l People should judge parties by the care they take to prepare manifestos
l A manifesto has no meaning if it does not have district and taluka level manifestos
l Taluka manifestos must be made by taking the best points from panchayat level manifestos
l People through the gram sabhas should be involved to contributing to panchayat level manifesto points to be handed over to all candidates and parties
Every five years, parties and candidates go to the people asking for votes. But candidates think that the vote is in favour of them personally, or at the most their party. But in a true democracy, the vote should go for what the candidate and the party stand for and not just who the candidate is. And that is should be reflected in a manifesto
A party manifesto has to be people’s manifesto first. Parties are ordered by the people to follow it if they want votes
Let the will of every panchayat reflect in ground-level manifestos. People don’t need cut and paste manifestos without meaning. Manifestos need to be meaningful.
Meaningful manifestos can’t be made a week or two before polling. The process should be completed three months before elections
It’s an elaborate exercise and is the foundation of all that an elected candidate and government will do. Firstly, though Goa is a small state there are differences in dialect, food habits and cultural traits between regions. Therefore, there cannot be one general manifesto hurriedly prepared that fits all. Parties have to work on a state manifesto, two district manifestos and taluka level manifestos.
State Manifesto: This will be a master document of the vision of the party. It should have the importance of nothing less than sworn affidavit on how they plan to reclaim Goa, save it from destruction and restore Goa’s former glory and culture. It should tell the people what the engine of growth will be, its specific plans regarding health, education, jobs, finance, tourism and other important sectors in specific deliverables with clear timelines. But there will be many Goans who will need to know how their village lives will be made better. And only a state manifesto cannot serve that purpose.
District Manifesto
Both the districts North and South Goa have specific and unique issues which should be a part of district-level manifestos. While some issues are important for both districts its impact and importance may be more in one. The destruction of Goa due to coal pollution is an all-Goa issue. But the loss of land of people due to forcible land acquisition for double-tracking is more specific to South Goa.
Similarly, pollution in our rivers and creeks, in an all Goa issue but the restoration of St Inez creek and bringing it back to life is a North Goa (Panjim) issue.
Then compensation for flood victims is an all-Goa issue, but the maximum damage has been caused in the Sattari and Bicholim talukas and the plan of action regarding adhoc relief and then compensation for all kinds of damages after assessment, must be in the district manifesto. People need to know what is in it for them.
Taluka level Manifestos
These should be given as annexures since different talukas will have taluka level issues. For instance, the failure to rehabilitate the oustees of the Selaulim dam in 30 years is an issue for the Sanguem Taluka just like the issue of mechanised trawling with LED lights is an issue that concerns Salcete.
Localised manifestos make people believe that those who want to govern are willing to come to your doorstep
Now the big question: Who decides on the issues for the manifestos- people or parties?
Every party appoints a manifesto committee. The purpose of this committee is to prepare a manifesto but they cannot do it by sitting in party offices. Just like the Regional Plan or the Coastal Zone Management Plan, a village-level manifesto has to be drawn up by a village manifesto committee of the people. A series of special manifesto gram sabhas can be held where points can be presented with minutes and then a final village plan made. These village-level plans can then be handed over to all parties and independent candidates contesting the elections.
It will then be the responsibility of each party to study the village level plans and use them for their taluka plans and the district plans.
People are watching to see which of the parties will come to the people for a real grassroots manifesto
Only a people’s party will go to the people for a grassroots manifesto. Conductor parties, Delhi parties and ruling parties have a chance to do so but if elections are about fixing and deals, attention and time will not be given to manifestos by such parties.
This is in your hand. The people of Goa can cast their first vote of no confidence on parties that do not support a grassroots manifesto. A people’s party which supports this will get the best information on village-level issues. This will be a ready handbook of governance even before a single vote has been cast.
Elections are not only about casting votes. But preparing candidates for good governance
After different level-wise manifestos are prepared, all candidates must know them thoroughly. They must be ready three months before the elections after which candidates must be given time to read, study and prepare notes. Parties must then have training sessions with their candidates so that each of them knows the state level and the local manifestos specific to their constituencies. They must not only know what is in the manifesto but how the party will achieve its promises and in what time.
When people, jointly decide their future, Goa can never be divided on caste, communal or any other lines
It doesn’t matter which party implements people manifestos though it is only a people’s party that will ultimately do it. But a state that decides its future together always stays together. A manifesto is a people’s document. It is a message to the political parties and other candidates what people really want. The people of Goa are no longer interested in being told what is good for them by others. The first step towards making this a people’s election is to let people decide on the most important issues that matter to them, and the future of their children.
And everyone from the parties, the election commission and all those interested in the true spirit of democracy should make this a standard template for electoral democracy. Democracy doesn’t begin and end with the casting of the vote, but the entire journey of the voter before he or she comes to the final decision on who their precious vote belongs to.
