Congress offers Assam '5 guarantees' in manifesto, targets BJP's 'weak' points

Congress manifesto released on Saturday promised five "guarantees" including steps to scrap the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), waiving farm loan and micro credit for women while seeking votes for the grand alliance it stiched with six other parties with an eye to wrest power from the BJP-led government.

The five guarantees included five lakh government jobs in five years, steps to scrap the CAA, free electricity up to 200 units for all households, Rs 2,000 per month to all homemakers and enhancing the daily wage of tea garden workers from Rs 167 at present to Rs 365.

The manifesto, which was released by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Guwahati, also promised on issues like according Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six more ethnic communities and re-opening of two government-run paper mills at Cachar and Jagiroad, something that the BJP could not deliver during its tenure. Interestingly, the BJP had made the ST status issue a major poll plank before the 2016 elections, when it defeated the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government and came to power for the first time.

"This is not just a manifesto. This is a document which will defend the BJP and the RSS's attempt to attack Assam, its people, its diverse language, culture, history and the unique identity," Gandhi said after releasing the manifesto.

The manifesto also promised free bus travel for women in government buses, free yarn and equipment to weavers, pension for the martyr families of the Assam Agitation (1979-1985) and the anti-CAA agitation in December 2019. Gosala (cattle farm) in each district, sugar and kerosene at a subsidised rate, a corpus fund for the welfare of the lawyers, an annual award for journalists are some other promises.

The manifesto also made promises to give financial assistance to 50-year-old temples, mosques and churches, land documents to indigenous landless families, who are living on government land. The BJP-led government also started similar schemes and started implementing them before the elections.

It also promised lunch at Rs 10 for the workers in the organised and unorganised sector, increase in minimum support price of paddy to Rs 2,500 per quintal (Rs 1,800 at present), naming Silchar railway station as Bhasha Shahid (Language Martyr) station, besides others.

"The manifesto reflects Congress's ideology of being with people," chairman of the manifesto committee, Gaurav Gogoi said. Gaurav is a Lok Sabha member from Assam and is the son of former CM Tarun Gogoi.

Modi-Rahul barb:

Before the release of the manifesto, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi made allegations against each other about an attempt to divide Assam and destroy the identity and culture of the state. Addressing a poll campaign rally at Gohpur in North Assam, (Sonitpur district), Rahul said the Modi government launched the biggest attack on Assamese identity and culture by bringing the CAA. A few minutes later, Modi, at a rally at Chabua in Dibrugarh district in eastern Assam said the Congress would make "false promises" to grab power.

Also read — PM Modi rakes up toolkit row, claims Congress backing those trying to 'finish' Assam tea

"I don't lie. I fulfil whatever promise I made. I promised a farm loan wave in Chattisgarh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, I have already fulfilled. We will fulfill whatever promise we are making for people," Rahul said.

Rahul asked why BJP did not fulfil its promise to hike the tea garden workers' wage to Rs 351. Modi, on the other hand, alleged that Congress was supporting an "element" which are trying to defame Assam tea internationally. "Congress is in alliance with the party (AIUDF), which is a threat to Assamese identity," Modi said.