Manifesto of the Left parties
For betterment of citizens's lives
The overall progress of the country can be ensured only when the
people experience all-round improvement in their material and
cultural lives. The neglect of the social sector must be abandoned
and State expenditure stepped up substantially.
Education
The Left parties pledge to :
* Introduce compulsory primary education accompanied by free mid-day
meals, provision of textbooks and other education materials.
- Free and universal education must be guaranteed for all children
up to the age of 14 years. The 83rd Constitutional amendment
making education a basic right should be adopted for children
upto the age of 14.
- Rapid expansion of primary school network.
- Upgrade the salaries of elementary school teachers and provide
schools equipped with minimum facilities.
- Syllabus and curriculum to inculcate secularism, progressive
values, scientific temper and national unity.
- Allocation of 10 per cent of the Union Budget and 30 per cent of
states's budget for education.
- Support to mass literacy programmes.
- Democratisation of the higher education system and development
of vocational education.
Health
Liberalisation has led to neglect of the public health system
and cutbacks in expenditure on public health. Epidemics and mass
outbreak of water-borne disease are taking a heavy toll of lives.
In this connection, the Left parties advocate:
- Immediately increasing the expenditure on public health to
5 per cent of the GDP (at present it is a miserable 1.12 per cent).
- Provision of adequate network of primary health centres with
sufficient stocks of medicines as laid down by the Ministry of
Health itself.
- Ensuring supply of essential drugs at prices affordable to
the common people.
- Increasing the outlay on preventive medicine and eradication
of disease like malaria, tuberculosis etc.
Water Resources
- There should a National Water Policy. Provide for community/Panchayat
role in management of water resources. Exercise control on indiscriminate
use of ground water.
- Drinking water is a problem in two lakh villages. Provision
of potable drinking water to all villages must be a priority task.
Housing
- Housing to be accorded the status of a basic right; housing
schemes for urban and rural poor to be stepped up.
Employment
- Guarantee right to work as a fundamental right.
- Provide food-for-work programmes to generate employment.
- Ensure adequate credit for self-employment schemes for educated
unemployed, artisans and handicapped persons.
- Scrap freeze in recruitment and cuts in existing employment
in the government sector.
Women
Women are struggling to acquire equal status in all spheres -- social,
economic and political. The Left parties have been the firmest
champions of women's rights and for ending gender discrimination.
- Implementation of equal rights and other legal and constitutional
guarantees.
- The Left parties have consistently fought for the adoption
of the constitutional amendment providing for one-third reservation
for women in legislatures, in the last parliament. The Left parties
are committed to see this is implemented in the new Parliament
expeditiously.
- Special schemes for female-headed households in rural areas
and increasing employment opportunities for women. Strict measures
against atrocities on women and legislation to check sexual abuse
of children.
- Equal legal rights for women of all communities should be
provided.
- Equal rights in property and joint matrimonial property rights;
compulsory registration of marriages.
- Abolition of child labour
- Universal provision of child care services.
Population Policy
Conduct widespread campaign for a family size norm of two children
per couple without any gender bias. Withdraw the proposed 79th
Constitutional Amendment Bill for disqualification of all those
who have more than two children as it will militate against women's
interests.
For social justice
The struggle to end social exploitation and caste discrimination
requires a sustained struggle to fight all forms of caste oppression
and inhuman practices like untouchability. The State should undertake
not only to implement laws in this respect but also discharge
its responsibilities to propagate against casteism.
The Left parties call for:
Dalits and Adivasis
- Stringent action against atrocities against scheduled castes
and scheduled tribes and invoking of the provision of the Prevention
of Atrocities Act for this purpose.
- Ensuring that quotas for reservation for scheduled castes
and tribes are filled up.
- OBC reservation to be implemented.
- Reservation to be extended to Dalit Christians.
- Protect land rights of adivasis and restore land alienated
from them illegally.
- Ensure the right of access to forests and forest produce;
the Forest Act be amended for this purpose.
- Regional autonomy should be provided for tribal compact areas
wherever necessary
- Foster the development of the languages and culture of the Adivasis.
