[Marxistindia] CPI(M) Election Manifeto released

[news from the cpi(m)]

                                                          March 16, 2009


  Highlights of the CPI (M) Manifesto for the 15th Lok Sabha Elections

                                 Part I

The CPI (M) calls upon the Indian people to vote for strengthening the
Left and Democratic forces and for an alternative secular Government at
the Centre. Five years of the Congress-led government have been a major
disappointment for the people and a let down of the mandate of the 2004
Lok Sabha elections. The Congress party is committed to the policies of
liberalisation and privatisation, which today stand discredited in the
backdrop of the global economic crisis. These policies have proved
inimical to the interests of the workers, peasants, agricultural
workers, artisans, small entrepreneurs, women, students and youth. A
party which sees the future of India tied to the coattails of the United
States does not deserve to run the government of our sovereign
democratic republic.

The BJP represents the most reactionary force in the country. Its
six-year rule from 1998 to 2004 was marked by the pursuit of pro-rich
and communal policies. BJP’s ideology is inimical to the concept of a
secular state. It wants to use the NDA as a cover for its Hindutva
politics. Through these five years, all it did as the major opposition
party was to raise various issues, including terrorism, from a communal
standpoint.

It is necessary that both the Congress and the BJP are defeated by the
people in the forthcoming elections. The country requires alternative
policies: pro-people economic policies; ensuring equity and social
justice; consistent secularism; genuine federalism; and an independent
foreign policy. The CPI (M) appeals to all democratic and secular forces
to support such alternative policies. For this, an alternative political
platform is required. The CPI (M) will work for the creation of a
non-Congress, non-BJP government that will strengthen democracy, ensure
equitable economic development and social justice.

Record of the Congress led Government

Five years of the Congress-led UPA government have widened inequalities
in society. The rich have become super-rich while the poor have been
further impoverished. 

Callous Policies in Food and Agriculture:The agrarian crisis continues.
Suicides by farmers have not abated. The public distribution system has
been further enfeebled. The BPL category excludes large sections of the
poor. Allocations for the APL category have been drastically cut. Three
crore tonnes of foodgrains lie in the godowns but the government refuses
to undo the cut in the allocations to the states.

Failure to Check Price Rise:The people have suffered from continuous
price rise of all essential commodities. Even though the government
claims the rate of inflation has come down below 4 per cent, the prices
of food items continue to rise at above 10 per cent. The inability to
curb price rise has been one of the biggest failures of the Congress-led
government.

Favouring Big Corporates:The Manmohan Singh government promoted policies
favouring big corporates, both Indian and foreign. SEZs were designed to
help these interests grab large tracts of land and they were given a
bonanza of tax sops. The refusal to restore capital gains tax in the
stock market and stop the massive tax evasion through the Mauritius
route is meant to help Indian and foreign speculators to reap huge
profits. The backdoor entry of FDI in retail trade is jeopardizing the
livelihood of lakhs of small shopkeepers and traders. 

Betrayal on Peoples’ Rights: The rights of workers and employees have
been curtailed. The EPF rate of interest was reduced to 8.5%. The
Government has promoted contractualisation and casualisation of labour.
The UPA government went back on its commitment to implement one-third
reservations for women in the legislatures and parliament, as promised
in the CMP. The UPA government also failed to implement the main
recommendations of the Justice Sachar Committee, including the key
suggestion, of working out a sub-plan for the Muslim minority. 

Failure to Protect People from the Global Economic Crisis:During the
last six months of the Congress-led government, the country has
experienced the adverse impact of the global economic crisis in the form
of massive job losses. The fiscal stimulus packages announced by the
government have been grossly inadequate and mainly aimed at providing
tax concessions to bail out big corporates. No measures have been
undertaken so far to protect workers from lay-offs and retrenchment or
to protect the peasantry from price crashes and import competition. 

