Wow, it s election time again -Madan Sabnavis Views are personal

The exciting part of all election manifestos is that they all sound the same. They quite predictably cut through religion and caste by emphasizing on all the benefits that these communities will receive if they are voted to power. No party talks of anything special for the upper castes or middle class to sound different, as they do not matter in the larger scheme of things. Babri Masjid and Ayodhya have now become institutionalized as the wonders that will never cease to be. These are firm pillars that can never be shaken and become an equalizer as far as promises go. But the monetary carrots dangled are even more hilarious.

Everyone is in a generous mood and there are freebies to be distributed: laptops, bicycles, television sets, electricity to all, school books etc. Invariably all the party spokespersons are at each other s throats for doling out such bribes for votes. But everyone is doing the same under the eyes of the Election Commission and the shadow of Anna Hazare. So there can be nothing wrong here.

Two thoughts arise here. The first is that most of these goodies that are dangled are actually a part of the five year plan and government policies at the centre and state for any party in power just like the standard fare that one gets in the food court of a mall. After all education, health, electricity, roads are goals of any civilized government which need not be accomplished but have to be in bold print on paper. Therefore, actually there is nothing new in these offerings.

This leads to the second thought on these temptations which should be posed to the parties. If these are regular targets (as maintained by some parties), then the electorate needs to know how they have delivered on these promises in the states where they are in power. After all by backward iteration, these promises would have been made to all the potential voters time over again and it is not difficult to guess the progress made in these areas. This will only vindicate their present commitment on such promises. If the Congress or the BJP have not brought light into the lives of villagers in their states where they are ruling, then obviously there is little reason to believe that they can illuminate the home of UP residents. Is there anyone asking these questions?

Stretching these intentions a bit further, the broader issue is where will this money come from? The central and state governments are struggling to balance their budgets; and internally the bureaucrats are battling to balance regular expenses. These new promises, if they were to materialize would only mean more money which will throw the economic indicators out of gear. So on one hand we have everyone talking of austerity and the need to lower all expenditure that can be deferred, and here there are promises being made across the states which have Elections. Quite clearly, both these objectives cannot be met simultaneously; and more likely these promises can be deferred as usual until the next Elections. The village folk anyway are not really gullible and do not seriously expect these miracles to happen especially so since they were have not materialized in each and every quinquenium in the last 60 years as we went in for elections. We have probably learnt to hear and remain unfazed by all such idle wind talk.