Author: Nidhi Sharma
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: March 25, 2009
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/165006/Cong-goes-populist-in-manifesto.html
PM lashes out at Advani, Left
Rice and wheat at Rs 3 a kg for the poor,
one-third reservation for women in Government jobs, coaching fee for all entrance
exams for SC/ST students, a voluntary youth brigade, reservation for economically
weaker sections of society and Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister - this and
more ambitious promises were made by the Congress on Tuesday as it unveiled
its election manifesto for 2009 Lok Sabha elections and officially made a
second bid to return to power.
With a promise of "security, dignity
and prosperity", party president Sonia Gandhi and Singh released the
manifesto at Congress' headquarters at 24 Akbar Road. For the first time,
the party departed from its age-old practice and projected a Prime Minister
before parliamentary elections. It was a departure from tradition for the
Congress as so far if at all someone had been projected as Prime Minister
he was a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
Throwing her weight behind Singh, Sonia declared
that she would stick to her 2004 stand and would not accept the top post.
"As Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh has led the country with dignity and
firm resolve. His integrity, maturity and wisdom, together with his unique
expertise and experience, make him best qualified to lead the nation and handle
the many challenges that India faces, both at home and abroad."
Sonia was vague about the possibility of her
children - Rahul and Priyanka - being made PM. "Maybe sometime in future,"
she replied to a query. She picked up the manifesto, which shows her and Singh
on the cover, and hid her picture and replied: "Did you see the cover?
I don't need to say anything else."
As soon as he was declared the party's prime
ministerial candidate, Singh took on BJP's prime ministerial candidate LK
Advani. Replying sharply to Advani's criticism that Singh was a "weak
PM," he said: "Whether I was a weak PM or strong, actions of our
Government speak volumes… When I see his (Advani's) record all I can
discover is the prominent role he played in the demolition of Babri Masjid.
When he was the Home Minister, Parliament and Lal Qila were attacked. Indian
troops were mobilised for 12 months and then withdrawn and there was unnecessary
wastage of funds… As Home Minister it was he who presided over the massacre
in Gujarat. He was opportunist enough to even find virtues in Jinnah when
he went to Pakistan."
Singh lambasted Advani for his demand that
the Prime Minister should be a Lok Sabha member. The Prime Minister, who seemed
to be in a particularly high combative mood, said: "The Constitution
is quite clear. There have been Prime Ministers before me who have been Rajya
Sabha members. Indira Gandhi started out as a Rajya Sabha member. Later even
Deve Gowda and IK Gujral were RS members. So it seems LK Advani is inventing
new constitutional norms." Singh, however, said that he would not contest
LS elections because he is still recovering from his recent heart bypass surgery.
Both Sonia and Singh took the opportunity
to condemn the emergence of the Third Front - Congress' former ally Left Front's
new initiative. The manifesto termed the Third Front as "a recipe for
chaos" and a grouping of opportunistic parties. While the manifesto criticised
the Third Front, neither Sonia nor Singh categorically ruled out a post-poll
alliance with the Left. When asked whether the Congress would seek Left support,
Sonia said: "This isn't something I can answer now. Let's go through
elections now."
When asked about the principal adversary,
Singh said: "In politics all adversaries must be taken seriously. We
are ready for a challenge from the Right (BJP) and the Left (Left Front).
But it goes without saying that communalism is the greatest challenge."
The aam aadmi was high up on the agenda as
the Congress tried to woo him through various new proposals in health, education
and social welfare sectors. The manifesto takes note of the grim economic
scenario and promises "faster and more inclusive growth." The party
has promised to enact a National Food Security Act that would "guarantee
access to sufficient food for all people" and set up subsidised food
kitchens for homeless people in all cities.
The party has also promised to strengthen
its flagship programme National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in which
it has promised to give "at least 100 days of work" at a wage of
Rs 100 a day for everyone. So far, the Government had promised 100 days of
work but the wages were not fixed and depended on minimum wages prevalent
in different States.
With national security becoming an election
issue, the Congress promised to ensure the highest level of defence preparedness
and speed up the process of police reforms. The manifesto also says the party
will endeavour to fight communalism of all kinds, make the elected panchayat
institutions financially strong, cut delays in courts, set up a national youth
corps, give special focus to the small entrepreneurs and medium enterprises
and will maintain the path of high growth with fiscal prudence and low inflation
if voted to power again.
