In India, elections are held, and lucrative, divisive promises are made through election manifestos. Whatever the election commission may say about viability and implementation, the political parties offer the moon with no intention to deliver. We have discussed these issues during the last few rounds of elections happening in the states of Gujrat, Himachal, Karnataka, and so on. Indian voters are struggling to survive the lure of freebies and Arkshan being offered to voters aspiring to be the latest Dalits. It is a pity that despite 77 years of freedom more and more people are eager to prove themselves as Dalits.
Last year the election commission commonly advised political parties, “The trust of voters should be sought only on those promises which are possible to be fulfilled,”. The present manifestos issued by political parties are proof that the Election Commission advice has gone to waste. The first and foremost on the list is the one issued by the Congress. The 46-page document is named ‘Nyaya Patra’ the name itself tells that the party has no touch with ground realities. With important leaders facing court cases and many campaigning on bail. Nayaya Patra i more applicable to the party facing the heat of justice. The top brass judicial minds are trying their best to save the undefendable. In the life of a nation, five years is a short time to deliver. The think tank that prepared this document has focused more on wooing the voters than presenting a viable time-bound plan. Let's examine.
Missing focus
• The manifesto is supposedly prepared to win the election and form a government at the centre. It should have focused more on items in the central list. It is a surprise that the number one item on the union list is Défense and it gets second last place in the manifesto. Foreign affairs, very close to heart for our first prime minister Nehru get mentioned under the heading ‘Défense’. Promising issues mentioned in the state list make no sense as the states rarely listen to the rival party government at the center. Health insurance and agricultural reforms are some of the reforms that got in trouble due to a lack of support from the states. Nandan Nilekani propagated the concept of a unique identity for Indian citizens the initiative was launched during the Congress regime, yet it could be used to stop leakages during the NDA regime which has the support of more states.
• The Nyaya Patra promises too many freebies for students, women farmers, and other sections of society. The party has failed in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to implement similar promises. The sad thing is that Congres failed to y ‘poverty’ their first promise. “Garibi Hatao “ concluded with Garib Hatao. The infamous beautification drive of Emergency destroyed thousands of poor people's houses in Turkman Gate area of Delhi
• Promised to redistribute the wealth. Any leader worth his name has to do this but the truth is that it was Congress party that snatched the fundamental ‘right to property’. It was removed in 1976 during the Emergency through the 42nd Amendment, a notorious attempt to reshape the Constitution. The author is forced to quote the famous satirist Hari Shankar Parsai who wrote, “Congress never did what it said and always did what it never said”. The present document is written with the same spirit.
• In India, a leader is known for his character. Rahul Gandhi and his team, out on bail may find it difficult to explain the logic behind the manipulation executed in the transfer of ownership in the National Herald case. This model of redistribution of wealth may not impress the Indian voters. The distribution of wealth is to be achieved by creating more opportunities.Implementing a heritage tax is similar to "to unclothe Peter to clothe Paul".
• The wishful thinking of minting gold from the potato crop is visible in the document. It proposes to reduce taxes including GST and vouches for increasing expenses with no clarification on how it can be managed. The country had not forgotten the day when the Congress defense minister admitted to not having money to buy modern weapons.
“No money, major deals will have to wait: Antony” February 7, 2014
It is pertinent to remember that the Rafale deal was finalized for the 126-aircraft deal from among six contenders in January 2012 but could not materialize till NDA government took charge.
Failure to highlight performance
The golden rule, one acre of performance is worth more than the whole world of promise is ignored. The Congress party is ruling in 3 states, the manifesto has failed to showcase the performance of these states. It would have added value had the think tank highlighted the performance of these states. Narendra Modi won the 2014 election by showcasing the Gujrat model. The old complaint the defectors have with Rahul Gandhi not acknowledging the performances of stalwarts seems to continue.
Reacting sharply but failing to respond
The document is full of criticism, as a result, it fails to lead by offering solutions. The heading “Defending the Constitution” indicates that the party has embraced the opposition mode permanently. The government has to uphold the Constitution not defend it, thisis the role of the opposition. It also fails to explain how the Constitution is in danger. On the contrary maximum damage has been inflicted to the constitution by Congress by enacting the 42nd Amendment during the emergency. It is believed that the Congress government at the center has used Article 356, 90 times to remove elected governments in states. It started with Nehru ji and flourished under Mrs Indira Gandhi.
In its election manifesto for the 1977 elections, the Janta party promised to "restore the constitution to the condition it was in, before the Emergency and to put rigorous restrictions on the executive's emergency and analogous powers” The promise was fulfilled by enacting the 43rd and 44th amendment soon after taking charge. The present manifesto fails to provide a clear blueprint for such corrections.
