In their unabashed quest to get into power at any cost, traditional political parties are indulging in competitive populism, charged Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today.
Pretending to be benefactors, politicians treated people as mendicants and doled out sops and handouts as if they owned the money. Unfortunately, Governments and the media conveniently glossed over the fact that politicians lorded over money collected from people themselves. They remained silent even as politicians exploited people's poverty, illiteracy and ignorance.
Pretending to be benefactors, politicians treated people as mendicants and doled out sops and handouts as if they owned the money. Unfortunately, Governments and the media conveniently glossed over the fact that politicians lorded over money collected from people themselves. They remained silent even as politicians exploited people's poverty, illiteracy and ignorance.
Dr. JP said that that no one would dispute that the State should protect the poor and the dispossessed in an underdeveloped country like ours. But it should not be at the cost of the Government's fundamental and primary duty of eliminating poverty and enabling people to stand on their own feet with dignity. "But in India politicians have developed a vested interest in perpetuating poverty and lost sight of the country's future".
Dr. JP was reacting to the sops being showered on people by both the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party with an eye on the elections to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha in the near future. If one party promises loans at 'pavala vaddi', the other rivals it with '10 paise vaddi'. If one offers to write off interest, the other promises to write off loans plus interest. If one promises subsidies on a product or service, the other offers to provide it free of cost. If one arranges free marriages, the other offers a golden 'tali'.
"What the nation needs today is a comprehensive social security scheme and not piecemeal and ad hoc relief".
Dr. JP said "doles and handouts will not mitigate the suffering of the poor or enable them to live with dignity unless Governments address people's basic problems". The Lok Satta Party, he said, firmly believes that people can live with dignity and partake in wealth creation only when all forms of discrimination based on birth are eradicated.
It is possible when:
:: Quality education is made free and accessible to all
:: Free and comprehensive healthcare is guaranteed to all
:: Youth are empowered to participate in wealth creation through acquisition
of skills.
:: Incomes of people in traditional occupations like farming and weaving are enhanced
:: Quality education is made free and accessible to all
:: Free and comprehensive healthcare is guaranteed to all
:: Youth are empowered to participate in wealth creation through acquisition
of skills.
:: Incomes of people in traditional occupations like farming and weaving are enhanced
Dr. JP said it was a shame that a visiting British Prime Minister has to remind the Indian Prime Minister on the importance of universal and free primary education. "It is time that the politics of competitive populism and plunder gave way to politics of promoting human dignity." There should be a national debate on the appropriate anti-poverty schemes and the methods of their implementation.
Dr. JP pointed out how inefficiencies and corruption prevented even targeted people from availing of Government sops. For instance, the people covered by white cards in Andhra Pradesh exceeded the State's population. According to the Planning Commission and the National Sample Survey, only 16 per cent of people in Andhra Pradesh with a population of 80 million are below the poverty line. But Andhra Pradesh has more than 18 million families with white cards, accounting for a population of more than 80 million, assuming that each family has four and half members. "Yet, we hear that thousands of genuinely poor do not have white cards. Similarly, we hear pensions meant for widows, the aged and the handicapped as also houses under the INDIRAMMA scheme are cornered by the rich."
Even when the schemes reach deserving families, there is corruption every step of the way. Typically, Rs. 3000 is the bribe demanded for releasing money under housing programme for the poor. As Mr. Rajiv Gandhi once said, only 16 paisa is reaching the people on every rupee spent.
Dr JP called for a national debate on education and healthcare for all, and on ways of eradicating poverty and helping people stand on their own feet with dignity. "Political parties must shed self serving hypocricy and cynicism, and treat people as soverigns and citizens with self respect, not as vote banks and mendicants".
Dear JP,
ReplyDeleteI am deeply impressed by the principles and agenda of the Lok Satta party.I find them relevent to my thoughts. I believe in free basic education and equal opportunity for every being. Reservation and quotas on the basis of religion and castes are no more to be spared, the only way to stop them is to bring a constitutional amendment and this could be possible by making people realize the fact that they are divided on the basis of cast and creed and taken advantage of and explain them about the ill affects that they encounter.
Regards
JP gaaru,
ReplyDeleteYou said it correct. It is a high time all parties agree for a comprehensive social security program, universal primary healthcare program, universal free education program. This should be the fundamental duty of any government.
