The Congress got its caste arithmetic right in Karnataka to take advantage of the anti-incumbency against the ruling BJP to win the recent assembly elections. In the process, it made exorbitant promises in the form of ‘guarantees’, which its government is now finding hard to fulfill. In a financially straitened condition already owing to numerous statutory obligations, one of its ministers has bemoaned the impending burden of the five election guarantees, which the state government has ‘cleared in principle’ for implementation. This clearly indicates how the desperation of parties for power is forcing them to make irresponsible promises without the financial acumen to properly implement them. With more assembly elections coming up just before the General Elections, the matter is likely to get way out of hand.
This is not all. Freebies are one thing – foraying into the social realm, playing caste or community against each other on contentious issues will have serious repercussions for states and the nation. Giving ‘rights’ in proportion to numbers, as promised by Rahul Gandhi, would basically destroy the principle of merit, without which India’s development and progress would be impossible. It is not surprising that even members of his party are questioning this approach.
Karnataka is not just being unable to meet its financial obligations, it is also having trouble delivering on constitutional ones too, such as the release of Kaveri waters to Tamil Nadu, a state run by INDI ally, the DMK. Add to this the coming over ground of radical elements that constitute the ruling party’s votebank, which has created a situation that will only get worse in the days to come.
India’s burgeoning economy, expanding infrastructure, healthy business environment, etc., have not happened by themselves. It will need just a few of the imbalances that ill-considered political and economic would bring about for a return to the stagnant economy of the past, in which development took place despite government policies rather than because of them. If the size of the overall cake shrinks, the ‘proportionate’ shares being proposed by the political opportunists will become even more difficult to hand out. India is today at a crossroads and people will have to think beyond petty personal interests; otherwise they will experience the same regret being increasingly felt, today, by the people of Karnataka.