Hiding the truth
The manifesto concludes with an appeal claiming, “Congress governments fought the wars of 1965 and 1971 and protected the sovereignty and integrity of India”. It suppresses the humiliating loss of Kashmir and that of 1962. It also fails to explain why Rajiv Gandhi opened trade with China without recovering an inch of land.
the following quote summarises the whole exercise.
“Politics to me was the whining of an old braggart too proud to admit his faults and too vain to try something new. Their agendas and manifestations were a lucrative offer to deceive the fools and encourage the clever in deceiving more fools.” ― Adhish Mazumder, Solemn Tales of Human Hearts.
BJP election manifesto.
“Dear past, I survived you. Dear present, I’m ready for you. Dear future, I’m coming for you.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo
It released its manifesto after Congress released it. It seems that the BJP was not ready with it in time. But a deeper inspection reveals that they outsmarted the competition. The first section of 10 pages projects the performance. It empowers the grassroots-level worker to silence the critiques. The remaining pages cover the future and provide a detailed plan to make India the third-largest economy. Headings are similar but these are built on past performance. They have Made it visual which people can relate to. Mostly Prime Minister Modi acts solo, but here the party president, the defense minister, and the home minister are given prominence. Their messages are given prime space. Freebies are offered here as well but these are providing impetus to productivity.
Mudra loan, Ujjawala cooking gas connections, toilets, Jan Dhan accounts free ration and health insurance Providing these benefits costs the government but it helps in promoting entrepreneurship. Good health adds to productivity, saves man-hours lost due to sickness and Jan Dhan accounts enable direct transfer of subsidies and provided banking facilities to have nots. It plugs leakages.
National security
bomb blasts in non-disturbed areas are controlled, area-controlled by Naxals has reduced to a great extent, and the manifesto promises to resolve it completely. Most of the northeast is peaceful and people have opted for development. Manipur is burning and needs attention. the manifesto lacks specific measures tailored to quelling the ongoing violence in Manipur. Broader strategies for peace and development in the Northeast are explained, but it does not provide a comprehensive solution to the pressing issue of violence plaguing the state. A healing touch would have gone miles.
Education.
NDA government has increased the number of educational institutions. congress has opted for a waiver of interest on education loans. National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has plugged the learning gaps of the old system. Rewriting of history is hurting leftist scholars but the old version ignored many important kingdoms. From the Gupt dynasty, it jumped to glorify invaders. Congress promises to return to old system without explaining how it will help India.
The prime minister always communicates with the citizens, and the manifesto is an instrument for debates in the media From Man ki Bat to addressing the nation from the wall of Red Fort he engages citizens in exchange of ideas. My government portal is seeking workable ideas with great success. Padma Shree awards have been bestowed upon genuine performers unknown to the media. These people and their stories on social media are promoting NDA. Timely completion of projects and inaugurations are being used for project performance. Mission Mangal to a soft landing at the moon, selling of Brahmos missile to the Philippines, and organizing G20 summit meetings in Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, very success has been used to project the strength of India and that of NDA government. The BJP has evolved as an agile election fighting machine.
Presence on social media and public engagement
Recently concluded international book fair I visited a book stall that was selling tens of books written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. No other author ever thought of this. Vivekananda and Osho are the leaders in this field. His book ‘Exam Warrior’ was selling like hotcakes. The man has a huge following on social media. Therefore he has better reach to propagate his Sankalp Patra. You can love or hate the prime minister but you can not ignore him.
Conclusion
Both manifestoes have their strength and weaknesses but the real difference is in credibility, attitude, and focus. The Congress manifesto claims to promote inclusiveness, and protection of minorities, defending the constitution. All these big talks mean nothing when its leadership takes no time to prove itself a ‘Janeu Dhari Brahmin’ when they name their women's welfare scheme Mahalakshmi. Congress workers slaughtering a cow on the road and eating raw meat have destroyed their credentials. Tearing the copies of an act proposed by the prime minister and negotiated in parliament has exposed the undemocratic behaviour prevalent in Congress. That too when he was in the US to negotiate new treaties reduced him to a puppet prime minister. On the contrary, in similar situations, Mr Modi took the ownership. It is alleged that state leaders can’t approach the Congress leadership while BJP has been empowering unknown people with credentials to fight elections. Mighty Owaisi is fighting tooth and nail to survive the challenge posed by a ‘common woman’ Madhvi Latha. Smriti Irani had defeated Rahul Gandhi in the last election. The real strength that takes the BJP manifesto to a higher pedestal is the power to connect with people.
By Rakesh Kumar
(The content of this article reflects the views of writers and contributors, not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only)
Comments (1)
N
Very well written. Quotes used appropriately.