Freebies cannot compensate for poor governance

This picture has been used for representational purpose

Five states will go to the polls this year, which automatically means five times the almost Wodehousian pre-election events played out. Predictably, poll promises are offering the sky to voters.

A report in this paper spoke about the All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal promising ration at people's doorsteps, and R1,000 to all widows in the state, while the BJP has promised road projects worth Rs 1 lakh-crore.

In Tamil Nadu, poll promises border on the ridiculous, with offers of free houses, washing machines and loan waivers, free delivery of ration to doorsteps and 2GB free data to college students throughout the year.

In Assam, the ruling BJP is looking at offering free doles. Puducherry and Kerala have their fair share of empty promises. Individual state budgets may be struggling under crippling debt, yet why do political parties continue to make impossible promises and, more importantly, why are these enough to fool the masses time after time? In Assam, the BJP has not been able to deliver on a single promise made five years ago, all of which are considered vital by the people of the state - NRC, implementation of Section 6 of the Assam Accord, granting the Scheduled Tribes status to six tribes and declaring the Assam floods as a national calamity.

Most states need policy changes and higher budgets for developmental work, not free televisions and washing machines. Yet, instead of blaming the politicians, the people, too, need to demand answers.

Policy changes and job creation will sustain families, not washing machines where even water is hard to come by. There has to be accountability in governance and it is up to the people to ensure this happens by constantly questioning elected representatives. We cannot wake up only during election time and demand our rights as a quid pro quo.