Haripada Das
TRIPURA Left Front convener Narayan Kar released the manifesto for the assembly polls in a crowded press conference at the CPI(M) state committee office on February 3. Left Front leaders, including CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury, were present in the press meet. The leaders said the people of the state know very well that the promises made by the Left Front in writing in the manifesto are for realisation unlike the BJP’s “Vision Document” which is meant only for cheating the people for electoral benefit. Narayan Kar said, “We know our limitations as a state with poor resources and one of the weaker states of the Northeast region. But the Left Front always remained committed to implement the pledges it made in its manifesto and this is the experience of common people of the state during the Left Front regime. The Left Front proved that they don’t dish out ‘jumla’ to allure people with false promises to garner electoral benefit.”
In the preamble of the manifesto, it is stated that “dushashan” has been clamped in the state for the last five years under the BJP-IPFT combine which unleashed fascistic terror to crucify democracy and snatched away civil liberties. All the elections held during this black regime were reduced to a complete mockery denying innumerable electors their right to vote. There is psychological pressure on minority people of observing religious ceremonies and social functions in the state. The TTAADC (Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council) has been fading away due to financial barricades created by the government. The government is snatching away the economic rights of the SC, ST, OBCs and minority people of the state. The future of a large section of youth is doomed as they are getting addicted to drugs and narcotics. Crimes against women have taken an alarming proportion. The law of the land has been replaced by the law of the jungle. The constitution of the country has been kept void in the state.
Briefly narrating the plight of the people of the state, the manifesto stated that the golden days promised by the BJP have proved to be a hoax. The newly imposed high rate of taxes on various government services including health services, water, electricity, gas, etc has made the lives of common people unsustainable. All the small and medium-sized industrial units suffered closure because of demonetisation and inflation. The agriculture sector and farmers are in a great crisis. The purchasing power of the common people largely declined. Painful incidents of starvation, half starvation, and sale of kids have resumed. Supply of safe drinking water, electricity, health services became most uncertain. Village roads constructed by the erstwhile Left Front government have become totally unusable. Education is languishing due to dearth of teachers.
With regard to employment, the manifesto stated government recruitment is almost nil. Thousands of vacant posts are being abolished. For running a skeletal service, recruitments are being made on contract basis. The working people including government employees are being deprived of due wages and trade union rights. Extortion of money and financial corruption has been institutionalised. Law and order of the state has totally collapsed.
To sum up the state’s situation, the manifesto stated that Tripura under the BJP-IPFT rule has reached the verge of collapse in all respects, financial, social, cultural and political. The people of Tripura are frantically looking forward to putting an end to this suffocating, painful atmosphere. And they are longing to retrieve an atmosphere where democracy, peace, amity, secularism, and rule of law would be ensured. Sustainable livelihood with food and work would be assured by the government. Lastly, for the purpose of achieving this goal, the Left Front solemnly appeals to the electorate to elect Left Front candidates in order to ensure the implementation of the minimum programmes listed up in the manifesto.
LEFT FRONT PROMISES
- All sections of people irrespective of religion, caste and community shall have every right to exercise religious and social ceremonies on their own without any hindrance.
- Rule of law would be restored, reversing the present law of jungle.
- There would be a pro-people, transparent administration free from any corruption.
- Wages of workers would be raised in conformity with hike in prices.
- Fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, agricultural instruments, etc would be supplied at subsidised rates through seed-house or agri-cooperative societies.
- Jhumia families in the hills would be given financial assistance to cultivate Jhum adopting advanced method.
- Vacancies in government departments would be filled up in a sustained manner.
- No government educational institutions would be handed over to private hands.
- All the 10,323 retrenched teachers will be reinstated. Of the 10,323 retrenched teachers who died of frustration, their families would be given assistance.
- Old pension system will be reintroduced and DA for employees would be released twice a year.
- Contract and part-time workers would be regularised in a phased manner.
- Dress and ration allowances of police, TSR, home guard, SPO would be increased. No scheme workers would be sacked from their jobs.
- For furthering autonomy of TTAADC, efforts would be made to amend the constitution.
- Slum-dwellers would be rehabilitated.
- Government would pay electricity bills of the consumers consuming less than 50 units per month.
- Political victims who were injured or suffered huge financial loss would be compensated.
- Government shall restore rule of law and restore the reputation of the police, removing its present infamy.
