On the World Human Rights Day on December 10, around 3,000 people across Odisha under the banner of Odisha Shramajibi Manch and Mahila Shramajibi Mancha, besides sundry people’s organisations from the 15 districts declared the ‘People’s Manifesto’ for the forthcoming general elections in 2019 to be submitted to different political parties.
They pleaded the representatives of political parties like BJD, Congress, CPI(M), CPI, BJP, SP, Samata Kranti Dal and many others to include their genuine demands in their respective political manifestos.
Many intellectuals, journalists and social activists participated in the meeting.
The people’s manifesto include providing land to the landless , hike in old age pension from Rs 300 to Rs 2,000, minimum 200 man days, release of payment within a week’s time under MGNREGA, nutritious food under State and Central food Acts, irrigation facilities, recognition to individual and community forest rights of tribals and other traditional forest dwellers under FRA 2006, due importance to Gram Sabha and Palli Sabha, among others.
Suresh Panigrahy of CPI(M), Sudarshan Das of Congress, Sundarshan of Samjavadi Party and Sajjan Sharma of BJP endorsed the manifesto and assured the organisers to take up the demands in their respective political manifestoes.
Former Finance Minister Panchanan Kanungo, former Union Minister and founder of Samata Kranti Dal Braja Kishore Tripathy, journalist Rabi Das expressed concern over the failure of political parties in keeping their election promises and urged them to consult people’s organisations before finalising their manifestos.
Civil society members like Dhirendra Panda, Pradipta Naik, Sudarshan Chhotary, Usha Devi, women leader Kuni Mallick among others were present.