Freebies versus Welfare

The debate over what some people call freebies has been going on for years, without any conclusion being reached. It is not a new issue as even in ancient and medieval times, we come across rulers who made the welfare of their subjects the first priority. Especially during adverse times such as famines and natural disasters like floods and earthquakes, the treasuries were opened to bring relief to the people. In the present era in India, political parties of various hues have been fond of making promises to the people on the eve of elections, and even at other times. It has become a key part of election eve promises, delineating the programmes of different parties.
The issue gained prominence in the recent past with the Prime Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi referring to opposition parties and leaders resorting to what he called ‘revadi’ culture to attract the voters. Several political parties have been making promises such as loan waivers, provision of jobs and the like to draw public support. The Aam Aadmi Party led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been especially liberal in making such attractive promises.

The BJP itself has also been making such election eve promises. Prior to the general elections of 2014, Narendra Modi, who was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat, and the party’s prime ministerial face, made several promises to be fulfilled if the BJP came to power. The most outlandish was the assertion that the defeat of the then UPA government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh and of its alleged tolerance of corruption, would put Rs 15 lakh in the pocket of every Indian citizen. There was no basis for the claim. This became apparent later on when, cornered by reporters, Amit Shah himself was forced to admit that the promise of Rs 15 lakh in every Indian’s pocket was just a ‘chunavi jumla.’

The episode shows that making hyperbolic promises is not a fault of only the opposition parties. The BJP itself has been making such promises when needed to score over rival political forces.But there is a wider aspect of the issue. Why should there be restrictions on political parties announcing concessions for the people as part of their political or election programmes. As the world has evolved, the state has come to assume an ever increasing role in most spheres of life. As a counter to this, there is a greater need for ensuring some basic facilities to the people. That is why, even in capitalist countries swearing by free enterprise, basic needs of every citizen are sought to be provided for by the state. In most societies, these cover health, hearth and employment.

So, if a political party promises to provide medical care, free education and job guarantee for everyone, what is wrong with that. Even a capitalist country like the United States provides doles to individuals who are unable to find gainful employment. That is because the objective is to create a welfare state, where the basic needs of every citizen are met. In India, the need for creating a welfare society is even greater. This is because a developing economy has more challenges for the lower strata people, who need a helping hand to live with dignity.There is need for a wider debate to draw up the contours of a welfare society for a developing economy like India’s.