LS polls: DMK manifesto blows ideological bugle

CHENNAI: Packaging the DMK’s ideological narratives against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP regime into poll promises, party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin released the manifesto for the Parliamentary election on Wednesday.

Along with the pledge to scrap the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and also Article 361 which provides legal immunity to Governors, it also promised a slew of welfare schemes like extending Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium for women to the whole country.

Seeking to woo the womenfolk and middle-class voters, the manifesto promised to supply domestic LPG cylinders at Rs 500 per cylinder, and petrol and diesel at Rs 75 and Rs 65 per litre, respectively, and also assured that the party would insist the Centre remove all toll booths on National Highways.

A key constituent of the INDIA bloc, the DMK also promised key national-level reforms like dropping the proposed Uniform Civil Code, "one nation, one election", and appointment of governors in consultation with Chief Ministers.

Unveiling the manifest at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, Stalin said, "It is not the manifesto of only the DMK, but the manifesto of the Tamil Nadu people. The DMK has always fulfilled its poll promises after forming the government." Accusing the "fascist BJP" of destroying the country on all fronts since coming to power in 2014, Stalin reiterated that it would not bode well for the country if the Modi regime continued in power for another term.

Assuring that the initiatives of the ‘Dravidian Model’ government would be extended to the whole country after the INDIA bloc forms government at the national level, Stalin said the DMK would press for suitably amending the Constitution to grant real autonomy to states in accordance with the recommendations of MM Punchi, Justice MN Venkatachaliah, Rajamannar and Sarkaria committees.

Suggesting the abolition of Article 356 providing for the dissolution of elected State governments and establishment of the Supreme Court bench in Chennai, the DMK also promised statehood for Puducherry and conduct of UPSC among other exams conducted for Union government jobs in Tamil and declaring Tamil as a joint-official language in Union government offices in Tamil Nadu.

The manifesto also assured to ensure equal funding for all State languages and make Tamil as a court language in the event of the new government being formed by the INDIA bloc in Delhi.

Not stopping with the promises that it is extending, the 68-page manifesto also reminded the voters about the promises made but not delivered by the BJP during its decade-long regime.

The manifesto prepared by its chairman Kanimozhi Karunanidhi also promised to scrap the New Education Policy of the Union government and restore the separate budget for Railways. It has also proposed a mandatory cooling-off period of two years will be introduced for retired judges and secretaries before joining private companies or political parties.

Promising a recommendation to share cess revenues with states, the manifesto proposed that the Finance Commission increase the horizontal devolution of tax revenue (to all States together) from 42 per cent to 50 per cent.

SUN PROMISING THE MOON

• Waiving off loans and interests of farmers in nationalised and scheduled banks
• Waiver of education loans
• Interest-free loans up to 4 lakhs to students
• Extension of Naan Muthalvan and Pudumai Penn schemes nationwide
• Free SIM card with one GB of data for college students
• 50% reservation in central higher education institutions for students from respective states
• Formation of State Development Council consisting of Chief Ministers
• Re-establishing Planning Commission dissolved by the Modi regime by replacing Niti Aayog.
• Legal amendments to empower State governments to appoint Vice Chancellors, instead of governors
• Abolish penalty for not maintaining minimum bank balance
• Free Wi-Fi services in all important locations State-wide
• Extension of Smart City to tier II and II cities
• Restoration of State status to J-K
• All unfriendly laws introduced by the BJP government to be reviewed
• Immediate implementation of 33% reservation for women in Parliament and legislative Assemblies
• National-level online gambling prohibition law