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Indian political alliance
Indian political party
People's Welfare Front (PWF) was a Tamil-Nadu political alliance formed in October 2015. It consisted of four political parties : Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-(M)). The alliance contested the 2016 Tamil Nadu and Puducherry legislative assembly elections as one unit.[1] The alliance rejected potential alliance with Indian National Congress, BJP, DMK or ADMK, while hopeful of enlisting and TMC and Puthiya Tamilagam.[1]
In early November the alliance led movements against price rise, atrocities against minorities and Dalits and efforts to curtail freedom of speech.[2] It has taken a strong position in favour of liquor prohibition in Tamil Nadu. Later it made an electoral alliance with DMDK[3] and Tamil Maanila Congress.[4]
Policies
The alliance consists of one Dravidian party (MDMK) and one Tamil party (VCK) and two leftist parties (CPI and CPI(M)). People's Welfare Front released a Common Minimum Program which all parties agreed to.[5] The major features of the program are as below.
- Oppose globalisation, liberalisation economic policies and stop the privatisation of state programmes and industries
- Oppose Hindutva, religious extremism and religious prosecution
- Oppose powers exploiting caste – work to pass stricter laws preventing violence and discrimination against Dalits
- Oppose corruption – implement Lokayukta
- Implement transparent government – information about laws and programs will be released online
- Increase funding and support for local governance units – implement Right to Public Services legislation in Tamil Nadu
- Stop the stealing of minerals
- Promote social justice – preserve 69% reservation, expand reservation in the private sector
- Mother tongue development – make multilingual education ("first-language-first") mandatory
- Promote folk arts – establish a university to develop folk arts
- Work for increase powers and funding for states
- Work to resolve river water issues
- Support Sri Lankan Tamils in pursuit of justice and rights
- Law and order – prevent police brutality
- Protect democratic rights – fully protect freedom of expression
- Prohibition – fully implement liquor prohibition in Tamil Nadu
- Development of agriculture and villages – provide funding and infrastructure services for farmers
- Land – protect arable land
- Irrigation – maintain and modernise major irrigation systems
- Homes and homelessness – provide homes for all without homes
- Promote crafts and small businesses
- Electricity – make Tamil Nadu self-sufficient in producing electricity
- Labour rights – introduce minimum wage of ₹ 15,000 per month
- Education – prevent privatisation of education and develop competitive public educational systems
- Health – allocate 6% to health; create a multi-purpose public medical training facility in each district
- Environment – implement stricter environmental standards
- Employment – fill the two lakhs vacancies without corruption
- Elimination of poverty – correctly identify people below poverty line (BPL) and deliver welfare services to them
- Rural employment scheme – increase wages given under rural employment guarantee
- City people – provide safe drinking water, develop underground sewage system
- Women welfare – ensure that the state women commission works effectively and reports the results in the state assembly
- Fishing communities welfare – stop multi-national companies (MNCs) from using sea resources; provide pensions to fishers
- Minority rights – take strong actions against Hindutva religious violence and hate speech
- Civil service and teachers – make part-time and shift workers permanent
- Democratic reform – recommend proportional representation; work for 50% reservation for women in elected offices
- Inflation – stop online and future trading activities
- Public distribution – provide basic necessities including fruits and vegetables at subsidised prices
- Science and Technology – build a central science and technology advanced research centre in southern Tamil Nadu
- Sports – Make exercise mandatory for all levels until class 12
- Transportation – Increase number of buses to reduce congestion
- Road accidents – Separate traffic by building dividers
Withdrawals
References