Danger of Communalism

The BJP-RSS combine and their many outfits have been fomenting communal
violence and targetting the minorities. In these last five years attacks
on Muslim minorities have taken place in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh. Kandhamal district in Orissa saw the worst violence against
Christians, with churches and houses being burnt and large scale attacks
on priests and nuns. In Karnataka, there were vicious attacks on
Christians in Mangalore, Davanagare and other places after the BJP
assumed office. The 2004 verdict against the BJP should have been
utilised to act firmly against all forms of communalism and their
regressive activities. The Centre should have cracked down on
organisations like the Bajrang Dal after the violence in Kandhamal and
elsewhere in the country. But it did not do so.

The politics and practice of the BJP represents distilled communalism
that can only weaken national unity. The BJP has come out against any
efforts to ameliorate the conditions of the 150 million Muslims in the
country as recommended in the Justice Sachar Report by branding it as
“minority appeasement”. The BJP’s stand on terrorism is equally
pernicious. It has no compunction in ascribing all terrorist activities
to the Muslim community. It refuses to accept that terrorism has diverse
sources. It has sought to protect the accused in the Malegaon blasts
case who are Hindutva extremists by branding the ATS investigation as
prosecution of “Hindu religious figures”. The BJP’s double standards on
terrorism stands fully exposed. The people of India cannot accept this
regressive, backward-looking party based on an obscurantist ideology to
run the Central government.



Terrorism

During the last five years, the country experienced a spate of terrorist
attacks, starting with the October 2005 serial blasts in Delhi. The
Central Government failed to tackle the problems of terrorism
adequately. Terrorism has diverse origins in India. There is terrorist
violence involving some extremist elements from the Muslim community. In
the recent period terrorist attacks like in Malegaon and certain earlier
blasts in Maharashtra were perpetrated by extremist Hindutva elements.
In the North-East, terrorist attacks by ULFA and the other ethnic
chauvinist groups have taken place. The CPI (M) has consistently
advocated firm steps to tackle the terrorist networks and elements
irrespective of their source or origin. As for the terrorist attacks
emanating from Pakistan, India should mobilise international opinion to
mount pressure on the Pakistan government to crack down on the terrorist
and extremist outfits there. 

Foreign Policy

Strategic Alliance with the US:The biggest betrayal by the Manmohan
Singh government was to forge a strategic alliance with the United
States of America and to resile from the commitment to pursue an
independent foreign policy. The Congress-led government signed a
ten-year Defence Framework Agreement with the US for military
collaboration. In place of the CMP, the agenda of the Indo-US CEO Forum,
which recommended FDI in retail trade, insurance, banking, education,
etc., became the guiding light of the Manmohan Singh government. The
Manmohan Singh government has pursued the US-Israel-India axis, an idea
mooted by the BJP-led government. It has entered into deep security and
military collaboration with Israel. Israel has become the biggest
supplier of weapons to India.

Nuclear Deal:The Congress-led government signed the nuclear deal with
the US with conditions no self-respecting government should accept. The
Congress is propagating that the nuclear deal will result in electricity
being provided to all villages and homes. This is a cruel joke when the
cost of electricity from an imported nuclear plant will be Rs. 8 per
unit – far out of the reach of the common people. 

The Left parties withdrew support from the UPA government on July 9,
2008 after the government decided to go ahead with the Indo-US nuclear
deal. The CPI (M) and the Left parties could not support a government,
which was so intent on acting at the behest of the US agenda for India
to the detriment of an independent foreign policy and strategic
autonomy. 

Violation of Federalism

The Congress-led government has been insensitive to the rights of states
and failed to implement steps to devolve more powers and resources to
them despite the CMP commitment. Neither was the debt of states
substantially reduced nor was the share of the states in the divisible
pool of taxes enhanced. The UPA government violated the CMP in framing
the terms of reference for the 13th Finance Cmmission and the Commission
on Centre-State relations. 

Corruption

The ruling alliance vitiated the parliamentary democratic system by
large-scale use of money, bribery and intimidation to purchase and
encourage defections from the opposition to win the vote of confidence
in July 2008. The government displayed complete contempt for Parliament
by extending the July 2008 special session till the end of December, and
doing away with the winter session altogether. Misuse of public
institutions and investigative agencies was also the norm under this
government. 

