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Civil Society Forum’s Manifesto

for
Lok Sabha Elections – May 2024

Secretariat:

(Regd., Public Charitable Trust No 599 / 94--95 IV)

3/2A Basappa Road, Shanthi Nagar, Bangalore 560027
Telefax: 080-41144126, Internet: www.civicspace.in

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About Civil Society Forum

Civil Society Forum is a coalition of several civil society organisations and
movements as well as individuals wishing to strengthen the electoral and
democratic process in our city and state to make it more participatory and
reflective of the real wishes of the people. The member organisations and
individuals work in different sectors of urban and rural constituencies,
engaging with diverse and marginalised communities in Karnataka and other
states too. The Forum was actively involved in interacting with political
parties, submitting Manifestoes during the Karnataka Assembly Elections in
2013, 2018 and 2023 and the Lok Sabha Elections in 2014 and 2019, and the
BBMP elections in 2015 too.

Civil Society Forum’s Participating Organisations

Sl. Name of organisation Represented by
No.
1 Association for Promoting Social Sri. Lakshapathi, Sri. Suresh Kanta Borkar,
Action (APSA) Sri. I.S. Patil, Smt. Mangala
2 CARE Sri. Manohar Ranganathan
3 Child Rights Trust Sri. Vasudeva Sharma, Sri. Nagasimha Rao,
Sri. Kalakappa, Smt. Jyoti A., Sri Satisha G.L.
4 CIVIC-Bangalore Smt. Kathyayini Chamaraj,
Smt. Rajarajeshwari, Smt. Kanchana
5 Eddelu Karnataka Sri. Venkatesh
6 Fourth Wave Foundation Sri. Ravi, G.
7 Global Concerns India Smt. Brinda Adige, Smt. Zeena Mani
8 Indian Social Institute (ISI) Fr. Francis Balaraj, Sr. Lilly, Sri. Manjunath,
Fr. Selvin, Fr. Anthony Das
9 Maarga Sri. R. Prabhakar
10 Mukti Alliance against Human Sri. A. Rajendran
Trafficking & Bonded Labour
11 National Centre for Labour (NCL) Sri. Deendayal
12 Payana Smt. Chandini
13 Safai Karamchari Kavalu Samithi Sri K.B. Oblesh
(SKVS)
14 Samvidanada Hadiyalli Sri. Ashok Maridas
15 SICHREM Sri. Mathew Thomas
16 TEDS Trust Smt. Cynthia Stephen
17 Vimochana Sri. Bhogaraj
18 Women’s Voice Smt. Leelavathi
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Civil Society Forum’s Manifesto for Lok Sabha Elections – May 2024

To all political parties:

We, civil society groups as well as a few individuals, from different sectors, met
in Bangalore to discuss the civil, socio-economic and political situation of the
nation in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Our desire is to make a difference to the politics of the country by actively

engaging in the perspective building of political manifestos in the coming
elections of the Lok Sabha.

The recommendations that have been made are based on our deliberations that
have critically viewed the functioning of the government as well as the
development of the country in the last five years. We herewith request you to
carefully read this document that lists our concerns and recommendations and
to include our following demands in your manifestos for the coming Lok Sabha
elections in May 2024.

We all share a common concern of the critical importance of the general

elections of 2024 for the survival of Indian democracy. We have no doubt that
the electoral verdict will affect the future of India’s institutions, values and
freedoms in a fundamental manner. Apart from the corrosion of institutions of
democracy, the last five years have also seen a debasing of human values for
electoral manipulation and the capture of power. Every means has been used to
fan hatred and violence. The structure of the welfare state has been seriously
undermined.