We share your anguish over the statements of political parties in that reflect the arrogance and lack of apathy for the poor people. They are treating downtrodden people as if they dont have any self-respect.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteI feel, a pragmatic approach to this problem would solve.. When one party announces sops, what would the other party should do?
Its a vicious cycle, that every party fears to tread in alternate path..
In Tamilnadu, JJ attempted on development agenda, but, she miserable..
In last election, BJP attempted on development agenda, they also failed..
The only successful government, which won without sops, and let down is the gujarat government.. but , not every one has that daring and strategic thinking..
Its high time, that we need to think of possible solutions..
Dear JP,
ReplyDeleteBeing a very big fan of Lok Satta, I agree that every citizen of India should get free education and free healthcare. But, instead of thinking in political view (Like we will do only after we get the power) can we do something else to help the nation like adopting a school etc.
I totally agree that National Debate on Education and Health Care, but what we are going to get after the debate? We will get only when we implement what so ever we agreed upon. That’s where people are waiting for Lok Satta. We, as people, believe in you that you will implement whatever you are promising. Most educated people are realizing with your speeches and information you are providing, about what we should get and what we are getting now!!. We are looking forward to see a corruption less Andhra Pradesh.
Dr. JP,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely on this issue of granting boons. Despite being a democratic country with the largest middle class population, we still have not started to think like citizens with freedom.
Freedom, in my view, is attained only when we do not look for a boon, and have the confidence to achieve or satisfy the basic needs. I feel that we, as citizens of India, failed miserably in asserting our rights due to either ignorance, social customs, or simply because of political inertia (seems to be the major cause in people of my social strata). For heaven’s sake, we have earned our freedom after a long fight. I always stand up to some one who talks about India as “once British ruled India”, by retorting that we are part of a great civilization and culture (which appreciates the attainment of knowledge) that helped us to drive those away who are not. Should we go back in time to educate (most of them need to be educated first) our politicians, who lack common sense?
Self respect must come from within a person and is attained only through realization of personal fundamental rights. Our lack of confidence in ourselves is reflected in the election of our representatives. It was shameful to watch them during assembly meetings, where many of the representatives blatantly waste time to evade answers to meaningful questions and avoid being on the record! Compare our assembly meetings to merciless senate committees in the US! The society is formed by a group of people and requires all of them to function well. Thus, we should invest in developing professional skills in people as well as in the development of infrastructure to profitably use those skills, with some short term relief plan. Every citizen, as a tax payer, has every right to address these issues and seek the same aggressively for the fulfillment of fundamental rights. All the promises (boons) made by the politicians to the citizens will be cumbersome in future, instead of being a panacea, to those very citizens.In addition, what happened to our fundamental right to live safely? Where is the law and order in our state when even the police were not spared for following the rules? I would like to take a specific case of Ms. Charu sinha IPS here: When she attempted to correct law and order in Chittoor dt., A.P., by suspending the gunmen of an MLA, for rigging during public elections, there was a protest from the public representatives but not from the public. However, the present government oiled the noisy wheels by transferring her to Mehaboob nagar. This demonstrated how slow erosion of morale even in one of the highest civilian services is taking place. I was appalled to notice the lack of protest by the members of Indian civil services on this issue. If they can not protest, how can a common man protest for his fundamental rights?
I am a non resident Indian, who hopes to return back to my country someday. However, as I surf through an indian news paper every day, I feel that another Dandi satyagra is required-- for different reasons although! why do we have to pay the taxes, when we do not have our basic needs fulfilled? Is it to fulfill some politician‘s dream to convert his/her son into a m/billionaire? I have not seen any sustained effort, so far, to have long term plans to develop a strong agro based economy. Furthermore, we do not make an attempt to create a product indigenously. Moreover, my yearly trips to India documents destruction of the environment, increased disparity between poor/uneducated/unskilled and the rich/ educated/skilled, and has even taught me how to bribe to get a thing done (I have lived in Sweden, where the public ostracizes anybody who bribes or gets bribed). Where is the protest from the public to this culture?
You, as a party leader were to build up a culture, where people make right choices (by seeking and assimilating all the information) on the issues that are of major concern, you have already started the debate on how to protect the fundamental issues and thus our country.
Jai India