The UPA government has presided over a massive telecom scam. It first
sold 2G licences to favoured companies. The companies then divested
their shares at huge profits. In the process, the exchequer lost at
least one lakh crore rupees. The government has refused to order a probe
into this massive scam. The Satyam-Maytas scandal is another shocking
example of how crony capitalism is leading to institutionalized
corruption. 

Role of the CPI (M) and the Left

The CPI (M) and the Left acted as sentinels of the people’s interests
vis-à-vis the UPA government. At least two major legislations – the
NREGA and the Tribal Forest Rights Act – would not have come about in
the present form without the CPI (M)’s intervention. The Left parties
made crucial interventions in improving the NREGA legislation, which
have proved to be of great benefit to the people. It was the sustained
intervention by the Left that led to the enactment of the Scheduled
Tribes and other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act. 

The role played by the CPI (M) and the Left in the past five years led
to the protection of financial sector from the ravages of speculative
finance capital. The Left protected the banking sector by not allowing
the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act, which would have facilitated the
takeover of Indian private banks by foreign banks. The Left defended the
insurance sector by preventing any legislation to increase FDI in the
insurance sector. Pensions of lakhs of government employees were
protected by the Left’s decision to oppose the PFRDA Bill, which would
have led to pension funds of government employees being privatized and
put in the stock market. Thus, it was because of the CPI (M) and the
Left that India could be saved from the worst impact of the global
financial crisis.

The CPI (M) and the Left firmly defended the public sector and national
sovereignty. The ‘navaratna’ PSUs was protected by the Left, which did
not agree to the disinvestment of shares in BHEL. To protect the
interests of lakhs of small shopkeepers and traders, and workers
employed by them, the Left opposed the opening up of the retail trade to
MNCs and prevented their full-fledged entry. To protect the farmers’
interests, the Left did not support the Seed Bill, which could not be
passed in the Parliament. To protect the integrity of the educational
sector, the Left stopped the passage of the Bill to allow foreign
educational institutions and universities to be set up in India. To
protect the interests of the working class, the Left prevented the
introduction of anti-labour laws.

                                Part II

The CPI (M) Platform

The CPI (M)’s role in the past five years speaks for itself. It has
intervened consistently in Parliament and elsewhere to defend the
interests and the livelihoods of the people, protect national
sovereignty, combat communalism, ensure social justice and fight against
growing imperialist penetration. The CPI (M) sets out the alternative
path for the country. This platform is based on the following
components: 





Promoting Secularism

      * Enacting a comprehensive law against communal violence; ensuring
        speedy justice and adequate compensation to the victims of
        communal violence like the Gujarat pogrom of 2002 and for the
        implementation of the Justice Sri Krishna Commission report
        
      * Reining in organisations and institutions involved in spreading
        communal hate and attacking minorities through appropriate legal
        measures
        

Alternative Economic Policies: 

      * Increasing annual Plan Expenditure amounting to 10% of India’s
        current GDP
        
      * Halt further tax concessions to corporates; Launch a drive to
        unearth black money, especially those stashed in Swiss Banks and
        other off-shore tax havens 
        
      * Strong regulation of the financial sector, maintaining
        predominant state control over finance and revival of
        development finance 
        
      * Expanding MSP coverage to more crops, including oil seeds, other
        cash crops and traditional staples; Reviving commodity boards to
        set floor prices for commercial crops; Ensuring institutional
        credit to the agricultural sector at a maximum 4% rate of
        interest
        
      * Reintroduction of the universal PDS and abandoning the targeted
        PDS based on flawed poverty estimates; Supplying 14 essential
        commodities including sugar, pulses and edible oils under the
        PDS
        
      * Reduction of retail prices of petrol and diesel by cutting the
        customs and excise duties on oil 
        
      * Reversing the current thrust to dilute land-ceiling laws; Speedy
        and comprehensive steps for implementing land reforms 
        
