Election Pre Poll Manifesto’s – Congress Party’s Nyay Patra Fraud
All political parties without exception have mastered the art and science of showing the “Moon” in their respective “Pre Poll Promises” to stir the emotions and sentiments of voters to get elected.
Political party’s world over make promises. By exception only, political parties deliver the results. As one commentator remarked “Sometimes people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them.” So, instead of getting votes there may be backlash. How apt is Benjamin Franklin's statement that “Promises may get thee friends, but non-performance will turn them into enemies.”
Also, it is but natural for the rival parties to indulge in criticism of each other’s “Pre Poll” promises. The BJP has already gone with all guns blazing to highlight the loopholes provided by the Congress Party for the promises made in its “Nyaya Patra”.
Facts of Nyaya Patra: Total of 344 of promises made under various heads to include: Social Justice - 23; Religious and Linguistic Minorities – 9; Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities and LGBTQIA – 11; Health – 19; Youth - 8; Education -25; Sports – 7; Women -3; Women’s Empowerment – 14; Farmers Agriculture -14; Fisheries and Fishing Communities – 10; Workers – 14; Saving Democracy, Removing Fear, Restoring Freedom -18; Media -8; Judiciary – 6; Art, Culture and Heritage – 11; WORK – 21; Jobs -12; Taxation and Tax Reforms – 12; Industry – 10; Infrastructure -10; Centre-State Relations -12; Rural and Urban Development – 10; NE States – 7; Defence -11; Internal Security – 7; Foreign Policy – 12; Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Management – 13; Water Management and Sanitation – 7.
Let me provide a “Perspective” on key promises made by the Congress Party. One, the Congress Party has promised to issue a comprehensive National Security Strategy (NSS). They have highlighted that “The absence of a formal NSS has led to ad hoc and personalised policymaking.” Who is responsible for such a sordid state of affairs even after 75-years of freedom? Many of the scholars of “NSS” had been demanding its issue over the past 4-decades. Why did the Congress Party fail to publish a NSS when they governed the country for over 50-years? Now, even the BJP has failed to produce one till date.
Two, the end results of “Caste Census” may further drive a wedge in the persisting narrow sectarian divide of the pluralist and diverse society. On reflection, it appears to be a follow through of the inherited Colonial policy of “Divide and Rule”, which will pave the way for eventual disintegration of modern India. My question is simple. Why the Congress Party has not given proportional percentage of tickets in the current elections to the minority communities, OBCs, SCs and STs. Unless the deprived and denied sections of society are given their fair and just share of political power at all levels from Parliament to Panchayats, the ultimate purpose of “Caste Census” cannot be fulfilled. Let none suffer from illusions on the above count. Is there a fair and just proportion of representation in all party High Commands? Equality – political, economic and social - is a virtual impossibility in any society.
Three, the statement that “We reject the ‘one nation one election’ idea and we promise that elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies will be held as and when they are due in accordance with the Constitution and the traditions of a parliamentary democracy”, is yet another fraud. Pursuing the present 24x365 elections mode is certainly good for keeping the leaders in limelight for eternity. Also, their “Treasuries” gets filled with “Black Money”. Otherwise, it is surely an extravaganza – Democracy Festival – that is financially ultimately disastrous to the nation. Moreover, the elected representatives instead of providing “good governance” without interference are only busy electioneering and polarizing respective vote banks.
Four, the promise on unemployment: “We will create thousands of jobs as outlined in the next chapter. The best creator of jobs is the private sector. In particular; the MSME sector is the creator of the largest number of jobs, especially for workers with average education and average skills. We will support the private sector and every kind of enterprise—large, medium, small and micro—in their endeavor to create jobs and produce goods and services.” Having failed to control population explosion beyond the sustaining land bearing capacity, allowing illegal migrations altering demographics of sensitive border regions, and low quality human resources – unskilled labor – development due to poor quality education, none of the political parties can provide jobs to the unemployed youth. All that they can best do is to fill all the existing vacancies at various levels in the central government. If the financial implications of all promises made, budgetary demands may far exceed the “Revenue” of 2024-2025.
