By: Tehmeena Rizvi, Bureau Chief, J&K
The Congress has released its election manifesto for Lok Sabha elections 2019 on April 2nd. The manifesto was released in the presence of Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh and Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi amongst other prominent leaders of the party.
Congress announced in its manifesto to fight against media owners, create court of appeal and to end electoral bonds. The Congress declaration is indicating changes to economic policies the country has taken post-90s economic liberalization. The possibility of liberalization policy has been limited now. In last ten years economic liberalization has not been proved beneficial for the largest and most vulnerable sections of society. Rather, economic figures are reversing. In the country with population of more than 100 million, 70 percent of the total assets (money) have gone in pocket of one percent of the population. This one percent has accumulated the resources that was meant to be with the State for development purposes in a socialist, democratic welfare State.If you Start a debate on the employment and jobs in both public and private sector, ask the situation and hardship of graduates, the sky will burst, you will not be able to handle the situation.
Country seems to be on a significant turn today and we need to study the resources, capabilities and corporate experiences of the Country in a comparative way, especially in last 10 years. Due to the continuous collapse of the corporates and feeding them has resulted in more pathetic conditions for already vulnerable larger population the country. If the corporates had created jobs in last 10 years, then the situation would not have been that worse. Literally, the corporates has been successful only in creating a new segment of working graduates, delivery boy with taxis and bikes.
Liberalization has hallowed the Country in every way. The State had expanded resources but not the capabilities. Today the Country’s budget is more than several lakh crores in figures but the state could not develop the ability to serve the public especially the downtrodden largest segment of society. Employment in the both government and private sector decreased. Indeed got worse. The contractors were relaxed and enjoying and those who were employed on contracts both in government and private sector were punished. In this context, the Congress manifesto that is targeting state’s resources to develop state’s capabilities, if not a new idea even than certainly a breakthrough, a relief for the grieving largest section of society.
Congress in its release has promised to give 6000 rupees per month to 5 crore poor families. Despite the report of economic survey in 2016, the government kept inactive but when congress president started a debate over it, the promise to give Rs 6000 a year to 10 million farmers was taken in no time. It is a proof what standard of life the feeders (farmers) are realizing. It is enough to understand the irony of common people that under the Ujjala plan, the families are not able to buy the gas cylinders again. The cylinder is kept unused and cooking is done on wooden chulhhas.
With regards to unemployment and jobs, not only the Centre but almost every state of the country has miserably failed. The Examination Commission are responsible to ruin the lives of young educated graduates. Brain-drain has its own reasons, and congress manifesto has recognized the gravity of situation. It has been promised that the central government will recruit all 4 lakhs vacant positions. Despite these vacant positions, the central government hardly took any initiative for recruitment in last five years, except railway recruitment before the elections are announced. Prior, the Supreme Court has reprimanded Centre and the States that 5 lakh posts are vacant in the police forces and provide a road-map for the recruitment. Undoubtedly, this unemployment is a result of the negligence of the Central and state governments. The Congress manifesto stresses that the States will be pressurized to fill up the vacant positions and they will get funds from the center only when they fill 20 lakh jobs in the respective state. Some of other promises related to employment are also important. Within 12 months the vacant posts of Scheduled Castes, Tribes and OBCs have been promised. Apart from this, a change in service rules will pave the way for 33 percent female recruitment in the central government.
From 90’s onwards, it was being highlighted that the representation of scheduled caste, tribes and OBC minority in the judiciary is minor actually negligible. Congress manifesto has promised that it will improve and increase the level of representation.
After liberalization, government’s high education system was demolished in India. It has ten years of Congress and BJP’s, ten years of Vajpayee and Modi. Thousands of strange and strange private institutes were opened in the country. Even after the expensive fees, tens of these thousands of institutions were not even leveled; after the state has given so much to them. Giving them land of the farmers at low prices. Later these people stopped the university working process and opened different shops in it. In this process only a few individuals rip the benefit of their investments, by reaching Parliament on Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha tickets.
The young students suffered the financial burden of shutting down these college in their districts and towns. “Vicious circle of poverty” made them more vulnerable. Congress president with a futuristic view has said that he will create a network of government colleges and spend 6 percent of GDP on education. This is the only way, there is no other way to save the youths of villages from vicious circle of poverty.
Congress manifesto in the field of judiciary creates new debates. Congress has said that it will set up six appeals in courts across the country to challenge the decisions of the States High Courts, and the Appeal Courts will be empowered to settle the case. This will somewhat lower the burden of Supreme Court and justice would be delivered to the common people comparatively hassle free. Further, Supreme Court will be given the status of the constitutional court. You may have seen that all judges sit together in the Supreme Court of America to deal with the constitutional matters. This will lessen the judicial bureaucracy in a significant manner. The debate is old but the Congress has promised to make a change in the judicial structure.
Congress has also made a promise about media in its manifesto that is a grave concern for this country and should be looked at. The oil company purchases a hundred channels. The mining company raises a channel overnight, makes a sycophancy and disappears by closing the channel with profit from the government. This is example of cross ownership, a disease in democracy as media is its fourth pillar, The crisis in journalism cannot be solved with selective anchors but by removing the disease of the cross-ownership. Today a business house has dozens of channels. These channels and newspapers are being done to suppress the voice of the public and to impose the government’s crap on the public day and night. They also said that “the law will be passed to stop monopoly so that the cross-ownership of different areas and other business organizations can not be controlled by the media.”
Undoubtedly, this is futuristic manifesto in consonant with a socialist, secular, democratic welfare for nation but how it can be achieved in the shortest period of time is really a matter of intense debate. Congress has ruled the country for more than 60 years, many achievements are obvious but the hard truth is that it lacked to deliver socialist democratic justice to the grassroot, most vulnerable population. How much charismatic will be the new faces of party with new slogans “Behtar Bharat. Behtar Kal” or “Pakkaa Vaada. Nek Iraada” is still in question. Tough time but sincere approach.
(This write-up is largely based on opinion of senior journalists of the country)