Agricultural workers, peasants, farmers, unorganized sector workers, minorities,

tribals, dalits and women are being methodically erased from the public
discourse, with the State setting a new benchmark of surrendering to corporate
interests. We would like to see parties protecting constitutional values, people's
rights and addressing aspirations of marginalized sections and preservation of
environment with high priority. We as representatives of mass movements,
campaigns and citizen collectives are coming together to encourage and support
progressive forces in the 2024 elections.
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Civil Society Forum Manifesto - Key Demands

Money for fundamental rights and basic needs to be reserved as first charge on
resources:
• Reset the direction by “People First” policy decisions: All basic/fundamental rights
and entitlements, such as food, water, child care, education, health, employment
guarantee and social security should be universalised.
• These should be delivered by the state and not privatised. The budgets required for
universalising these should be estimated realistically, earmarked and implemented
through a law and not merely through schemes.
• Specific measures to reduce gross economic inequalities: Resources for the above
should be found by imposing wealth, inheritance, and turnover taxes.
• Subsidies, tax exemptions and loan write-offs to the rich should be done away with.
• Ensure that no one is excluded because of Aadhaar. More robust data and privacy
protection laws needed.
• Smart card to be introduced as comprehensive citizenship identity. Manual System
to be continued ensuring no one is excluded.

Strengthening Governance:
• Strengthen Rule of Law and take strict action against official machinery and citizens
taking law into their own hands.
• Repeal of laws/provisions that enable stifling of democratic dissent or provide
draconian powers to police and armed forces, including UAPA, TADA, NSA, AFSPA
and sedition clause of IPC and such other black laws.
• Unconditionally release people languishing in jail on false charges and ensure
speedy justice to those being harassed.
• All autonomous/constitutional institutions (CAG, ECI, CIC, CBI, ED, CVC, etc.) need
to be strengthened to maintain their independence as per Constitutional
framework.
• Scrap all anti-people (farmers, workers, women, minorities, Dalits, Adivasis, OBC
and marginalised communities, etc.) and anti-environment policies and Acts.
• Strengthen the Right to Information regime by ensuring timely and transparent
appointments of information commissioners and restoring their status;
• Enact a law to provide an institutional framework for pre-legislative consultation.
• Operationalise the Whistle-Blowers’ Protection Act and enact the Grievance
Redressal Bill; make social audit mandatory for all public schemes.
• Strengthening Federalism: Stop encroachment of constitutional rights of the States.
• Halt the privatization of PSUs, and essential services.
• Take effective steps to curb the enormous ‘black economy’, through over-invoicing
of imports, round-tripping of funds through shell companies, illegal transfer of funds
to tax-havens, etc.
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Liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation:

• Reverse international agreements which are against the interest of our country and
its sovereignty.
• Trade policy should be consistent with and promote the interests of farmers,
workers and the marginalised, defend local industries against unfair trade.
• Parliament should discuss the proposed trade treaties and the trade agreements
should become legal only when parliament ratifies them.

Decentralisation - Rural and urban local governance:

● All the subjects listed in the 11th and 12th Schedules of the Constitution, along with
the 3Fs – funds, functions and functionaries - must be made mandatory for the
Panchayath Raj Institutions/urban local self-governments (ULSGs) through a
Constitution Amendment by creating a separate list for local bodies.
● Ensure that the legal powers of relevant local government, like gram sabhas,
mohalla sabhas, tribal councils for monitoring, enforcement and redressal
structures, are protected and their decisions are binding.

Employment:
• Stop monopolisation by a few big corporates and promote small and medium
decentralised production and commerce to create jobs.
• Strengthen local economy to create jobs rather than building capital-intensive, high-
end infrastructure such as expressways, airports, etc, which don’t’ create many jobs.
• Reservation for micro/small/medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) of all
products/services, especially handmade articles, that can be made through
community-based producer collectives (such as textiles, footwear, household
goods).
• Provide at least 150 days of employment guarantee as a fundamental right in both
rural and urban areas to all adults.
• Paying them minimum wages at Rs. 25,000 per month would ensure that everyone’s
basic needs are met and that, in addition, land and water conservation and other
social goals are met.
• Fill up all vacancies of sanctioned government posts for effective delivery of
services, especially in ECCD, education and health sectors.
• Regularise employment of scheme workers, such as Anganwadi, ASHA, midday meal
workers, etc.
• End contractualization of work that is a core and perennial activity that is carried on
in the establishment.

