If only political promises are fulfilled…

The election-campaign ended in Telangana and the people of Telangana exercised their franchise to elect their government to rule the state for a period of five years. Unlike the recent assembly elections held in different states of the country, the poll-scenario in Telangana with the high-voltage election campaign organised by the various political parties revealed varied trends and novel strategies to hook the attention of the voters and to win a good image for their respective political parties in minds of the electorate.

Too many politicos were in the fray. Too many road-shows and public-meetings were held. Too many speeches ,showing oratorical skills of political leaders were made. High-sounding, idealistic manifestos were unfolded. Too many accusations and counter-accusations were flying in the heated air of election-campaign. Too many verbal battles of abuses and counter-abuses political parties waged between each other. Too many press-meetings were conducted. High-density of publicity in print and electronic media was witnessed.

But what flummoxed me so much is the manifestos of the main political parties and the tall promises our politicians made during the election-campaign, vying with each other to lure the voters. Hike in pension-amount ,waiver of farm-loans, free-housing and many others are the common promises that found place in the manifestos and speeches of the political leaders. All such promises are categorized as welfare-measures which are the perennial vote-banks of the political parties. Whether they are able to fulfil those promises or not is something that is left to future. Our economy under the severe adverse impact of demonetization and G.S.T. and massive financial frauds committed by industrialists and politicians is bleak as confirmed repeatedly by the eminent economists.

If our politicians in power attempt to fulfil these almost impracticable, tall promises, taking heavy loans at high interest-rates from the world monetary organisations like the world Bank, our already crippled economy will further collapse, burdening the lives of people with very heavy tax.. Welfare measures are affordable and bearable to certain extent. But welfare measures beyond the limit of our economy certainly wrecks the whole economy beyond redemption. Often, we hear of allegations that all the welfare-measures do not reach the genuine poor, marginalized sections of the society and mostly cornered and pocketed by the party-workers.

Only when the economy of the state and the country is sound, the state and country can make progress and people can lead happy ,peaceful and prosperous lives. So our political parties and our political leaders ought to ponder seriously over their tall, pompous, impracticable and uneconomical welfare measures, taking into consideration, the economy of the state and the country. That’s is the true patriotic service they can render to the state and the country. Let not our states and the country be entangled. in debt-traps. - Dr Venugopala Rao Kaki, Kakinada