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Towards a better polity

By Harsh Gupta

The BJP is the only party which can be both truly nationalist and truly liberal – and while it has many defects it is much closer to those ideals, compared to other parties. The other parties are pseudo-secular and throwback leftists- these communal socialists believe in vote banks and socially engineered populism to cling to power.

Agendas must be both principled, yet practical politically and policy-wise. In that cautiously optimistic spirit, I propose a 10-point agenda for the BJP (this agenda is partially a result of discussions with INI fellows, but I am responsible for the final document and it it does not indict any of them)

1. On governance the BJP must support, as a principle, smaller states and more power to local governments. Residents of Uttaranchal and Chhattisgarh have received better governance since their states’ creation, and so will residents of a future Telengana, parts of a further trifurcated UP, and so on. Also, states must be incentivized to allow direct mayoral elections for cities, and more financial powers for panchayats.

2. On national security, the BJP must support higher and more targeted defense expenditures with an increased portion going to capital acquisitions in lieu of a “leaner and meaner” defense force. Intelligence gathering and counter-terrorism must be de-linked with any religion.

3. On foreign policy, the BJP must acknowledge its mistaken posturing on the nuclear deal. More aggressive diplomacy to contain terrorism within Pakistan, and to solve the border dispute with China must be pursued. Free trade agreements must be pursued vigorously, and protectionist grandstanding at WTO rounds must be avoided. Per-capita carbon equity must continue to be the defining principle in climate change negotiations

4. On Kashmir, the BJP must explain how it is in favor of more fiscal autonomy for J&K (and indeed all states) but not Article 370 – which artificially reduces investment flows and people-to-people contacts between  Kashmir and rest of India. Those who support the article in the name of Indian Muslims insult them by questioning their patriotism, and score a strategic self-goal. A cautious downsizing of the Indian army’s presence in the Valley contingent upon continuing reduction in terrorism must also be supported

5. On the broader economy issue, the BJP must vocally support privatization of PSUs, profit or loss making, to help reduce the national debt which has boomed during the Congress mis-rule. De-licensing of higher education must be supported so that the youth can get a more productive education. Retail must also be liberalized so that the farmers can get higher prices for their produce, and the consumers face lower costs. The price of petroleum products must be deregulated, and the poor must be compensated during price rises with direct cash transfers.

6. On social spending, the BJP must include another option within NREGA – get half of that daily wage without working so long as all your children are vaccinated and enroled in some school. This step (along with introduction of a national ID smart card) should be taken to reduce corruption and misrepresentation in local ledgers, and to make sure that rural infrastructure can be created separately and in a capital-intensive way if required.

7. On education, the BJP must advocate the direct funding of all below-poverty-line families to send their children to any school of their choice – public or private, religious or secular. Choice and competition in schooling will force the teachers to turn up and perform, and will be the most equitable outcome from a gender and caste point of view. The leftists who actually support the teacher union bosses at the cost of the poor, must be forced to show their true loyalties.

8. On reservations, the BJP must support it in government-financed institutions, but must call for a 20 year sunset clause because reforms in primary and secondary education through both increased expenditures and (above-mentioned) school choice will gradually but significantly reduce inequities in primary and secondary education access, as has happened in other countries.

9. On universal civil code, the BJP must support first simplifying and making inexpensive the court/civil marriage procedures, and then make them the default option rather than the religious one. If both the spouses want a religious marriage, that should still be allowed so long as it is registered. Also, non-marriage differences on issues like adoption and inheritance (which are illogically supported by the pseudo-seculars) should be done away with.

10. On the Ram temple issue, the BJP must end confusion and continue with the position that it will respect the opinion of the courts. Similarly, the BJP must strongly and unambiguously denounce any violence by any of its fringe members against women and minorities.One can be a proud Hindu without being intolerant and fundamentalist. In fact, the latter negate Hinduism.