Electoral reforms:
• Proportional representation (instead of the first-past-the-post system) should be
brought so that every person’s vote gets counted.
• A law regulating political parties to bring in inner-party democracy, with internal
reservation for women, SC/STs, etc. and make them transparent about their funding
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should be passed.
• Funding of political parties by the corporate sector should be banned.
• Persons with criminal records or cases pending against them should not be allowed
to stand for elections.
• Anonymous electoral bonds should be scrapped.
• Tenth Schedule to be amended to prevent floor crossings and bringing down of
elected governments invalidating the mandate given by the people.
• Stringent action to be taken by the Election Commission to curb the forces spreading
communal hatred, or persons indulging in hate speech, calls for genocide and
seeking votes in the name of caste, religion, etc., practising caste discrimination,
oppression of weaker sections, and violence against women, transgender and
sexual minorities, etc.
• Power to de-register parties/candidates indulging in the above and other violations
to be given to the Election Commission.

Agriculture:
• A law, ‘The Farmers’ Right to Guaranteed Remunerative Minimum Support Prices for
Agricultural Commodities Bill, 2018’, should be passed to assure remunerative
prices (at least 50% on C2 Cost of Cultivation) for all farm produce, even for
purchases by private buyers.
• The state should support and incentivise cooperative form of agriculture (from input
and credit to farming, storage, processing, transportation and marketing of output)
by way of farmers’ collectives, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), especially of
small and marginal farmers.
• No attempt to corporatize agriculture should be undertaken.

Land issues:
• Implement the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act, 2013
in letter and spirit.
• Protect dalits and tribals from forced evictions.
• Ensure implementation of land ceiling laws, transfer of surplus and other available
land to landless poor and Dalits.
• Provide land rights, leasing rights and pattas to women.

Labour rights
● Minimum/living wages need to be fixed as per the VII Pay Commission calculation
as per 15th Indian Labour Conference and Supreme Court rulings to cover all basic
needs of a worker and his/her family which works out to about Rs. 18,000
/worker/month at 2016 prices (Rs. 25,000 at current prices). All wages should be
linked to rise in cost-of-living index. A national minimum wage at these norms to
be announced for all unskilled work for all unorganised sectors.
• Scrap four Labour Codes. The Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act to be
amended to make it universal with funding through contributions from employers,
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employees and government in all areas of employment regardless of nature of

employment or wage ceiling and or number of employees. All nine benefits to be
provided as per ILO norms.
• Provide unconditional, non-contributory, social security pensions to elderly above
60 years at half the minimum wage. Eligibility for pension may be determined
through fitness certificate even at earlier than 60 years.
• Contract workers should be regularised as per laws and paid equal wages for equal
work.
• Working conditions, occupational safety of health and freedom of association
should be regularised/standardised as per ILO norms for all workers.
• To improve working conditions of municipal sanitation workers, the contract system
should be ended, and payment of minimum wages, observance of occupational
safety standards and social security should be ensured.

Distress Labour Migration:

• The state should curb distress labour migration through effective implementation
of employment guarantee and other sustainable livelihood schemes.
• The migrants’ right to vote should be implemented from wherever they are
currently located.
• Establish Migrant Workers Board in every state to make mandatory of the
registration of migrant labourers and the contractors.
• Designate Grama Panchayats and municipal wards as registering bodies for inter-
state and intra-state labour migrants.
• Strict enforcement of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen’s Act has to be monitored.
The provisions of the law should be made applicable to Intra-state migrants as well.
• Protective measures to promote safe and dignified labour migration should be
ensured during their transition from source to destination states.
• In case of death of a migrant labourer, state should take the responsibility of
transporting the body of the migrant labourer to his/her native village and adequate
compensation should be given to the affected family.
• School-going children of the migrant labourers should be prevented from entering
into labour force and educational facilities should be made available and accessible
in both Government and Private educational institutions in source and destination
states of their choice.
• Government-subsidised social rental housing and temporary free shelter homes for
labour migrants should be made available in all cities.
• Provide free legal assistance to labour migrants who seek justice, compensation and
redressal from exploitation and negligence by the employers and the contractors.

