RANCHI: Instead of issuing a poll boycott appeal, CPI ( Maoists ), who have been demanding recognition as a political party and struggling to get a ban on their organization removed, have come up with their 'short-term vision' document, appealing to the masses to decide if they want "real democracy" or go ahead with the existing "pseudo-democratic system" by casting their franchise to form the 16th Lok Sabha.

"Dismantling the patriarchal and male dominated socio-legal structure, we propose to give equal socio-economic rights to women in the country, thereby making death penalty compulsory for molestation and rape." This forms a part of the four-page manifesto released by the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), a copy of which is with the TOI.

In the manifesto, Sanket, spokesperson of the Eastern Regional Bureau of the CPI (Maoists), stated his party's stand in dealing with various issues like agriculture, industrialization, environment, the concept of secularism, and relations with neighbouring countries.

Calling for a new Constitution to be framed to guarantee freedom of speech and expression, right to congregate and protest, right to form an organization , right to primary health care, right to access to primary education, right to access to primary and minimum employment and compulsory participation in daily governance system, the manifesto also underlines code of foreign relation based on five principles.

Close to the concept of 'panchsheel' (the five principles of peaceful coexistence) as adopted by the Indian Union, the Maoists have proposed to build regional integrity and respect to mutual sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in internal matters, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful co-existence with the neighbouring countries.

The manifesto recognizes and respects all forms of separatist movements in various parts of the country and promises not to suppress them with the power of the gun of the 'state'. "Our concept of neo-democracy does not believe in forcing the nationalist movements to be a part of the Indian Union. Our state would honour nationalist movements and self-decision to allow them dignified and peaceful co-existence," the manifesto reads.

Blaming the existing 'pseudo-democratic' system for price rise and increasing divide between the rich and the poor in the country, the manifesto quotes the Arjun Sengupta Committee Report to claim that 77% of the population is living below poverty line. "On one hand, the poor cannot spend even Rs.20 a day, while on the other people like Mittal, Jindal, the Ambani brothers, Tata, Birla, Narayan Murthy and G M Rao are getting richer to be included in the list of richest people on the globe," the release attached to the manifesto reads.

The Maoists have also blamed "faulty" economic policies - which are based on the concept of imperialism-driven liberalisation-globalisation-privatisation regime - for hoarding of black money and rising prices of essential commodities.

