Madras HC queries Centre on proposed law on making rational poll promises

Court comes down heavily on political parties for making people lazy by distributing freebies

The Madras High Court came down heavily on political parties for making people lazy by distributing freebies. The Court posted nearly 20 questions to the various Government Departments and Election Commission. These included whether or not the Centre proposes to bring a law on making rational promises in election manifestos, steps being taken by Commission so far to scrutinise such manifestos and action taken against political parties, among others.

The order, passed by Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice B Pugalendhi, stated that the political parties should be prohibited or prevented from making election promises that can add to the strain on the public exchequer, especially if the State is facing a financial crunch. Otherwise, for the sake of finance, the State has to increase the number of liquor shops.

The Order stated that poll manifestos weren't all that popular 30 years ago and only for the past two decades they have became very popular among the masses, as political parties compete with each other in offering freebies in various formsif they are voted to power.

Kinds of freebies and money given during festivals, though it would be justified that the Government is taking care of the peoples' needs, in fact are making the people lazy and dampening the working culture of the people. In the process, the honest taxpayer is made a mute spectator of these expenditures by the Government.

Consequently, even for any normal work no force is available in Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu has to depend on the migrant workers from northeast and northern states, like, Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Bihar, Uttra Pradesh and West Bengal and Odisha. Most of the North Indian workers are doing agriculture work and working in hotels, industries, shops, saloons, etc. in Tamil Nadu.

It is not as if everyone in Tamil Nadu has become an entrepreneur or persons with resources and if we go into details, most of the persons including wealthy are expecting freebies. Engineering Graduates, M.Phil, M.B.A. Degree Holders are applying for sweeper posts and O.A. posts. Nobody wants to do manual work. It is reported in the media that people who go for 100 days work, (MNREGA), which has been brought by the Government to give work for people, simply chit chatting under trees without doing the work.

The way in which things are happening today, one would not be surprised to see that migrant workers would be owners of the properties in due course and the sons of the soil will become workers working under them and it may be the only achievement, probably, the political parties have attained through election promises by providing freebies for the past 20 years, said the Court.

The Court raised 20 questions to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Social Justice and EMpowerment, Election Commission of India, Tamil Nadu Election Commission, District Collector. They include whether the Central Government has taken any steps to bring legislation covering the issue of political manifestos, especially freebies promised in the election manifestos and governing the political parties as per the Judgment of the Supreme Court? how many elections the Election Commission has vetted the election manifestos of the political parties as per the dictum of the Supreme Court of India, which are all the political parties which have submitted their election manifestos for vetting during elections, after 2014? what are the actions taken against those political parties, which have not followed the dictum of the Hon'ble Supreme Court to tender the manifestos for vetting before the Election Commission? in how many manifestos of the political parties, the Election Commission has made objections regarding the statements or promises made? Whether based on the objections such disputed or controversial promises have been deleted by political parties? among others.

Judges said "biriyani and quarter bottle" have become a stark reality in elections and that people who sell their votes have no right to complain about lack of basic facilities.

It is raining freebies for Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, scheduled for April 6.

"It goes on. The result is people started having a mind set that they could make a living out of freebies. A trend has been created that whoever avails loan from banks, does not repay the loan, expecting waiver of loans during election. In this way, people themselves get corrupted by political parties. The way in which the political parties throw their promises, which are unreasonable and unworkable are really unwanted. Unfortunately, freebies are not connected with job creation, development, or agriculture. Voters are lured to cast votes in their favour by these magical promises. Once in 5 years, this tamasha is being continued for decades together. Promises have always remained as promises. Most of them except freebies are not implemented," said in the Order.

“Whether the development is achieved or not, the freebies only achieved in creating/inculcating laziness among the people, shattering the work culture of the State. Consequently, no labour or sufficient labour is available and no work is done in the State, without the imported migrant labours from other States,” said in the Order.

Unfortunately the political parties are at best concentrating only on freebies to get the voters by hook or crook in their craving for winning the elections. This has to be stopped as otherwise, there shall be no distinction between the enthusiastic work force and those who sit back and enjoy the freebies without doing anything, said the Court.

If money spent for freebies are utilised constructively by creating job opportunities, by building infrastructure, like, dams, lakes, providing better facilities and incentives to the agriculture, which has become an orphan in our country as most of the people have quit agriculture as cultivation does not provide a secured income, definitely, there will be social upliftment and progress of the State,” said in the Order.