Bonded labour:
• Develop a National Action Plan to eradicate bonded labour and labour trafficking.
• Establish a national four-digit toll-free number for immediate response and
intervention in cases of bonded labour and labour trafficking.
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• Immediate assistance of Rs 30,000 and release of back wages as per minimum

wages to be fully operational and institutionalised.
• Release certificate should be issued immediately after the rescue by the concerned
authorities and rehabilitation measures initiated including allotment of land within
prescribed time frame.
• A permanent inspection machinery (Task Force) should be set up at Gram Panchayat
and Ward Level with labour inspectors, GP and municipal ward committee members
and other officials to continuously track bonded labour.
• Employers known to use bonded labour must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of
the law.
• The loans being repaid by pledging children as bonded labour should also be
extinguished and the children freed and rehabilitated.
• Free labour imposed on Dalits through custom should be treated as bonded labour
and should be prosecuted under both Prohibition of Bonded Labour Act and PoA
Act.

Anti-human trafficking:
• The scope of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the State Police should be enlarged
to include crimes of trafficking of bonded labour, as much of the contemporary form
of bonded labour is migratory in nature.
• Amend the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Amendment Act to include trafficking of
bonded labour, for child labour, organ transplantation, child pornography,
paedophilia, child sexual abuse, etc.
• Effective and efficient response mechanism of One Stop Crisis Centres across the
Country

Homelessness
The National Programme for Shelter and other Services for Urban Homeless is now a
component of National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM), viz. every one lakh urban
population to have at least one permanent and well-equipped all-weather shelter.

Housing:
• A Right to Housing Act should be passed.
• Forced evictions of slum-dwellers without prior informed consent should be
stopped.
• The entire land, where tenable, occupied by slum-dwellers to be used to build
houses with their participation.
• Law on Property Rights to Slum-Dwellers to be passed.

Right to Food
• In order to avoid exclusion errors, the PDS benefits must be made universal with
self-selection as in the MGNREGA.
• Each person should be entitled to at least 10 kgs foodgrains per month, including
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locally-eaten grains such as millets, 800 grams of oil/person/month or 2.8 kgs per
family; 1.5kg pulses per person/month or 5.25 kgs per month/family. In addition,
eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables should be made available through the PDS.
• Ensure maternity entitlements that are equivalent to at least minimum wages at
prevalent rates for nine months for all women.
• Mid-day meal scheme (MDMS) to be extended up to +12 or PUC end.
• Food grains to be locally procured for PDS and food prepared locally for MDMS and
ICDS.
• The diet under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and mid-day meals
should be enhanced through the use of millets, eggs and milk and yoghurt to be
provided 6 days a week.
• Stop the systematic budget cuts and privatisation of food and nutrition programmes
of the government like ICDS, Mid-Day Meal, etc.
• Provide all the identified Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) nationwide
with doorstep delivery of a special free nutritional package of 10 kg food grain per
person, 2 kg of dal, 2 kg cooking oil and 1 kg of ghee every month.
• Remove bans on slaughter of unproductive cows on religious and other grounds.
• Free kitchens for vulnerable sections of the population need to be provided.

Right to water
● Policy intervention needed to prevent privatisation and commodification of water.
All water including ground water should be treated as common property.
● A lifeline supply of water, about 8,000 ltrs per family, should be provided free of
cost universally. Higher amounts of consumption should be charged graded fees.
● Rejuvenate all kinds of water resources [lakes, ponds, man-made tanks, etc.] in both
rural and urban areas through conservation, management, reuse and rainwater
harvesting to answer the shortage of water.
● The policy should encompass municipal projects of the same nature using roads as
collection paths and parks as storage and recharging units.

Right to education
• NEP needs to be scrapped.
• Spend 6% of GDP for education as recommended by the Kothari Commission.
• State should ensure a common schooling system.
• Amend the RTE Act to make education free and compulsory from pre-school for 3
to 6 year-olds to higher secondary education for 15 to 18 year-olds (Class 12) as
legal entitlements.
• Proper ‘preventive protocols’ should be developed to prevent drop-outs and ensure
retention of all children. Designated officials not following protocol should be held
accountable for every out-out-of-school child by imposing penalties.
• Ensure that every school, including government schools, is RTE compliant by 2025.
Norms under RTE should ensure one teacher per class, one classroom per teacher,
drinking water, a specific number of toilets for boys and girls based on their
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numbers, playground, compound, cleaner and watchman.

