Congress Election manifesto - A critical analysis

Its election time and as usual every party has released their manifesto. Congress also has  released its manifesto even though it used the occasion more for BJP Bashing than talking about its programs. I spend some time analyzing the Manifesto and following is the result

The question is Who will be PM?

Even after going thru the manifesto several times, I am still confused about the congress candidate for PM Position. Congress silence on PM candidate in Manifesto is deafening!! Only time will tell whether this was an oversight or a deliberate omission

Manifesto: We pledge to continue our work to ensure a life of SECURITY, DIGNITY AND PROSPERITY for every citizen.

Its amusing to see UPA belatedly putting Security before Dignity and Prosperity considering the fact that their five years of rule saw serial bomb blasts in 67 cities across India. Terrorists attacked and killed us at will without fear of any retribution. It was the same UPA which scrapped POTA to protect “Human Rights of Minorities”. Afzal Guru is still alive and kicking

I am not sure about others but Hindu lost their dignity the day, this government declared Sri Ram a myth! A 5000 year old cherished belief was sacrificed on the altars of secularism!

UPA performance on “prosperity” has also been equally abysmal. In Year 2007, India’s Human Development Index (HDI) dropped two places, to 128(out of 177) where we are in good company of our neighbor Pakistan(136)!

Manifesto: The Indian National Congress is the party that, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, led our people into freedom from colonial rule. It is the party whose leadership, by the admission of Dr. Ambedkar himself, made our Constitution possible.

History has never been strong point of Congress. After all history is also HIS-Story. The story as told by the victor. Congress having ruled this country for last 50 years has changed history to suit its purpose. Tipu Sultan became secular, Genocide of Hindus by Mughals was conveniently forgotten lest it might raise some unsecular questions! . By bodycount the Hindu Genocide will outperform Jewish Genocide by at least 10 times. In fact we should be proud of having entire mountain range named after us – HinduKush(Destruction of Hindus)

But it would have been wise if congress had left Gandhi and Ambedkar from this Muddle. Indians may have short memory but its not that short!

Gandhiji's idea of a transformed Congress was published in Harijan under the title "His Last Will and Testament

Gandhiji Says:

Though split into two, India having attained political independence through means provided by the Indian National Congress, the Congress in its present shape and form, i.e., as a  propaganda vehicle and parliamentary machine, has outlived its use. India has still to attain social, moral and economic independence in terms of its seven hundred thousand villages as distinguished from its cities and towns. The struggle for the ascendancy of civil over military power is bound to take place in India's progress towards its democratic goal. It must be kept out of unhealthy competition with political parties and communal bodies. For these and other similar reasons, the A. I. C .C. resolves to disband the existing Congress organization and flower into a Lok Sevak Sangh under the following rules, with power to alter them as occasion may demand.

Congress could have done better by not asking vote in the name of Ambedkar whom they defeated in 1952 Lok Sabha Elections! This is what B. R Ambedkar had to say about congress in his book "What Congress and Gandhi Have Done to the Untouchables"

B. R Ambedkar Says:

Having led the Untouchables against the Congress for. full five years in the Round Table Conference and in the Joint Parliamentary Committee, I could not pretend to be unaffected by the results of the Elections. To me the question was: Had the Untouchables gone over to the Congress ? Such a thing was to me unimaginable. For, I could not believe that the Untouchables—apart from a few agents of the Congress who are always tempted by the Congress gold to play the part of the traitor—could think of going over to the Congress en masse forgetting how Mr. Gandhi and the Congress opposed, inch by inch up to the very last moment, every one of their demands for political safeguards. I had therefore decided to study the Returns of the election that took place in 1937.

In fact, he captured his emotions about congress in a simple quote by thucydides

^"lt may be your interest to be our masters, but how can it be ours to be your slaves ? "

Manifesto: Only a united India can fight terrorism

I think no Indian will have objection to this. But how can we stand united when Prime Minister of country ManMohan Singh gives minorities first claim of resources

We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources.

