts, supportive public actions, etc. Publicize the issues, work of the constituent organization through NAPM’s newsletters, publications, webinars etc. Assist the constituent member in connecting with other organizations, movements and alliances on the issues they work on and are interested to engage with, both within and beyond their state. Facilitate media, legal, academic, social media and other forms of connections to take ahead their issues. Engage with the constituent member by designing and facilitating political education processes especially with youth on various ideological and thematic aspects such as developmental concerns, environment, gender, human rights, constitutional values and socio-economic justice discourse. Reach out to young people from campuses and colleges across India to work with the constituent organizations both on short term internships as well as on longer engagements. |
For any queries regarding memberships, write to us at membership.napm@gmail.com
Alliance Vision
National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) envisages participative and collective processes, in which people’s movements, progressive social groups and concerned citizens from all across India move towards building a democratic, just, peaceful and equitable national and global world order, free of all forms of inequity, discrimination, destruction, oppression and injustice.
The Alliance further envisages that the internationally recognized standards of human rights and the constitutional values enshrined in the Preamble are fully realized, towards social, economic, political, ecological, cultural, linguistic, ethnic justice for all communities and citizens in India, in particular the more disenfranchised and oppressed peoples.
The Alliance envisions a new society based on values of empathy, justice and recognition of the dignity of all peoples and communities, for which annihilation of oppressive and exploitative socio-economic structures of capitalism, patriarchy, caste must be attained and all hierarchies based on multiple inequities must be combated.
The Alliance envisages national collective people’s efforts to safeguard the protective and progressive values and provisions of the Constitution from rightist and fascist forces, federal spirit and right to dissent, in the interests of the diverse sections of India and strive to address the gaps in the Constitution, towards building a people-centric, non-exploitative, equitable, sustainable, democratic and peaceful India.
Alliance Principles
The Alliance is committed to core values of social justice, non-discrimination, equity, peace, ecological sustainability, non-hierarchy, democracy, secularism, diversity and pluralism.
The Alliance is further committed to challenging and ending all forms of fascism, inequality, exploitation, loot, discrimination, deprivation and oppression based on caste, class, gender, race, region, religion, ethnicity, nationality, language, access to information, resources and technology.
The Alliance commits to remain an independent platform against all forms of hate, inequality and loot of resources & labour and nurture a popular culture of harmonious co-living across all communities, sans any violence or discrimination as well as harmonious co-existence of humans and nature.
The Alliance challenges the present unjust order of centralized, corporatized, ecologically destructive ‘development’ that is depleting the public sector and conceptualizes alternative and decentralized development perspectives and paradigms, based on principles of sustainability, equity, inclusion and justice, with democratic and non-discriminatory, people’s participation at every level.
The Alliance commits itself to nurture a pluralistic world where the diversity of views, ethnicities, identities, marginalities, genders and sexualities are respected.
The Alliance shall strive to ensure and strengthen overtime, the rightful participation , representation and collective leadership of socio-economically and politically marginalized and under-represented peoples and communities, within all areas of public life, including the Alliance processes.
The Alliance affirms its commitment to transparent, accountable, de-centralized and democratic processes in all its activities.
National Alliance of People's Movements 