The Opposition Left Democratic Front’s manifesto, released here on Tuesday, is at once an attempt at addressing the concerns and interests of almost every section of Kerala society and a document that seeks to place rather modest goals before a potential LDF government.
The manifesto, released by LDF convener Vaikom Viswan and alliance leaders, is bereft of any ambitious announcement, but has much in it that shows the eagerness of the Opposition alliance to reach out to the different sections with promises to address their grievances and aspirations.
The 72-page manifesto is divided into 35 sections and has as many as 600 proposals and promises covering governance at different levels.
Although the focus of much of the debate in recent days has been on the liquor policy that the LDF proposes to pursue if elected to power, the manifesto has only three paragraphs devoted to the subject, reiterating the alliance’s oft-repeated commitment to bring down liquor consumption in stages.
The manifesto is more noteworthy for the attempt to work out in detail the government’s agenda of governance in the productive sectors, the social security initiatives that the alliance wishes to launch and a shift away from development forgetting ecological realities.
The contents of the manifesto reflects the deliberations and conclusions of the Fourth International Study Congress on Kerala, organised by the AKG Centre for Research and Studies recently, and accuses the UDF government of having caused a serious setback to the State’s development process even as it allowed corruption to acquire galloping pace.
The LDF’s promise is to use its 35-point programme to eradicate hunger, increase farm productivity and ensure food security, create new jobs, restore public sector enterprises to their former glory and encourage electronic hardware industry, complete work on the natural gas pipeline, promote entrepreneurship and switch-over to e-governance.
The manifesto also promises, among other things, a fund targeted specifically at non-resident Malayalis and ensure availability of loans at 4 per cent interest to Kudumbasree units, which would be placed under grama sabhas.
It also promises to set up an Ayurveda university, set up ‘social hospitals’ through the joint effort of cooperatives and voluntary organisations and provide hi-tech education to all children studying in classes VIII to XII.
