This refers to the report "Now, a right to health to be Congress trump card" (March 13). The promise to raise health spend to three per cent of gross domestic product from the current level of 1.2 per cent should be welcomed. However, such an offer coming from a political party that has been around for over 65 years will undergo a credibility test at the hustings. The impact of such offers on the public, encouraging them to improve their awareness about rights and the government's duties, could work as an agent of change. Other political parties should follow the Congress in highlighting the citizen's rights and duties. After all, like directive principles of state policy, election promises are also "not enforceable by any court". By creating more awareness among the people, political parties will be doing great service to themselves and the nation. Such a shift in the thematic content of election campaigns will make the 2014 elections different from previous ones.
M G Warrier Thiruvananthapuram
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