      * Strengthening and expansion of the public sector in the core and
        strategic areas by injecting fresh capital and technology;
        Complete halt to disinvestment and privatisation of
        profit-making and potentially viable PSUs
        
      * Protection of domestic industry from indiscriminate lowering of
        import duties and takeover of existing Indian companies by
        foreign companies; Encouragement to the private sector to invest
        in manufacturing and services sectors
        
      * Prohibition of FDI in Retail Trade; Regulation of domestic
        corporate retailers through a licensing policy
        
      * Reversing FDI guidelines to prevent backdoor entry of FDI;
        Foreign capital to be channelled in areas based on need to build
        productive capacities and acquire new technology
        
      * Protecting Indian interests and that of the developing countries
        in the ongoing Doha Round of WTO; no further tariff cuts in
        agriculture and industrial goods
        

Strengthening Democracy and Federalism

      * Amending Articles 355 and 356 to prevent their misuse
        
      * Governors to be appointed by the President from a list of three
        eminent persons suggested by the Chief Minister of a State 
        
      * Devolving 50% of the total pool of collection of Central taxes
        to the States; Raising States’ share of market borrowing to 50%
        
      * A political solution to the Kashmir problem based on maximum
        autonomy for the State based on the full scope of Article 370 of
        the Constitution; autonomous set-up to be created with the
        regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh being given regional
        autonomy 
        
      * The North East to be declared a priority region for development;
        Developing physical infrastructure and special employment
        schemes for the youth; Border fencing to be completed
        expeditiously 
        

Against Terrorism

      * Revamping the intelligence machinery and enhanced coordination
        between security and intelligence agencies
        
      * Modernisation of the Police forces; Strengthening of the coastal
        security system
        

Independent Foreign Policy

      * An independent and non-aligned foreign policy, which defends
        India from imperialist pressures; Initiatives for South-South
        cooperation and reviving the Non-Aligned Movement on a new basis
        
      * Amending the Constitution to make legislative sanction mandatory
        for any international treaty 
        
      * Diplomatic and political efforts to protect the lives of Tamil
        people in the war zone in Sri Lanka; Working for an immediate
        political settlement based on autonomy for the Tamil speaking
        areas within the framework of a united Sri Lanka
        
      * Building close ties with West Asian countries; pursue
        Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline resisting US pressure
        
      * Reviewing and reworking the 123 Agreement with the US for civil
        nuclear cooperation to remove the harmful clauses; Pursuing
        self-reliance in civilian nuclear energy based on domestic
        uranium and thorium reserves 
        
      * Abrogating the Defence Framework Agreement with the US and
        cessation of Indo-US joint military exercises
        

Peoples’ Rights and Social Justice 

Workers

      * Ensuring strictest implementation of all labour laws including
        the law on inter state migrant workers; discouraging
        contractualisation and casualisation of work 
        
      * Improving the legislation on Unorganized Sector Workers and
        implement the recommendations of the Standing Committee on
        Labour in this regard; Special social security measures for
        migrant workers and plantation workers
        
      * Ensuring equal remuneration for women workers in all areas of
        work; adopting social security measures for working women
        including maternity benefits
        
      * Safeguarding the right to organize, collective bargaining and
        the right to strike for all workers, including government
        employees; Enacting legislation to annul the Supreme Court
        judgment prohibiting strikes
        

Peasantry

      * Ensuring stable and remunerative crop prices; Protecting the
        peasantry from falling world prices by increasing import tariffs
        
      * Ensuring comprehensive loan waiver for distressed peasants
        covering both institutional and private debt owed to
        money-lenders
        
      * Enacting a separate and comprehensive legislation for
        agricultural workers to ensure minimum wages, the right to
        bargain collectively and measures of social security such as
        pensions, accident compensation etc. with central funding
        

Women and Children

      * Enacting the Women’s Reservation Bill to ensure one-third
        reservation for women in the legislatures
        
      * Enacting a comprehensive law against sexual violence including
        against children; Legally recognize joint rights in matrimonial
        property; Separate law against honour killings 
        
