Need opportunities, not freebies

With elections around the corner, many political parties are busy luring prospective voters by offering freebies of various kinds in their respective constituencies, from free food and rations to free electricity. From the perspective of political parties, it is clear that this ‘band-aid’ of freebies is only a ploy to create loyal vote banks in election
after election.

I have two elementary questions about the freebie culture. One, does giving away freebies really help serve the larger cause of the people and the nation? And two, shouldn’t the Election Commission disallow political parties from making such hollow promises in the form of freebies, which are ultimately a burden on the exchequer and hence on society at large?

In my view, offering freebies is detrimental to an individual and society at large. Freebies suppress the intrinsic talent of people and stifle their ambitions and aspirations in what is a forceful alignment with vested interests. This handiwork further widens the disparity between the well-off and the deprived.

It’s high time we amended the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, to declare freebies a prohibited corrupt practice. If not anything else, the Election Commission should at least direct all parties to declare their source of funds for fulfilling their freebie promises, which will help voters make an informed choice and more importantly comprehend the deceitful game at play that makes a mockery of democracy.

The common people of our nation, the so-called “beneficiaries” of these freebies, must be made aware of the plain fact that all freebies are ultimately funded through their own money; the political parties are doing no favour by bestowing them on the unsuspecting public.

I have read about and also interviewed several people, both from urban and rural pockets, and given a choice between freebies and opportunities (employment, entrepreneurship, education, and the like), almost all of them preferred the second option.

It is amply clear that those who are less privileged should be given the right opportunities. Some people are born wealthy or well off; naturally, they inherit well-being and don’t have to toil for it. They get a good education, a high standard of living, and several opportunities for employment or entrepreneurship. As a result, even an average child born to privileged parents can become successful in life. On the other hand, even the bright and intelligent children from rural and other deprived regions are deprived of good opportunities, and they are cut off from the mainstream in a ruthless manner.

Can’t the political parties offer them the rightful opportunities to avail themselves of good education? Can’t they ensure that skill-based training programmes are designed and implemented pan-India to make rural youth and other marginalised sections of the society employable as well as capable of starting their own ventures? Such constructive measures, not freebies, will put the rural and deprived communities on a trajectory of growth and self-development.

There is no dearth of talent and intellect in India. It is only a matter of creating equal opportunities through measures like improving the education and health systems in rural areas, building a robust physical and digital infrastructure to connect the rural folk to the mainstream, setting up agriculture-based and other industries in rural areas, providing skill-based training programmes, and empowering women in rural and deprived regions.

Indians are known for their exemplary achievements in diverse fields across the globe. They need the right opportunities, rooted in constructive engagement, that make them aspirational in a manner that uplifts them and their communities at home. Job creation should be the focal point of government agendas as well as those of all political parties contesting elections. Promising free electricity, rations, and food can never help in the long run; no nation has ever prospered on a “freebie culture.”

Mass migration of people to cities in search of livelihood has now reached unsustainable levels, and every city is bursting at the seams. We must now work towards making our towns and villages self-sufficient, especially in agriculture and allied industries.

India has immense potential waiting to be tapped and unlocked. It requires a thorough study of our strengths and weaknesses to connect the dots. Such a targeted effort can help marginalised people create sustainable incomes and livelihoods on their own merit. It’s high time we started a movement urging the common people of India to wake up and
say no to freebies and yes to opportunities.

(The writer is the Executive Chairman of a hospital chain.)