There are a few refreshing changes in the manifesto - For one, It stays away from becoming a tirade or critique of current government. Rather it tries to set its own agenda. If someone reread the "Sankalp Patra" of BJP for 2014 - instead of listing its promises it read more like a list of grudges with the UPA government of the time.
Well Structured
It is very well structured and lucid. Just to be fair their last one was also not bad but this one is far better. Its presentation is attractive unlike the ones INC used to spurn out in the past. BJP's professional communication has started to rub on the INC off late, however they are still no match to the BJP on that front.
So this one is neatly structured in six parts
काम - focussed on Employment and Growth
दाम - focussed on Economy
शान - focussed on Hard and Soft power of Country
सुशासन - focussed on Governance
स्वाभिमान - Focussed on Weaker Sections
सम्मान - Focussed on Individuals
Each section further subdivided neatly into specific target segments catered to. So full marks for clarity of vision and its communication. Let's look at brasstacks then.
More Concrete than Ever
The second refreshing change is that the manifesto goes beyond a statement of intention. Unlike earlier manifestoes of both the BJP and the Congress - this manifesto has at least a few concrete, actionable proposals. Earlier a manifesto used to read as a list of good sounding directional statements - almost nil on specifics. You can check their 2014 manifestoes here for Congress and here for the BJP. (Could not get the direct link for the BJP).Here is the sample of some concrete proposals in the Manifesto
1. NYAY scheme to Guarantee a minimum 12000 PM income to poorest 20%
2. 34 Lakh jobs by March 2020 - identifying where thes jobs will come from
3. Separate Kissan Budget every year
4. Establishing National Commission on Agricultural Development and Planning.
5. Double expenditure on healthcare to 3 per cent of GDP by 2023-24.
6. Right to Healthcare Act & guarantee free diagnostics, out-patient care, free medicines & hospitalisation
7. Compulsory & Free school education from Class I to Class XII
8. implement the Forest Rights Act, 2006 - No forest dweller to be unjustly evicted.
9. Enact privacy law and restrict Aadhaar use to the original purposes.
10. Cities/towns to directly elected mayors and introduce right to housing
11. Scrap Niti Aayog & reconstitute Planning Commission with re-defined responsibilities.
12. double the allocation for Education to 6 per cent of GDP in the next 5 years
That's an impressive list of concrete proposals. There are a few more but I think you get the idea. These are proposals on which you can hold them to answer later as to what they did or did not do.
Largely Welfarist
The manifesto takes a rather welfarist approach to Governance - which is a step back from Dr. MMS's reformist approach with a capitalistic tilt. Its three primary offerings the NYAY scheme, Universal Health Care and Compulsory and Free school education are all subsidy driven and would obviously ask for a very large dole out.
The message is clear - the Congress has not, it never did, develop the confidence to ask for votes based on development. That is not surprising because it had failed to cash in on some real and positive development of the UPA era.
However Reformist too
The positive side of the manifesto is that it promises some broad reforms that are badly needed and are long overdue. Largely in the administrative domain - Like police, Judiciary and Local Governance. The promises made here are indeed very positive. Here is a mouth watering list
The positive side of the manifesto is that it promises some broad reforms that are badly needed and are long overdue. Largely in the administrative domain - Like police, Judiciary and Local Governance. The promises made here are indeed very positive. Here is a mouth watering list
- Autonomy to institutions (arguably the Modi government has done maximum damage to institutional autonomy),
- scrapping of NITI aayog (the NITI aayog has turned out to be more of a power center under NDA that meddles with other autonomous institutions rather than focussing on robust policy formulation and implementation),
- Single GST rate (While Modi govt deserves credit for finally implementing the GST - it is neither one tax nor simple currently)
- Implement Direct Tax Code (The draft proposal of the DTC during UPA-II was completely forgotten by the Modi government. This would be single biggest boost to the honest middle class tax payer of India, if implemented)
- Review of RTI (Another powerful Law that was blunted by the Modi government)
- New model of Town/Cities governance by directly elected mayors is a very interesting and powerful idea.
Maintains Continuity
The manifesto promises to continue with some of the successful ideas of Modi Government like Swachh Bharat, Rural housing and it also promises to continue work on some long term desirable goals like that of Make in India - by focussing on the increasing the share of manufacturing to the economy.
Promises Personal Liberty
By offering to restrict use of Aadhar to its original mandate, or by promising to scrap the sedition law which was misused even by earlier Congress government, or by ensuring the implementation of 33.33% women quota and a slew of other measures the manifesto tries to bring about a debate on the line to be drawn between privacy and state intervention in personal freedom. This is badly needed in today's fast changing world.
Million Dollar Question
One of the most severe criticism of the manifesto, and justifiably so, is where would the Party generate all the resources required for funding some of the huge promises. There are two ways to look at this question - one, that a manifesto cannot be expected to answer that question because that's not the objective. In any case - what is important is an intent to bring about the change - the constraints will remain and solutions have to be found out. One will have wait and see how they implement it. An optimistic economist will see this as doable by a judicious mixture of undoing some legacy subsidies and subsuming them, by depending on the expanding economy - hence counting on the constantly growing tax kitty and of course some additional tax levies. The manifesto just says that it expects this cost to reduce overtime as more people are pulled out of poverty. That at least continues to be true even now.
