The Communist Party of India has proposed a national employment guarantee law, named after Bhagat Singh, and unemployment allowance, in keeping with the Opposition’s narrative of joblessness to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch of national security.
“Our fight is to defend the nation and the Constitution. Our fight is to defeat the forces of hate. We all want to be argumentative Indians, but Mr. Modi and his people have become abusive Indians. They have no answers to people’s questions and only create fear,” CPI national secretary D. Raja said at the release of the party’s manifesto on Friday.
Bhagat Singh had never joined the CPI, but is considered one of India’s early Marxists. On Thursday, the CPI(M) promised a similar law in its manifesto.
Besides the right to work, the CPI said it would increase the number of guaranteed employment days of a family under the MGNREGA to 200 days and ensure wage payments within the stipulated period, on a par with the legal minimum wages for unskilled farm labours.
The party also vowed to safeguard India’s federal structure, and stop the misuse of Article 356 and the office of Governor by the Union government. “Our diversity is our strength. The Modi government has weakened our federal system,” Mr. Raja said. It pitched for full statehood for Puducherry and Delhi.
The CPI demanded a halt to the import of nuclear reactors and cancellation of the agreements with the U.S. and France for establishing nuclear plants.
