Congress leader and Wayanad Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi assured fishermen in Kerala that their voices will be reflected in the manifesto of the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Congress, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The Congress MP kicked off his election campaign with a visit to his constituency, Wayanad, on Sunday.
"We are currently in the process of making the manifesto of the UDF. We are having consultations with different groups and different communities about what they want in the manifesto. Yesterday, in the UDF and Congress meetings, I said that we need to have a dedicated manifesto for the fishermen. So I would like fishermen of Kerala and the UDF and the Congress to have a meeting to discuss exactly what the fishermen want in the manifesto," Rahul Gandhi told fishermen in Kollam. He was talking to people from fishermen communities at Thangassery, a coastal region in Kollam, on Wednesday.
"My guarantee is that whatever is in the manifesto, we will deliver to you. I want one page of the party manifesto to reflect the voice of fishermen. I don't want a situation where what we are committing to is vague. It should be crystal clear. Hence, it would be easy to deliver,” Rahul Gandhi added.
Rahul Gandhi ventured into the sea off the Thangassery coast early on Wednesday with the fishermen of the region.
"It (the manifesto) is your instrument. All your concerns will be addressed. Tell us what all you want to do and put it on the manifesto and I assure you that we will deliver it to you. You won't be treated unfairly. I feel that your issues should be protected," he said.
Kerala will go to polls in April and political parties have already begun campaigning. On Tuesday evening, Rahul Gandhi visited protesting rank holders of the Kerala Public Service Commission. The PSC rank holders and Youth Congress workers have been protesting in front of the Kerala Secretariat with various demands, including extension of the rank list.
Recently, a row erupted in the state after Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the Left government led by the CPI (M) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to allow a US firm to undertake deep sea fishing in the state. While the state government dismissed the allegations, the opposition alleged that the move to allow foreign trawlers would adversely impact local fishermen.