WITH dates for elections to the West Bengal state assembly having been declared, the manifesto of the Left Front was released by the chairman of the Left Front, Biman Basu, in the presence of other Front leaders. These elections are being held in the backdrop of a year which was marred by a pandemic against which the entire human race is fighting a grim battle. The past year is also marked by a lockdown which was thrust upon the unsuspecting masses and which ruined lives and livelihoods of crores of people of this country. In this milieu, an eight phase election will be held between March 27 and April 29.

For the people of the state, this election is a fight to reclaim democracy as also a fight to end bad governance and anarchy. The decade long TMC rule has seen nepotism, extortion, and syndicate raj becoming an integral part of governance. At the same time workers, farmers, youth, women, minorities, scheduled castes and tribes, and students are being persecuted. Education is another area which has come under unbelievable attack. Hooliganism, corruption and lack of transparency is the order of the day. Government vacancies are not being filled nor is the government taking any step to generate employment. Law and order and women’s security has gone for a toss in the last ten years.

The BJP government at the centre has been pursuing a policy of divisiveness and corporate loot. Their anti-farmer, anti-worker policies are adversely affecting the lives of millions. This government’s economic policies have given birth to crony capitalism, unmatched unemployment, unprecedented poverty, inequality, and hunger. With the introduction of the National Education Policy, the central government is encouraging saffronisation on one hand and privatisation on the other.

In light of the above, the Left Front has drafted a manifesto keeping in mind the demands and aspirations of the people of the state. The most significant point in the manifesto is the promise to restore democracy in the state and the guarantee to the opposition to express their views. Secularism will be practiced as enshrined in the constitution. Peace and harmony shall prevail.

Left Front has declared priority for employment generation. The manifesto has declared that within the first year of assuming responsibility, educators will be appointed in all government, government-aided and government-sponsored schools. All other vacancies in all government institutions will be filled. Recruitments will be done systematically and based on merit.

There will be attempts to build up large industries. Land acquisition will be done after building consensus among locals. Meanwhile, micro and small enterprises will be strengthened with government investment and incentives. Young, unemployed boys and girls will be encouraged to be self-reliant. Schemes to enhance self-reliance will be launched. Employment will be generated in agriculture, industry and service sectors. Industries will be built by panchayats and municipalities too.

Another important aim of this government will be to decrease the cost of cultivation and increase the price of the crop produced. In order to make cultivation profitable, government will make fertilizers and irrigation available. Co-operatives will be revived to enable selling agro-products. Farmers will be guaranteed one and half times the production cost of their crops and government will buy crops as and when required from small and marginal farmers. New crops like potato will be brought under MSP.

The APMC Act promulgated by the TMC government will be repealed. The three farm acts brought in by the BJP government at the centre will not be implemented in the state. All those farmers who had received land as a result of land reforms and were subsequently evicted in the last ten years will be given their land. Job days in REGA will be increased from 100 to 150 and the scheme will be expanded to the cities.

The three tier panchayat system will be strengthened and democracy will be restored. Participation of the villagers, especially of the poor, will be ensured. Minimum wage of workers will be pegged at Rs 21,000 per month. A separate department will be started for the migrant labourers. Workers of closed factories will be given a monthly allowance of Rs 2,500 and ration at a subsidised rate. Workers of closed tea gardens, jute mills and other factories will benefit from this scheme. Social security schemes of workers belonging to the unorganised sector will be revamped and expanded. Temporary workers working in government projects will be brought under a specific pay structure and social security schemes. All the workers associated with ASHA, ICDS, Mid-Day meal and other projects will be given an honourable allowance and job security will be guaranteed.

The manifesto also proposes to provide food security and a robust public distribution system. The underprivileged will be provided with rice or wheat at Rs 2 per kg for 35 kgs per month. Essential items will be provided at a rate lower than at markets. Government will provide clean drinking water to all.

Another sector that the Sanjukta Morcha government plans to overhaul is the health sector. Government will be responsible for public health. All services at government hospitals and health centres will be free. Importance will be given to prevention. Every effort will be made, by the government, to keep the prices of medicines under strict control.

Power production will be increased. Keeping in mind the poor people, power will be provided to them at a heavily subsidised rate.

By proposing to allot 20 per cent of the total budget outlay for education, it has been made sufficiently obvious the importance that is going to be given to education. Eradication of illiteracy, and restoration of democracy in educational institutions will be given importance. Resisting privatisation, corporatisation and saffronisation of education will be of utmost importance. The admission process will be regularised and made transparent. Provisions will be made for providing job oriented training; importance will be given to research and development in universities. Vacancies in educational institutions will be filled up in accordance with the rules. Regular elections will be held to the students’ unions conforming to democratic process. The manifesto also says that initiatives will be taken to cherish and promote culture; creativity, innovation and invention will be encouraged and nurtured. Sports will be encouraged.

Some other salient points made in the manifesto include equal pay for equal work, setting up of help centres for victims of domestic violence and violence against women. Policies will be framed keeping in mind the LGBTQIA community. RPD Act 16 will be implemented for the physically challenged people. They will be provided with vocational training especially tailor-made for them. Their monthly allowance will be increased from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000.

State Finance Commission will be revived, decentralisation of wealth, setting up of state government’s own bank are some of the other projects that will be taken up. Co-operatives will be expanded, online marketing of co-operative products will be introduced and self-help groups will be encouraged.

Suggestions were sought from the general public after the draft manifesto was made public. Many proposals and recommendations had poured in from all corners. Relevant among those suggestions have been incorporated in the manifesto. It can, therefore, be said to be a people’s manifesto.