As elections begin in India, Daleel with SP Singh fea­tures Vipin Pubby, Senior Journalist and former Editor, Indian Express, Chandigarh, Hamir Singh, Senior Journalist Rural Development Expert and Dr Ashutosh Kumar, Political Scientist & Psephologist, analysing the discourse and narrative of election manifestos and their impact on the lay voter. Will you think twice before you exercise your franchise?

Political party manifestos are getting some serious attention, but why are even the best of these exercises coming nowhere close to what really matters. And why is Punjab simply sitting out the 2019 election? A rather special taste for the trivial and a deep antipathy for the sublime marks the politics in Punjab in an election that will decide the future course of Indian politics, and possibly the state.

The Congress’ manifesto, seemingly more rooted in reality, has breathed some refreshing change in the political discourse while the BJP’s manifesto was still a few hours away when this programme was recorded. It is a sad fact that it was eventually released on the last day legally permitted for the release of a manifesto, that’s a couple of days before the votes were to be cast.

The timing of the political parties’ release of manifesto is a comment on Indian politics. In a country where issues of literacy, political literacy, dissemination of the message are massive and often insurmountable factors, coming up with manifestos just hours before polling dates is proof that parties are just ticking the boxes.

While the debate touches on this aspect, it underlines the disconnect between the best efforts and real politics on the ground. Panelists bring out the essential core similarities between the major rivals in the power race, and show how this singularity of approach towards development model and pro-corporate economic outlook defines them as people on the same side of politics.

In a country where, as per Oxfam, the wealth of nine richest Indians is equal to the assets of half the country’s population, why is such concentration of resources not a political issue worth a mention in either Congress’ or BJP’s manifesto?

With all political parties talking about India’s poor, it’s a near miracle that they forget to take up the issue of a few wealthy individuals amassing growing share of India’s wealth even as the poor are struggling to eat their next meal or pay for their child”s medicines.

That kind of inequality is obscene, but not worth becoming a political issue. Top one per cent of Indians have now cornered 51.53 per cent of national wealth, while bottom 60% have 4.8 per cent of national wealth.

Top 10% of the India’s population holds 77.4% of the national wealth, and Oxfam’s report, released at Davos at the World Economic Forum, said last year, Indian billionaires’ fortunes swelled by Rs. 2,200 crore a day.

That kind of inequality is obscene, but not worth becoming a political issue. Top one per cent of Indians have now cornered 51.53 per cent of national wealth, while bottom 60% have 4.8 per cent of national wealth.

An even more important aspect was how the political discourse in Punjab has turned these elections into a semifinal match for the 2022 polls for power in the province, rather than having a say in national politics.

All claimants to power in Punjab have divorced themselves from the humongous issues facing the country, preferring to rather fight on mofussil level planks.

Indian politics is missing a debate on economic & judicial reforms, economic policy rethink, focus on labour intensive sectors, fresh foreign trade policy, systemic judicial reforms, labour friendly laws and a lot of other aspects.

Compare the Punjab politicians’ issues to the ones raised by another political party, the Trinamool Congress. The TMC manifesto speaks about issues that are part of the prime political discourse. It talks about communally surcharged situation in the country, about restoring the federal principle, about MNREGA, about Kashmir. It talks of restoring the Planning Commission, and Mamata Bannerjee has even said she will go to Kashmir and stay on in the Valley to interact with the people to understand their problems. Can we imagine a single Punjab politician whose political range can have such a large arc?

Indian politics is missing a debate on economic & judicial reforms, economic policy rethink, focus on labour intensive sectors, fresh foreign trade policy, systemic judicial reforms, labour friendly laws and a lot of other aspects. The fact that these issues are missing even in a season of poll talk is a defeat of politics of the people.