      * Undertaking as a National Mission the eradication of dowry and
        female foeticide 
        
      * Universalizing the ICDS to cover all children in the 0 to 6
        years age group; stopping privatization of the ICDS
        

Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs

      * Ensuring stringent action against untouchability and atrocities
        against Scheduled Castes
        
      * Increasing allocations under the Special component Plan;
        Launching a comprehensive National Programme of Minor Irrigation
        for all un-irrigated lands of dalits and adivasis 
        
      * Extending reservation to dalit Christians and dalit Muslims
        
      * Protecting land rights of adivasis and restoring land illegally
        alienated from them
        
      * Implementing the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest
        Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006, in full;
        Amending the Act to include traditional forest dwellers on a
        more reasonable definition
        
      * Ensuring proper implementation of 27% OBC reservation in Central
        educational institutions; Extending OBC reservation to all
        private educational institutions
        

Minorities

      * Forming an Equal Opportunity Commission with adequate powers to
        redress discrimination against minorities 
        
      * Formulating a sub-plan for the Muslim minorities on the lines of
        the tribal sub-plan in order to implement Sachar Committee
        recommendations; Special initiatives in the sphere of
        employment, education and health to be undertaken targeting
        districts where the Muslim population is concentrated
        
      * Making public the Ranganath Mishra Commission report and ensure
        full public debate; As an immediate measure all OBC Muslims
        which form the vast majority of the Muslim community to be
        included in the OBC quota with specific State wise allocations
        

Peoples’ Welfare 

      * The employment guarantee to be extended to cover all adults and
        for as many days as demanded; Employment guarantee to be
        extended to the urban areas through the enactment of legislation
        
      * Public expenditure on education to be 6% of GDP
        
      * Enacting the Right to Education Bill; Central Government to
        assume the major part of the financial commitment for its
        implementation 
        
      * Enacting legislation to regulate fees, admissions and curricula
        in private educational institutions 
        
      * Public expenditure on health to be raised to 5% of GDP
        
      * Strengthening and expanding the public health system to
        guarantee the delivery of all basic health services; Reversing
        the trend of privatization of healthcare through PPPs
        
      * Upgrading pensions of all categories of pensioners in consonance
        with the cost of living; one-rank one-pension for ex-servicemen
        

Environment

      * Undertaking steps to control emission of greenhouse gases
        through energy efficient technologies and effective regulation;
        Promoting solar and other non-conventional energy sources
        
      * Checking pollution of rivers and other water bodies through
        effective regulation
        
      * A National Water Policy to be formulated to enhance water
        availability for domestic use, irrigation and industry;
        Provision of potable drinking water to all habitations to be
        accorded priority
        

Science and Technology

      * Enhancing public funding of indigenous research in science and
        technology to promote self-reliance; Decentralization in funding
        for R&D; Fundamental research in the sciences to be accorded
        priority 
        
      * Promoting free software and other such new technologies, which
        are free from monopoly ownership through copyrights or patents;
        “knowledge commons” should be promoted across disciplines, like
        biotechnology and drug discovery 
        

Media and Culture

      * All national languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the
        Constitution to be equally encouraged and developed
        
      * Promoting secular, progressive and democratic culture; attacks
        on cultural personalities and productions by the communal forces
        to be firmly dealt with 
        
      * Setting up of a Media Council which can act as an independent
        regulatory authority for the media 
        

Institutional Reforms

      * Enacting the Lok Pal Bill to stop corruption at high places
        including the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and the
        Judiciary
        
      * A National Judicial Commission to be constituted as an
        independent Constitutional body comprising of representatives
        from judiciary, executive, legislature and bar for appointment,
        transfer and dismissal of judges and to ensure judicial
        accountability
        
      * Members of the EC to be appointed by the President on the advice
        of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of
        the Opposition and Chief Justice of Supreme Court 
        
      * Proportional representation with partial list system
        
      * Effective steps to prohibit persons with criminal background
        from contesting elections
        
      * State funding in the form of material for recognized political
        parties