SP vows action against English, computers

Lucknow, April 11: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who unveiled his party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls here on Saturday, said the party is against English medium education and the use of computers and will work to ensure that they are curbed if a government is formed with its support. 



"The use of computers in offices is creating unemployment problems. Our party feels that if work can be done by a person using hands there is no need to deploy machines," Mr. Mulayam Singh said at a press conference after unveiling the manifesto. 



The party is also against the use of agricultural machines and high corporate salaries. 



"A harvesting season brings employment for the labour class for at least six months but these harvesters will snatch their earnings. 



"The salaries provided by private firms should be in sync with the minimum wages that have been set by the government. This is only the way to build up a strong national capital," he said. 



"Previous governments have promoted forward trading, share trading and mall culture. Any government formed with our support will either reduce or stop it completely," he added. 



The party's manifesto also mentions that it will work to abolish schools providing expensive education in English medium and provide free education for girls till graduation. 



However, modifying this promise, Mulayam Singh said: "We will only press for removing the compulsory use of English language in education, administration and judiciary. We favour the use of national and regional languages." 



He said the party will ensure that India has stronger ties with Pakistan and Bangladesh if a government is formed with its support. 



"The Samajwadi Party will focus on increasing security at the borders and ensuring that India has better policies with regard to neighbours like Pakistan and Bangladesh so that the three countries develop together. 



"The basic cause of terrorism lies in regional differences. The forums across the world which deal with the issue of terrorism work at the behest of America. If a government comes to power with our support, we will ensure that action is taken against communal powers and attack terrorism at its roots," Mr. Mulayam Singh said. 



The manifesto also promises to take up the cause of the farmers and pressurise the central government to implement unemployment allowance scheme in the entire country. 



"We will ensure that the agricultural land of farmers is not forcefully confiscated for industrialisation and besides ensuring profitable rates for agricultural produces we will make sure that the government drafts a national water policy. 



"We have launched the unemployment allowance scheme (which provided monetary relief of Rs.500 per month to every unemployed youth) in Uttar Pradesh but it was withdrawn by the Mayawati government. We will ensure that this is implemented in the entire country,"Mr. Mulayam Singh said. 



Samajwadi Party leaders Sanjay Dutt and Amar Singh also attended the meet to present the manifesto that also promises welfare schemes for lawyers and the business community, besides the reinstatement of the 18,000 policemen of the State who were sacked by Mayawati.