iGP holds its online AGM-2022 on its 5th Foundation Day 18 November

INDIA GREENS PARTY

Press Release 

Unchir-Dunktok, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, 18 November 2022: The India Greens Party (iGP) held its online Annual General Meeting-2022 (AGM-2022) of its National Executive Committee on its 5th Foundation Day today.

The press release issued here at the national head office (NHO) of the party, said the AGM-2022 was organised online in view of the prevalence of the Covid-19, financial constraints, and with a noble purpose to restrict the carbon footprints. 

Michael Rajchandra, Prabhath Prabhakaran, Ms Ishpriya Kaur, and Ms Vinita Menon moderated the Sessions of the AGM.

Prabhath Prabhakaran, Chief Spokesperson, welcomed the NEC and NC Members and the guests attending the AGM-2022.

The Inaugural Session began with the playing of a video of a green song, Amazon, by Australian songwriter and singer Bruce Watson.

The online AGM of the National Executive Committee was divided into several sessions. 

Prominent Green leader, Bob Hale, Co-Convener of the Global Greens, the highest body of the Green parties in the world, sent a video message on the occasion, wishing the party and expecting that it will report good election results in the near future.

Founder Suresh Nautiyal inaugurated the online AGM and delivered the inaugural speech and reminded the National Executive Committee & National Council members of the iGP Foundation Day. 

He said the party’s footprints were growing and the young people, women, minorities and other marginalised groups loved the party. “In fact, all those who want more and direct democracy in the country, those who respect diversity, those who practice nonviolence, those who believe in social justice and women’s rights, those who protect human rights and biodiversity, and advocate ecological wisdom, etc, are our true leaders of the future,” he pointed out.

In her address to the AGM-2022, Co-President Ms Nazeema AK said she hoped to make a significant difference in the remaining one year of her term as Co-President in coordination with the senior party leaders. “The party is working to develop an internal work policy and ToR for committees to smoothen the overall party functioning, she added.

In his address to the AGM-2022, Co-President Rajendra Minj said it would be better if we were able to hold the AGM-2022 offline somewhere in the countryside or in a city. For sure, it would be more fruitful if we met somewhere in person. “Due to so many reasons including the Covid-19 pandemic and the constraints of resources we are meeting online. Hopefully, we meet offline in the National Convention next year. I am sure the dream of our founding members will come true sooner than later,” he added.

In the inaugural plenary, Dr SP Sati of the Uttarakhand University of Horticulture & Forestry, UK spoke on the “Global Climate Change and its Impact on Himalaya”. He talked at length about the irreversible ecological destruction being carried out in the Himalayan Region and other parts of the country and the world. He hoped the India Greens Party would do something about it.

In this Session, the speech of Ms Kalyani Menon-Sen, women’s rights activist working with the Gender At Work, was read out by Michael Rajchandra in her absence. The talk was on “Equity versus Equality: What is the Way to Go?” She said what women’s movements have been struggling for is ‘equality with equity’, and this was what the commitment to human rights demanded.

In the Business Session, Secretary-General’s annual report was presented by the Vice-President Michael Rajchandra as the Secretary-General was not available. 

Treasurer Agraj Pratap Singh spoke about the financial condition of the party and urged all to financially support the party. He pointed out that the party urgently needed funds to run its NHO and the activities smoothly.

International Co-Secretaries Michael Rajchandra and Ms Ishpriya Kaur gave the global perspectives of Green Politics. 

Chief Spokesperson Prabhath Prabhakaran told the gathering that the party issued several press statements and releases on most of the topical and burning issues during last one year. 

The iGPWN Convener Ms Vinita Menon outlined the roadmap for the next few years and emphasised the need for women’s network in all those states where party has its footprints. 

The IT Committee Convener Michael Rajchandra presented his committee’s detailed report. The party thanked him for his inexhaustible pro bono IT for the party. He said the official iGP Website is being maintained, updated and backed up regularly and monitored constantly for security breaches. 

“Our Green Community now has an official Discord server which is one of the leading interactive dynamic platforms to host large and active communities, loaded with features like chat and voice channels, forums, etc. In addition, the IT Team is providing many IT solutions for better functioning of the party and communication with its Members, etc,” he said.

A few Committees also presented their reports. State and union territories had not much in their reports. Vice-President Madhubanti Sen candidly mentioned this in her concluding remarks in the Business Session, and said the state committees needed to do much for the sake of Green Politics and the party.

The Emergency Session of the National Council unanimously passed several proposals to amend the party Constitution. Now, the Founder, Suresh Nautiyal of the party shall have certain rights like he will a permanent voting Member in the Executive Board (EB), the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), and the National Council (NC) of the party. He will also not be expelled from the party under any circumstances.

The Lifetime Primary Membership fee has been reduced to Rs 100/- from Rs 200/- for the poor aspirants both in rural and urban areas. The party will have two Secretary-Generals (Female and male/other gender) instead of one at present. Mr Prabhath Prabhakaran has been elected to be another Secretary-General. And in his place, Mr Suresh Nautiyal will be the Chief Spokesperson of the party. The party will have a Deputy Treasurer as well. Now, the party can invite and receive capless donations from the individuals and green organisations for specific purposes. The regular donations from individuals and compatible organisations will have the same old cap of Rs 1,20,000 a year. 

The Political Session saw keynote address by its Chief Spokesperson Prabhath Prabhakaran on the “Political Situation in the country and the future of Green Politics in India”. He said India is passing through a turning point. There is an atmosphere of undeclared emergency in the country. 

“Dissenting voices, press and political freedom, and even the right to protest are being suppressed in various ways. In this depressing political situation, iGP has the potential to emerge as the leading opposition party by promoting principled green politics, if we evolve a proper strategy and bring people who are truly passionate about green values into the party. The challenge of the ecological, economic and social consequences of irreversible climate change will become impossible to ignore in the coming years, making a Green Party more politically relevant than others, inevitably,” he pointed out.

The iGPWN Convener Ms Vinita Menon and its Member Ms Rehana Siddiqui (Vice-President) spoke on the gender equity issues and lamented that the women still have no satisfactory place in politics. They hoped the Green Politics and the India Greens Party would create equal opportunities for them.

In the Political Session, 29 Resolutions on various topics of local, national and global importance were passed by the AGM-2022 unanimously.

Towards the end of the Political Session, the Founder released a new Logo of the party, which was accepted, endorsed and adopted unanimously by the House. The new Logo (Green Sunflower on a white background) is the result of a contest which was won by designer Bansi Lal Ketki of Odisha. The party thanked him and acknowledged this pro bono contribution. A Certificate of Appreciation was also presented to the party Logo Designer Bansi Lal Ketki online by the iGP Logo Design Sub-Committee Convener Ishpriya Kaur on behalf of the Founder. 

The party will also have a new Flag, which was released on the occasion. The new Flag will have the new Logo on a white base. The dimension of the party Flag will match the dimensions of the National Flag. Party’s ID Card design and Letterhead design were also released on the occasion. The AGM concluded with the motivational remarks by Co-President Rajendra Minj and new Secretary-General Prabhath Prabhakaran. 

-Issued by Suresh Nautiyal, Chief Spokesperson, India Greens Party.

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(India Greens Party is registered with the Election Commission of India under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Registration Number: 56/476/2018-19/PPS-I, effective from 18/07/2019.)

National Head Office: GreenDham AnandiChait, IndraBalbhadra Parisar, Unchir-Dunktok, SH-31, PO-Ghurdauri, Distt-Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, INDIA. PIN-246194.

Email: contact@indiagreensparty.org Website: https://indiagreensparty.org