• Ensure age-appropriate learning outcomes for children in all schools.
• Secondary education from the age of 15 to 18 years should be compulsory in either
of two streams, academic or vocational, or a combination of both, based upon the
aptitude and best interest of the child.

Right to Health
● Government expenditure on health care to be raised to a minimum of 3% of GDP.
● State to be the primary provider ensuring Universal Health Care through free,
preventive, protective, curative, rehabilitative care to ALL citizens, rather than the
government paying the private sector to provide the service. Private health system
to be regulated with capping of prices, standard treatment protocols, etc.
● The former 3-year Licentiate Medical Practitioner (LMP) course should be revived
so that these doctors can provide services at the Primary Health Centres.
● Recognise all forms of violence against women as a public health issue and equip
public health system to address it as such.

Women’s Empowerment
● 33% Reservation Bill for women in Assemblies and Parliament to be implemented
immediately without waiting for fresh census and delimitation of constituencies.
● All government created and allotted housing and house-sites should be done in the
name of the woman head of household.
● 50% representation of women in all government structures like judiciary and police
at all levels.
● Implement POSH Act provisions in all institutions where women work.
● Unpaid work of women to be converted to paid work by setting up child care and
elderly care centres.

Children’s issues
● Age certification by designated authorities (SDMs or CDPOs) before conducting any
marriage should be made compulsory to prevent child marriages.
● ECCD should be universalised as per the SC order in the Right to Food case, within
the time-frame agreed to by States through affidavits to the SC.
● Convert anganwadis into full day-care centres (crèches) open for at least 10 hours,
for children 0-6 to help all working women and their children.
● Drinking water, child-friendly toilets, separate room for sleeping, play equipment
and playgrounds to be provided at all anganwadis/creches.
● Land to be acquired, purchased or rented at prevailing market rates for fulfilling
availability and infrastructure norms of anganwadis.
● Inclusion of Anganwadi Centres for 3 to 6 year-olds in the primary school (as per
NEP 2020) must be carefully thought through.
● Child labour: When compulsory school age is raised to 18 years, the minimum age
for general employment in any sector, including in agriculture, etc., should also be
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raised to 18 years.

Dalits:
• The SC/ST Sub-Plan should be given statutory status by passing Central legislation,
as in Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka, ensuring that the amounts allocated under this
Act do not lapse or are misused.
• SC/STs without land, house, water, anganwadi, health, education and jobs need to
be identified and schemes should reach those who are currently deprived of these.
• Set up a national mission to end manual scavenging and sewer workers death and
full implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and
their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. Ensure requisite changes in technology and law to
ensure dignity and safety of sanitation workers.

Rights and welfare of forest-based tribals

● Reversing tribal land alienation through a range of legislative measures including
Gram Sabha's participation in the identification, investigation and restoration of
lands to tribal people.
● Implement the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 in letter and spirit.
● Land of forest-based tribals to be prohibited from acquisition for industry,
infrastructure, mining, tourism etc.,

Rights of persons with disability (PWD) & Caregivers

• Adequate budgetary allocations for the proper implementation of the provisions
of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. and the Mental Health Care Act
need to be supported by:
o 5 % of the budget being earmarked for the sector and not allowed to lapse;
o Country-wide census of PWD to be held at the earliest as per the Act;
o 3% of all electoral constituencies should be reserved for the PWD.
• All policies/schemes of the government and public institutions must be required to
carry out disability audits and ensure accessibility of all public spaces and transport
for PWDs.
• Implementation of reservations, childcare for disabled persons and effective ICDS
integration of all disabled children.
• PWDs should have first claim on all land distribution programmes.
• Employment guarantee must provide for inclusion of PWDs.
• As per the RPWD Act 2016 caregiver allowances should be given and caregivers
should be covered under social security schemes. Mental health support and
counselling for caregivers to be provided.

Sexual minorities:
• Action to be taken to control the violence/harassment meted out by the police to
street-based sexual minorities.
• Provide grant-in-aid as part of self-employment, sanction houses and lands to such
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women under its housing schemes. Women affected by HIV should have ART
facilities in all district hospitals.
• The requirement of giving father’s name must be changed to mother’s name.

