SDPI releases election manifesto

New Delhi, Mar 8: The election manifesto of the Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was released in New Delhi at the party central office in a function.

The manifesto was jointly released by the party 's founder president E Abubacker and BAMCEF founder member and president of INSAF, Mool Chand, who was the chief guest on the occasion.

SDPI national president A Sayeed in his presidential address said that the people of India after experiencing democracy for the last 66 years have once again got a chance to exercise their franchise in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and elect a new government which ensures them freedom from hunger and freedom from fear.

He informed that SDPI is fielding 42 candidates in 9 states in the ensuing elections.

Throwing light on the objectives of the party, Sayeed said that the objective of the party is to take power from the hands of the few and transfer to the people. The political power has to reach people at the grass roots and the common citizens must have their due share in the exercise of power. The SDPI thinks that change is not only necessary, but is inevitable and certain. Freedom is the birth right of all human beings and political power is the ladder to equally accessing it. In democracy, the forthcoming Lok Sabha election is an imminent opportunity for exercising your choice for a Hunger free India and a Fear free India, he added. He said that SDPI is a new movement with inclusive growth which has been formed for the uplift of the minorities, especially Muslims; Other Backward Classes; Dalits and other marginalised people of the country.

Later, interacting with the media he revealed: We are in talks with some affiliates of the newly formed Third Front. We are also seriously talking to Welfare Party of India, (WPI), also for some seat arrangement”.

Mool Chand speaking on the occasion appreciated the efforts of SDPI efforts and said that time has come for social and intellectual alignment between Muslims, Other Backward Classes and Dalits to bring about a social change in the society.

Abubacker said SDPI is the party of the century which would bring about change in the meaning of development by making people free from hunger, disease, poverty, illiteracy etc. which would be hallmark of real development.

Adv. Sharfuddin Ahmad, national general secretary of SDPI, after the release of the election manifesto highlighted its main features. He said that it contains various issues from domestic and foreign policies, basic needs of the people, eradication of corruption, democratic rights, SCs/STs, Minorities etc.

The party promised new national water policy, 100% literacy by 2020, eradication of corruption, implementation of Ranganath Mishra Commission and Sachar Committee reports, 10% reservation to Muslims, inclusion of Muslim and Christian dalits in the Scheduled Caste category, sub-plan for minorities and reservation for women of SC, ST, OBC and minorities in Lok Sabha and assemblies.

It also demanded that all international treaties related to India should be ratified by the Parliament and the county should revive its Nehruvian period status as the leader of the Non-alignment movement.

Adv. Sharfuddin said the SDPI opposes Special Economic Zones, (SEZs), and will work for an end to their existence. Similarly, draconian laws such as UAPA and AFSPA would be repealed and enactment of Communal Violence (Prevention) Bill would be the top priority of the party. He said that SEZs have been allowed autonomy to such an extent that they are beyond our territorial law and enjoy a status of separate state within our country in regard of their administration as well as tax. The government has become a facilitator for the relentless exploitation of the natural resources by private sector. This has to be stopped.

The SEZ are practically autonomous corporate enclaves built up on the public land or land forcefully taken over from farmers. Country 's labour laws are not valid in SEZs and the government gives public money in the form of incentives.

It is a great real estate opportunity for commercial complexes, offices, malls, golf courses and so on. Both the centre and the states are eager to acquire the land for the corporate houses. It is very clear that the developers, with government help, corner huge swathes of rich, agricultural land with a measly compensation to farmers without any real resettlement and rehabilitation policy.

EM Abdurahman, member of SDPI 's NWC and manifesto drafting committee, lamented that the release of manifesto by political parties on the eve of elections has become a useless and a worthless exercise as the party which comes to power forgets the commitments and promises made therein to the populace and the nation. This document which has to be implemented in to-to turns out to be a fraud as majority of the promises made are left in the manifesto copies and people are left high and dry. To prove his point he said that Congress-led UPA Government few months back granted reservation to Jaat community while despite tall promises made before the last Lok Sabha elections to provide reservation to Muslims as given in Karnataka and Kerala has still remained hollow. This is treacherous double standard policy of the Congress, he said.

Earlier, Afsar Pasha, national general secretary of SDPI, welcomed the dignitaries and guests. Hafiz Manzoor Ali Khan, national vice president of SDPI, conducted the proceedings and Adv. Mohammad Aslam Ahmad, president of SDPI 's Delhi state unit, proposed a vote of thanks. Abdul Majeed Faizy, national general secretary; Dr. Mahboob Shareef and Rafeeq Mulla, national secretaries, Adv. Sajid Siddiqui, national treasurer, Mrs. Yasmeen Farooqui and Mrs. Kausar Shaheen, national convener & join convener of women 's wing, and other office-bearers of the party were present on the occasion.