Rights of Minorities
- Protection of the just rights of the minorities; implement
provisions of the Constitution to prevent discrimination;
Special schemes for promoting educational facilities for deprived
minorities
Protection and encouragement of Urdu language
Youth
- A national youth policy must be adopted which comprehensively
deals with issue of special concern to youth.
- The State should provide for an adequate network of sports
and cultural facilities for youth in all parts of the country.
Media and Culture
The State should provide facilities for development of secular
and democratic culture. The diverse cultural traditions of the
people must find free expression and equal treatment by the State.
- All national languages listed in the Eighth schedule of the
Constitution should be equally encouraged and developed.
- The Prasar Bharati Corporation must be strengthened so that
it becomes a genuine public broadcasting service. There has to
be legislation to prevent growth of monopolies in the print and
electronic media which is inherently undemocratic. No foreign
ownership of print media. Revamp the proposed Broadcasting Bill
in this light.
- Enforce a media code for satellite broadcasters.
- Ensure that states have a say in media policy and programmes
in the public broadcasting service.
Science and Technology
In promoting self-reliance, it is essential that a science and
technology policy be adopted which provides for development of
scientific institutions and development of substantial R&D
potential in India. A patents policy which promotes indigenous
research and scientific development must be adhered to. Any review
of the Indian Patent Act of 1970 should safeguard the interests
of Indian industry, research priorities, self-reliance, food-security,
public health and national security.
Environment
- Formulate an environment policy which is integrated with the
needs of rapid and sustainable development.
- Strict control must be exercised against industries using
hazardous technology which affects the health of workers and the
neighbourhood.
- Stringent action should be taken against contractors illegally
cutting down forests.
- There has to be a uniform national rehabilitation policy for
persons displaced by development projects.
- Develop mass-transit and public transport system to curb vehicular
pollution.
Strengthen Democratic System
The Left parties will work for strengthening the parliamentary
democratic system. They will oppose any move to truncate parliamentary
democracy or alter it by introducing the Presidential form of
government. Any move to undermine parliamentary democracy will
usher in authoritarianism to which the Left is totally opposed.
The first step to strengthen parliamentary democracy in the country
is to ensure electoral reforms.
Electoral Reforms
These must include:
- Amendment of Section 77 of the Representation of People's
Act to plug loopholes in enforcing ceiling on election expenditure
by bringing all election expenses including those by parties and
friends in the candidates expenditure.
- 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 recognised political
parties.
- Amendment of the Anti-Defection law so that any elected representative
who leaves the party he or she represents has to vacate the seat
forthwith.
Curb Corruption
- Steps to curb corruption at all levels particularly those
holding high public office. The Lok Pal Act should be adopted which
will provide for investigation and binding recommendation on prosecution
of public servants upto the level of prime minister. Provide for
CBI and other investigating agencies getting functional autonomy
to investigate cases leading upto prosecution.
- The system of governance should be made more accountable for
which citizens must have the right to information for which a
Right to Information Act must be passed.
Judicial Reforms
* Constituting a National Judicial Commission for appointment
of judges of high courts and Supreme Court. Reforms in judicial
system to provide speedy relief at affordable cost to the common
people and to heighten accountability.
- There should be a proper balance in the relations between
the legislature, judiciary and the executive and the exercise
of powers in their respective spheres without encroaching into
the legitimate domain of the other organs.
- Devolution of powers from the Centre to the state with suitable
constitutional amendments. Decentralisation of powers to the district
bodies and panchayats; ensuring local participation in formulation
of plans and projects.
Left governments
The Left-led governments of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura have
established the credentials of the Left. Implementation of land
reforms, protection of the rights of the working people, decentralisation
of power to the panchayats, preservation of communal harmony and
taking democracy to the grassroots have been some of the achievements
of these governments. The Left wants these pro-people, democratic
policies to be on the agenda of the Centre.
Voting for the Left Parties the CPI-M, CPI, Forward Bloc and
RSP will be a mandate for:
- Guaranteeing the secular-democratic basis of the Indian Republic
and national unity
- Pro-people economic policies.
- Advancing the struggle for a corruption-free government and
system
- Ensuring a stable UF government which will work for growth
with equity.
CPI manifesto for 1996 election
CPI-M manifesto for 1996 election
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