Sanitation:
• Rehabilitation of manual scavengers has to be taken up in mission mode with a fixed
time-frame and skilling and decent alternative jobs provided to them.
• Strict implementation of the SC’s 14 directions issued in October 2023, including
increase in the compensation to ₹30 lakh in case of sewer deaths, 20 lakhs in
case of permanent disablement or injury and 10 lakhs in case of disability.
• The entire process of manual scavenging should be replaced by automation.
• Efficient and eco-friendly collection of solid waste, including segregation at source,
segregated collection in mechanised, closed vehicles to prevent manual handling,
containerized storage, local processing of biodegradable waste, recycling of dry
wastes and scientific disposal of rejects as spelt out in the Ministry of Forest &
Environment Rules 2016 need to be implemented as a top priority.

Protection of environment and sustainability:

• Mandatory environmental and social impact assessments of projects,
programmes, schemes and sectors, through independent agencies, with full
participation of affected communities. Cost benefit analysis of projects to include
environmental cost.
• Revisions of the National and State Action Plans on Climate Change, and Disaster
plans, to fully support vulnerable sections cope with and adapt to the climate crisis
and other disasters.
• Budgeting for a country-wide programme of localised land/soil and water
regeneration oriented at creating sustainable natural resource assets for local
community economies.
• Food production through organic, biologically diverse methods; and decentralized
energy production including rooftop and on-farm methods.
• Legally empower relevant local assemblies like gram sabhas, mohalla sabhas, tribal
councils to be part of decision-making, monitoring, enforcement and redressal
structures to improve environmental governance.
• Following due process and facilitation of genuine public consultations in the case of
all large investments, especially industries and infrastructure projects.
• Legislation to incentivise the manufacture and use of public transport and non-
motorised private vehicles and disincentivise the manufacture and use of private
cars.
• Imposing a congestion tax, higher taxes for second and third vehicles, graded
parking fees, etc. for disincentivising private vehicles
• An accessible, affordable, frequent, reliable, and prioritized bus transport system is
the need of the hour in cities and rural areas.
• Cheaper, existing surface rail options for intra-city transport rather than capital-
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intensive metro options.

• Effective feeder systems and shared local transport systems to be introduced for
last mile connectivity.

Human Rights Institutions & Human rights defenders

• Amend the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, guaranteeing complete
independence and autonomy to the NHRC empowering the NHRC & all other
commissions to pass binding orders and with powers to implement its orders.
• Enact a strong law, in compliance with international standards, for the protection
of human rights defenders.
•
Demonstrate through policies and action steps taken to end the intimidation,
harassment and judicial persecution faced by human rights defenders.
•
Refrain from acts leading to the closure of civil society organisations or the
suspension of their peaceful activities.,
• Ensure that security forces, including the police, abide by the United Nations basic
principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials.

Judicial Reforms
• Implementation of the formal Gram Nyayalaya Act 2008 across the nation.
• The selection process for the appointment of judges at all levels by the judicial
appointment mechanisms to be specified and respected by the executive.

Conclusion:
Parties need to make the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections free and fair by:
• Commitment towards strengthening democracy by engaging in fair electoral
practices.
• Not engaging in any kind of influencing of voters by way of kind, cash, favours or
threats to citizens.
• Ensuring that all promises made to the citizens during the course of the elections
and as mentioned in the manifesto are legal and constitutionally valid.
• In the context of the misuse of artificial intelligence & deep fakes to mislead the
public and spread misinformation, the access and use of such technologies to be
strongly regulated by the government.
• All political parties and candidates to strictly avoid hate speech, calls for genocide &
asking for votes in the name of caste, religion, etc.
• Providing adequate representation of women and people from marginalized
sections voluntarily in the list of contesting candidates.
• Not exceeding the ceiling on expenditure incurred during election campaigning.
• Prohibiting candidates with criminal charges from contesting the elections
• Supporting a provision for the Election Commission to forward the assets and
liabilities information declared by the candidates to IT department and Enforcement
Directorate for action against illegal possession of assets.
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• Ensuring that tickets are given only to persons with a clean record of service, who
are non-communal;
• Not indulging in horse-trading post elections.
• Above all, by abiding by Constitutional values and rule of law.

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