Does this leave any room for unity? With one stroke, MMS downgraded 80% population of the country to second grade citizens. The government’s special order for loans to the minorities surpasses all limits of constitutional propriety.  Add to it the religion-based headcount in the army. These rabid appeasement moves would no doubt ruin the communal harmony by sowing the seed of enmity between the majority and the minority.

The Major Accomplishments: 2004-2009 as listed by Manifesto

Manifesto: It has restored secular and Constitutional values in governance

UPA Government continued the work of Indira Gandhi and every Independent Pillars of Democratic India was further weakened during five years of UPA Rule -

• President of India: UPA appointed a president whose only qualification was her unswerving devotion to Sonia Gandhi. We for first time in history now have a President who claims to get instructions from dead people. During her tenure as Maharashtra's health minister during the Emergency (1975-77), Patil issued a statement in the State Assembly endorsing a proposal seeking to make "family planning" (birth control) compulsory for all citizens. The government would take "appropriate steps" to ensure that all citizens adopted family planning measures she said, adding, "We are also thinking of forcible sterilization for people with anuvaunshik ajar [hereditary diseases]."
• Prime Minister: We for first time have a PM who has never been elected to the Lower House of Parliament. MMS is selected and NOT elected(and also have no intention of getting elected). He is in this position not because he is most suited because Madam Sonia considers him least dangerous for her/her family interests in Congress!.
• Election Commission: Thanks to UPA, We after long time now have a CEC whose loyalties are questionable!
• Supreme Court: Its only last week  in an interview to television channel NDTV, Sanjay Dutt said he had tapes of the conversation he had with a UPA minister who threatened him that Supreme Court cases would go against him if he did not join the Congress.
• CBI: Less said better it is

Manifesto: It has enacted the path-breaking National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

This is what World Bank has described NREGA as a barrier to economic development

The World Bank has described National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) scheme of the UPA government as a policy barrier hurting economic development and poverty alleviation. Various schemes of the Indian government like NREGA, watershed programmes and schemes for development of small and medium towns are acting as "policy barriers to internal mobility", the bank said in its 'World Development Report' 2009.

One can argue that World Bank  may be wrong but our own CAG review had found major gaps in NREGA functioning

A review done by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had found that there was no data on the number of people who demanded jobs and who actually benefitted. The CAG review said in as many as 70% of the villages checked, there were no proper records available on number of households who demanded jobs and the actual number of people who benefited from the job guarantee scheme.

Manifesto: It has imparted a new momentum to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan for primary education.

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan saw a decline in expenditure which went down from Rs 12,020.2 crore in 2007-08 to Rs 11,940 crore in 2008-09 and has been further decreased to Rs 11,933.9 in this year’s interim budget.

In fact, the situation is even worse if we consider the fact that UPA Government gave a quiet burial to the Right to Education Bill citing lack of funds. It's intriguing because the government is ready to give funds to create additional places in higher education institutions to accommodate the reservation policy, but cites lack funds for elementary education.

Manifesto: It has delivered five years of record economic growth.

Nothing great considering World economy was going thru a boom during this period. We all can see the situation of Indian economy now. The World Bank has projected a slower 4 percent growth for India in 2009

 

Manifesto: It has initiated the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)

Errr…. I have heard Vilasrao Deshmukhs promise of turning Mumbai to Shanghai, I am not sure about shanghai but it certainly looks like Venice ever after a minor drizzle!

 

 

Manifesto: It has earned for India a new respect and stature internationally.

This is Hilarious considering our failed bid for UN Security council Seat and candidature of Sashi Taroor. Poor Sashi is now fighting for MP Position from Trivandrum. In fact, India’s global stature has come down in Last 5 years! Five Years back, we had a ministry who took on world nuclear apartheid by conducting Pokhran II and now we have a ministry which gave it away!!

Manifesto: It has considerably strengthened the country’s capacity and capability to deal with both external and internal security challenges. 

My only response is OH MY GOD!!!

To be continued……………….

Be Aware and Beware - Panchajanya