Five, the statement that the current elections are the test to make an informed choice by the voters: “The choice is Democratic government or Authoritarian rule, Freedom or Fear, Prosperity for All or Wealth for a Few, Justice or Injustice.” This is yet another bogey or fraud. In retrospect, the choice to be made is between the Democratic government or Dynastic (Neo Maharajahas) autocratic rule. As regards freedom or fear, let me highlight that the media is abuzz with criticism and choicest abuses of each other. Even the communist ruled dictatorships have failed to provide Prosperity for All. In Russia and China (over 400 billionaires as per the latest Forbes List), the neo-rich wealthy keeps getting richer. In China, the latest poverty is over 20%. The wealth disparity between the rich and the poor is widening only. Thus, the Congress claims are patently a big fraud. Be that as it may, where are government land and surplus land under the land ceiling Acts available for the distribution to the poor?
Six, the three promises made glaringly reflects partiality towards minority communities: 1) We will restore the Maulana Azad Scholarships for study abroad and increase the number of scholarships; 2) We will encourage and assist students and youth belonging to the minorities to take full advantage of the growing opportunities in education, employment, business, services, sports, arts and other fields; 3) Funds for scholarships for OBC, SC and ST students will be doubled, especially for higher education. We will aid SC and ST students to study abroad; and will double the number of scholarships for them to pursue a Ph.D. Surely, there are many families in the minority communities – Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsees - who are “Millionaires”. The Congress Party “think tanks” have failed to acknowledge that there are even a large number of families of the majority community who are below the poverty line. And, the marginalized families of upper castes will turn hostile to the Congress party.
Seven, yet another promise made are “one-third reservation for women will be applied to State Assemblies that will be elected in the next round of Assembly elections in 2025. The one-third reservation for women will also be applied to the Lok Sabha that will be elected in 2029.” Once again, why did not the Congress Party give one-third tickets to women candidates in the ongoing elections? Furthermore, the promise “We will reserve one-half (50percent) of central government jobs for women starting in 2025” and “We will ensure that more women are appointed to high positions such as judges, secretaries to government, high ranking police officers, law officers and directors on the boards of listed companies”. The strength of the (CAPF) will be augmented and modernized. Our goal is that 33 percent of Central Armed Police Forces will be made up of women. Already 40% of graduate youths are unemployed, mostly men. Any such move will only result in a backlash from the men.
Eight, yet another promise that warrants consideration is the resolution to “launch a Mahalakshmi scheme to provide 1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer.” And, as per their own data, there are 22 million people living below the poverty line OR 5.5 million families. Surely, its implementation will be a burden beyond the “Revenue” capability.
Nine, the Congress Party has stirred a “Hornets Nest” by their promise that they “will ensure that, like every citizen, minorities have the freedom of choice of dress, food, language and personal laws”. In the past, the “Hijab” controversy had resulted in protests and counter rallies. After all, every Institution, Offices, Colleges and Schools have their own dress codes. Surely, such dress codes must not be contested by minority community members. One just wonders, whether judges and Advocates attend the courts by exercising their choice of dress, particularly in Supreme Court and High Courts.
Ten, yet another contentious promise made concerns the Judiciary, that is, establish a National Judicial Commission (NJC), whose composition will be decided in consultation with the Supreme Court and responsible for the selection and appointment of judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court. Already, the Judiciary is opposed to the replacement of the “Collegium” system.
Finally, the promise of opening a number of medical colleges (One per district), Higher Education Colleges, number of courts, residential schools, Ambedkar Bhavan Libraries, women’s hostels, Commissions, Organizations, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and appoint more scientists to each Kendra, free healthcare will include examination, diagnostics, treatment, surgery, medicines, rehabilitation and palliative care, and so on, without consideration to the budgetary requirement, is a fraud.
To sum up, let me recall the expert's observation on promises to include: In the first place, you shouldn't believe in promises. The world is full of them: the promises of riches, of eternal salvation, of infinite love. Some people think they can promise anything, others accept whatever seems to guarantee better days ahead, as, I suspect is your case. Those who make promises they don't keep end up powerless and frustrated, and exactly the fate awaits those who believe promises.”
Since the BJPs is yet to release its “Pre Poll Promises”, they should refrain from making promises that offer the “MOON” to the voters.
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