The CPIML liberation, released its manifesto for Bihar elections today. As political parties are downplaying manifestos as a ritual of elections, this manifesto has attracted attention more than a fringe player in a coalition can.
Manifestos are supposed to be the offer letter, rather the contract document between a political party and the electorate, but personal charisma and identity politics have reduced it to a redundant piece of paper.
Last year during the general elections, the Congress manifesto suddenly garnered a lot of attention and it became the rallying point of the opposition during the election.
Manifesto reminds the electorate, of the contractual and temporal nature of elections. The majority is a contingent phenomenon and lasts only on the quality of offering and delivery of the manifesto.
The current regime has tried to change it all. The prime minister call for absolute submission from the public, which he called ’saptpadi’ referring to an ask for near conjugal fidelity, and the home minister calling for a fifty year term are all in denial of the contingent nature of democratic power.
This resulted in downplaying of manifestos and introduction of’sankalp patras’ instead. For what was sought wasn’t consent of an informed electorate but was loyalty from an indoctrinated populace.
The CPIML manifesto is a happy reminder of democratic practices. It highlights the basic concerns of the people without pitching the interests and identities of various groups against each other.
While the Congress manifesto talks about ensuring residential land, CPIML has spoken of radical land reforms. It has been neglected by the parties for more than 4 decades now.
Promising to implement the Bandopadyay committee recommendations and redistribute 21 lac acres. The manifesto dares to speak out its intentions, without trying to be politically correct.
It has promised the revival of agricultural marketing boards, something the prime minister has been trying to abolish and had to eat a humble pie, after a year long farmers protest. Discouraging private education is another brave declaration.
It has supported the 65% reservation plank of the opposition INDIA bloc and also recalled the Sachhar committee, at a time when much of opposition is too afraid of uttering it.
The manifesto is an example of reconciling revolutionary ideas with democratic processes. If campaigned effectively, it can create a fresh code for our democracy.
