Freebies versus
welfare
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There is a big difference between freebies and welfare of the people in our democratic nation with people’s increasing aspirations and where there are an increasing number of crorepatis and the poor and downtrodden still existing who are malnourished and living from hand to mouth. Matter reached the Supreme Court refusing to adjudicate but stating “the idea to derecognise political parties for promoting freebies during polls is undemocratic!” There is nothing wrong in free water and electricity up to a certain amount of units.
This not only incentivises minimising consumption of these vital and precious resources, but helps the poor who use little of these resources because they cannot afford it. Also giving everyone free education, health services and other benefits like free rations for BPL families should in fact be encouraged. Weigh this with the freebies and perks our elected representatives/politicians get. The contrast is shocking. This is not included in revadi VIP culture? Right now the BJP is all guns out trying to discredit the welfare measures successfully implemented by the AAP. There are lots of debates on this topic in the media and what clearly comes across is that all parties indulge in it, but when the BJP does it, it is welfare and when opposition does it, it is freebies or bribing and corruption!
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim
Are we being
ruled by dummies?
See the shallowness of thinking in our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who responded to the black dress protests in Parliament and elsewhere by the Congress on the price rise issue with the charge that they are resorting to negativity and black magic. There was no response with any substance in it. The same thing was done by our Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while answering during the price rise debate in Parliament where she said that she would make a ‘political’ speech. When the price rise issue is real and hurting people what is the rationale for making a ‘political’ speech?
It does not give any relief to the common man from the troubles he is facing. At the same time Narendra Modi and his team is clearly declaring themselves as allied to the rich and the super-rich by withdrawing the windfall tax on petroleum products, writing off Rs 10 lakh crore of bad bank loans in the last 5 years and in a lighter vein providing Z+ security to Adani.
The BJP filled with the pompousness of their majority in Parliament is also clearly losing sight of the mandate for which they were elected. One hopes that Nitish Kumar’s severing ties with the BJP will set the ball rolling to work towards a joint Opposition to Narendra Modi and the NDA so that we can look towards 2024 with a hope for a better alternative.
Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
The process is
the punishment
In granting permanent medical bail to Varavara Rao, the Supreme Court made it clear that stringent restrictions against bail in laws like UAPA don’t hinder constitutional courts from protecting fundamental rights of citizens. Last year SC had relied on this principle to uphold bail to a UAPA accused arguing that his incarceration for over 5 years while the trial crawled on was unjustified. But Rao’s bail, granted on technical grounds, medical condition, advanced age, adherence to bail conditions, delay in framing charges doesn’t answer any of the larger questions confronting the justice system. Too many people not yet proven guilty are in jail, bail as norm and jail as exception is defeated by draconian laws like UAPA that require judges to deny bail if they believe police cases to be prima face true. This puts lower court judges in a fix.
Before framing of charges few judges will take an adverse stand on an investigation’s merits, nor can they grant bail afterwards even if the trial is delayed because framing of charges implies there is merit in them. The Bhima Koregaon case is disturbing on many counts. Despite multiple SC rulings on prompt hearing and disposal of bail applications, Stan Swamy died in judicial custody while waiting for the Bombay HC to decide on his bail plea. Many of the accused were arrested in 2018, but forget trial even framing of charges is not over; also there are claims that some of the ‘evidence’ was planted on the accused’s electronic devices. These claims can be substantiated only if the trials begin.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Arbitrary promises of irrational freebies
The trend of political parties to influence voters by offering freebies with an eye on elections is not only the greatest threat to the survival of democratic values but also injures the spirit of the Constitution. The promise of offering freebies to people by political parties if they are voted to power is now a common feature during elections in India.
Freebies are against the principles of democracy. Such illogically executed plans drain off taxpayers money. It disturbs the level playing field and vitiates the purity of the poll process. If the promises made are met post election then it is win of democracy. There should be a total ban on such populist measures to gain undue political favours from the voters as they violate the Constitution and the ECI should take suitable deterrent measures. This unethical practice is just like giving bribes to the electorate at the cost of the exchequer to stay in power and must be avoided to preserve democratic principles and practices. The fulcrum of democracy is the electoral process and the distribution of money and promise of freebies have reached alarming levels with elections being countermanded several times.
The arbitrary promises of irrational freebies violate the ECI’s mandate for free and fair elections and distributing private goods-services, which are not for public purposes, from public funds clearly violate Articles 14, 266(3), 282 and 162 of the Constitution.
K G Vilop, Chorao
