The Indian Solidarity Committee (INSOCO) is formed to thwart the growing onslaught for democracy, freedom and human rights. INSOCO is committed for catalyzing principles of social democracy by :

• Protecting and abetting democratic forces founded on the principles of freedom and equality; against authoritarism, populism, communalism and dictatorships, in order to provide liberty and freedom of expression for all people.
• Striving to attain freedom where every individual shall enjoy full political rights, irrespective of their class, gender, religion or race and federalism, sensu stricto, in societies of multiple Nationalitites.
• Preserving and enhancing enjoyment of human rights for people from every stratum of society.
• Spreading horizontally the issues of democracy, freedom and human rights to grass root level.

The idea of forming INSOCO evolved from intense interaction in various youth camps held in different parts of the country. It was evident in these camps that youth is highly sensitivie towards violation of democracy, freedom and human rights hence there is an acute need ot channelize this sensitivity in a positive manner. The significance of INSOCO in contemporary times of globalization, religious intolenance, inequality, gender – injustice etc. is self explanatory.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

INSOCO will have a national level committee for overall co-ordination unit. This is followed by state level committees, which will work hand in hand with district level committees. To begin with, 100 districts have been selected across the country, which will undertake at least one action programme every month. To make these action programmes are effective and result oriented, the supportive structures, both at national and international levels will have to play a pivotal role.

AREAS OF CONCERN

The INSOCO will focus its activities on child labour, bonded labour, rights of indigenous people, women’s rights, minority’s rights, rights of refugees and imigrants’ rights. It will have special thrust on Afro-Asian region, which has become a hot-spot, courtesy power-play of developed countries. Action programmes will be chalked out on significant dates of neighbouring countries like Burma, Bhutan, Tibet, East Timor and others in Africa.

SUPPORT STRUCTURES

In order to influence decision making process a parliamentarian support group (PSG), cutting across party lines is constituted. By raising attention of people’elected representations, the PSG will ensure that the state adopts ameliorative and obliterative measures related with an issue. Similarly, the International support group (ISG) will take up issues of similar nature in Afro-Asian region, in collaboration with INSOCO, for their action programmes like issues of democracy in Burma, Bhutan, Tibet, East Timor etc.

The ISG will also make use of existing global bodies like UN and its organs; commonwealth, G-15, ASEAN etc. in this work.

Aims and Objectives of the Trust: -

The objects of the Trust are to render charitable services to humanity without any discrimination of caste, creed, community, colour or religion especially in the following ways: -

1. To strive for establishing and promoting a truly secular, egalitarian, democratic and just Society.
2. To promote human rights and human values that embraces every sphere of life.
3. To take steps make democracy in India meaningful to the people and improve their economic and social standards.
4. To inculcate and promote in the people of India respect for democratic institutions and higher values of life.
5. To support measures calculated to prevent oppression and exploitation by whatsoever means or by whosoever, of the poorer and weaker sections of the community.
6. To provide formal training in the field of human rights for activists and other interested persons, to help them to return to their respective places of origin and undertake human rights training and education at the grassroots level.
7. To organize Training Camps of Human rights in the different states and districts of India in collaboration with Human Rights Trust, Delhi.
8. To contribute to the ongoing scholarly and general debate on the relevance of internationally guaranteed rights.
9. To enhance awareness of the universal concept, meaning and values of human rights.
10. To help educational institutions and academic bodies to develop human rights education curriculum.
11. To produce text books, reference books etc. on human rights to educate the students in schools, colleges and universities.
12. To co-operate with the National Human Rights Commission and State Human Rights Commissions concerned on human rights research and education and promote new methologies and mechanisms to enhance human rights awareness at all levels of Society.
13. To train village level workers to initiate community based development projects in health, nutrition and child-care.
14. To organize workshops training camps on various social issues and problems such as Social Defence, AIDS etc.
15. To impact training in handicrafts and make arrangements for making through promotion of Handicrafts and its sustainable growth.
16. To promote systematically appropriate renewabel energy technologies and programmes at grass root level such as, Biogas, Solar, Wind, Hydel, Geothermal energy and other renewable energies.
17. To promote rural and eco-friendly technologies for farm engineering, live-stock and aquaculture, post harvest needs and food processing, in short Natural Resources Management.
18. To provide expertise for health & sanitation, organize waste-management, low cost production and promotion of Environment friendly systems.
19. To develop a public movement of active intolerance of all forms of corruption in public affairs.
20. To educate the people in the principles of democracy and to develop a discriminating and independent public opinion on all public issues by undertaking an examination of these issues from a democratic and rational point of view unaffected by sectional and partisan considerations, and by propagating the conclusions.
21. To secure recognition to the right of public dissent and generally to defend civil liberties.
22. To ensure independence of the press and other mass media like radio and television.
23. To ensure independence of the judiciary.
24. To bring about electoral reform and in particular prevent elections from being contested on the strength of huge financial resources collected mostly in the form of black money.
25. To secure recognition of the democratic principle of the dignity of the individual and on that basis to combat untouchability, casteism and communalism and secure an increasing measure of social as well as economic equality.
26. To bring about necessary improvements on the present parliamentary institutions so as to make them respond to the will of the people.
27. To foster moral values and healthy interaction among different sections of the Trust, with particular emphasis on the younger generation.
28. To develop appropriate local organizations so as to increase people’s participation in the affairs of the state.
29. Generally to achieve stabilization and strengthening of democracy without being involved in power politics.

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

• Show your concern by becoming a member.
• Express solidarity by participating in action programmes of INSOCO in your area.
• Use your special skills (Like writing, painting, drama etc.) to highlight these issues in you area.
• Draw attention of your state committee for major aberrations on these issues and help them in chalking out action programme