GUWAHATI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress, which released its manifestoes for Assam and Kerala on Saturday, played strong local cards — promising to thwart CAA implementation and safeguard indigenous identity of people in Assam while committing to protect traditions of Sabarimala devotees in Kerala and bringing an end to political violence in the state by assuring a department for peace and harmony.
In Assam, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, however, took a leaf out of the ruling BJP’s stand on issues like sheltering cattle and giving ‘land pattas’ to the landless.
He said safeguarding the indigenous identity and culture is the party’s principle resolve. “This manifesto is actually a people’s manifesto. It highlights the aspirations of the people of Assam. The manifesto provides five guarantees, but it also provides a guarantee that we will defend the idea of Assam comprising harmony, tradition, language and history,” said Rahul.
The manifesto read that CAA, which the party said has endangered the language, culture and history of Assam, will not be implemented and rigorous attempts will be made by Congress to repeal this law that “threatens to divide people”.
It also promised pension for families of those killed during the anti-CAA movement, along with extending it for kin of martyrs of the Assam agitation.
In Kerala, the Congress-led UDF manifesto went a step ahead of its rival LDF in terms of sops and welfare measures for the poor and marginalised, including promise of Rs 2,000 a month for unemployed home-makers in the 40-60 age group.
It also announced schemes like the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) assuring a minimum income of Rs 6,000 per month for economically backward families and 5kg rice for all white ration cardholders.
The manifesto, which political observers said has a ‘Shashi Tharoor touch’, promises to make Kerala a knowledge hub, proposing a time-bound review of higher education in the state.
Both the manifestoes promised succour to Covid-hit people, with UDF promising “no bill hospitals” in Kerala ensuring free treatment for people and a Covid disaster relief commission to look into families, industry and labourers affected by the pandemic. A Covid stimulus package to rejuvenate the state is also mentioned.
The manifesto promises to address the issue of digital divide among students that came to the fore in Kerala during the pandemic.
In Assam, the Congress promises a Covid-19 financial relief package and another corpus fund to address the loss that people from various sections faced.
An interesting feature of the Kerala manifesto is the assurance that a “peace and harmony department” will be set up. According to MP Benny Behanan, chairman of the manifesto committee, this department will put an end to political clashes and murders which are on a rise in the state.
Following Rahul Gandhi’s assurance after his deep-sea fishing experience in Kollam, subsidies have been promised for diesel, petrol and kerosene for Kerala’s fisherfolk.
The coastal belt finds a special mention in it after the LDF government had come under fire for the controversy over the deep-sea fishing contracts with a US firm. The manifesto says that the UDF government will ensure that the rights of coastal people are protected.
The party manifesto in Assam promises gaushalas in every district, but the chairman of the manifesto committee and MP, Gaurav Gogoi, clarified that it is a plea of dairy farmers unlike BJP’s move to protect the ‘holy cow’.
Among a flurry of other promises, Congress has assured that holy places, namghars, mandirs, mosques and churches, that have attained an age of 50 years, will be provided financial assistance. This reduced the gap by half-a-century, as the BJP-led state government offered financial assistance to religious institutions, including many temples, mosques and mazar and churches which are mostly over 100 years old.
The manifesto promised to waive off debt for women who have taken loans from microfinance banks and stated that there will be free-of-cost state transport for all women.
“The longstanding demand for Scheduled Tribe Status of Tai Ahom, Moran, Motok, Chutia, Tea Tribes and Koch-Rajbangshi will be given importance and special attention will be given to ensuring that no enlisted scheduled tribes/castes is affected and for that a solution will be devised ,” the manifesto said.
On the perennial flood and erosion issue, the Congress said it will start a database on the number of flood-affected people, details of land eroded along with names of displaced persons.
Congress is giving ‘five guarantees’ to Assam voters — no CAA, 200 units of free electricity, Rs 2,000 monthly income guarantee to housewives, Rs 365 as daily wage to tea garden workers, and five lakh jobs.