The other way to look at it - real concern. Given the history of our meandering, bureaucratic and complex implementation cycles - such proposals can play havoc with the fiscal balance which can never be happy development. The jury is still out.
What about the criticism
The manifesto has erupted emotions of all kind and there have been a string of criticism - lets spare a couple of lines to each
The manifesto promises to continue with some of the successful ideas of Modi Government like Swachh Bharat, Rural housing and it also promises to continue work on some long term desirable goals like that of Make in India - by focussing on the increasing the share of manufacturing to the economy.
Promises Personal Liberty
By offering to restrict use of Aadhar to its original mandate, or by promising to scrap the sedition law which was misused even by earlier Congress government, or by ensuring the implementation of 33.33% women quota and a slew of other measures the manifesto tries to bring about a debate on the line to be drawn between privacy and state intervention in personal freedom. This is badly needed in today's fast changing world.
Million Dollar Question
One of the most severe criticism of the manifesto, and justifiably so, is where would the Party generate all the resources required for funding some of the huge promises. There are two ways to look at this question - one, that a manifesto cannot be expected to answer that question because that's not the objective. In any case - what is important is an intent to bring about the change - the constraints will remain and solutions have to be found out. One will have wait and see how they implement it. An optimistic economist will see this as doable by a judicious mixture of undoing some legacy subsidies and subsuming them, by depending on the expanding economy - hence counting on the constantly growing tax kitty and of course some additional tax levies. The manifesto just says that it expects this cost to reduce overtime as more people are pulled out of poverty. That at least continues to be true even now.
The other way to look at it - real concern. Given the history of our meandering, bureaucratic and complex implementation cycles - such proposals can play havoc with the fiscal balance which can never be happy development. The jury is still out.
What about the criticism
The manifesto has erupted emotions of all kind and there have been a string of criticism - lets spare a couple of lines to each
1. It wastes Taxpayers' Money
Wastes or Invests has to be seen during implementation. There is little evidence to prove that the current government did not waste taxpayer money, as well. So either ways this is not really a strong argument, if you like some of the proposals.
2. It is anti-national
Please. Spare me the nationalistic rhetoric. A peacemaking approach to terrorism is what has been Congress principle for decades. That is different from the current approach of aggressive domination - but surely nothing anti-national about it. In fact it is bold political gambit to appeal to those who may already be feeling frustrated by the loud pitched, over the top war mongering as the solution to terrorism. And yes reviewing AFSPA is not anti-national. BJP itself had promised it for kashmir in 2014 and has done it for north eastern states. The point is - you may disagree with the policy but calling it anti-national is empty rhetoric.
3. It is old wine in new bottle
True to some extent. Many proposals in the manifesto has been there in Congress manifestoes over the decades. One can only measure the extent of push they got under various regimes. However, as I pointed out in this note - there are interesting, well thought out and positive new ideas as well. Also it is inevitable - true of the current BJP government also. Already the BJP is saying five years is too less to implement everything.
True to some extent. Many proposals in the manifesto has been there in Congress manifestoes over the decades. One can only measure the extent of push they got under various regimes. However, as I pointed out in this note - there are interesting, well thought out and positive new ideas as well. Also it is inevitable - true of the current BJP government also. Already the BJP is saying five years is too less to implement everything.
4. It offers doles to fetch votes.
This criticism is just being cute. Obviously an election manifesto sells its ideas to get votes. The subsidy bill of current government has actually grown despite a low oil prices and an expanding economy. Many of its schemes are doles too - whether they be reservations, insurance or Kisan samman. The fact is it will be decades before we are able to exorcise governments of welfarist policy. On a different note for an economy like India that is needed as well - a mix of welfare and growth approaches to balance the inequity in the system. I am sure as we see the BJP manifesto coming out - we shall see promises there too.
Final Thoughts
This criticism is just being cute. Obviously an election manifesto sells its ideas to get votes. The subsidy bill of current government has actually grown despite a low oil prices and an expanding economy. Many of its schemes are doles too - whether they be reservations, insurance or Kisan samman. The fact is it will be decades before we are able to exorcise governments of welfarist policy. On a different note for an economy like India that is needed as well - a mix of welfare and growth approaches to balance the inequity in the system. I am sure as we see the BJP manifesto coming out - we shall see promises there too.
Final Thoughts
All in all this manifesto is a sincere effort to sell ideas - to bring debate back to policy and Governance and as an answer to the high pitched rhetoric of Modiji around nationalism and religious fervour. The devil of course lies in the details of its implementation. It looks like a very ambitious vision - will face many roadblocks of constraints and hence like always will have to be done in phases and with delays. The point is that we cannot brush it away as a useless piece of paper - if it appeals to you too, it needs to be tried. At the least it has and will force the BJP to answer some real questions on real issues facing India.
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