M A I N   N E W S

Congress releases new-look manifesto
Pledges annual review of progress
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 22
It is the proverbial case of old wine in a new bottle. Keeping up with the present-day emphasis on packaging, the Congress party’s election manifesto released today has a definite new look. It is sleekly produced, is short and pointed and does not make for a ponderous read.

But that’s as far as it goes. The contents of the 32-page manifesto are almost like a re-run of an old movie, perhaps with minor variations. In keeping with its promise of an “action-oriented” document, the Congress has pledged to present a progress report on the implementation of its manifesto every year on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2).

But eventually it boils down to slamming the Vajpayee-led government for its monumental failures and highlighting the achievements of past Congress regimes while promising the people a changed world, the reasons for voting the Congress to power.

The Congress has made a conscious effort to retrieve the development agenda, effectively usurped by the BJP. It has, therefore, positioned itself as the party which fought for and won India’s freedom, ushered in the Green Revolution, launched extensive anti-poverty programmes and made India a major nuclear, space and missile power.

Above all, it stopped being apologetic about introducing liberalisation, stating it is their economic reforms which made India the fourth largest economy by 1998.

In contrast, the Congress said, the BJP-led government’s policies had resulted in increasing unemployment and acute distress for kisans and khet mazdoors, caused stagnation of investment in agriculture and blamed it for orchestrating the communal carnage in Gujarat. It particularly singled out Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for attack for his insconsistency on major national issues.

Promising “continuity with change”, the Congress manifesto has zeroed in on six priority areas, termed as “Back to Basics”:

*Samajik sadbhavna, the enforcement of the rule of law to ensure social harmony and cohesion.

*Yuva rozgar, to provide assured and viable livelihoods in each family.

*Grameen vikas to improve well-being and welfare of kisans and khet mazdoors.

*Arthik Navouthan, to unleash the creative and productive energies of entrepreneurs and professionsals.

*Mahila sashaktikaran, to provide for complete political, legal, educational and social equality of women.

*Saman avsar, to ensure full equality of opportunity in all respects for the weaker sections of our society -Dalit, tribals, OBC, BC and minorities.