Atanu Dey on India’s Development » Blog Archive » An Urban Voter’s Manifesto
As an urban Indian, I will vote for a party that promotes the values that matter to my country, my family, and me. I address this open letter to the political parties who seek my vote in the upcoming elections. Drop me a line if you can credibly demonstrate that you share the concerns and values that we have.Here are my concerns.
1. Economic freedom.
* I want a government which generally leaves us alone. I don’t want a government that interferes in every aspect of our economic lives.
* I want a government that does not excessively tax my hard-earned money to fund wasteful expenditures.
* By chaining the economy, the government controls it to profit from it at the expense of the citizens. I want the government to liberalize the economy.2. Personal freedom.
* I want a government that respects me as a citizen and not as a member of some religious, caste, linguistic, or vote bank group. I want to be treated equally and not discriminated against for whatever reasons.
* I want a government that does not dictate to me how I should live my life.3. Education matters.
* I want my children to be educated. Government control of the education sector has crippled the system to the point that only the extremely wealthy can afford decent schooling. I want the government to get out of the education sector.
* I want a good education for my children because it is the only guarantee of success in an intensely competitive globalized world of today and the future.4. Good governance.
* I see unimaginable corruption at all levels of government. Criminals routinely contest and win elections. I am not going to tolerate corruption any more. I will reject all parties that put up criminals as their candidates.
* I want the government to stick to the core functions and do them well. Primarily, I want the government to be responsible for internal security and I will hold the government accountable for the any lapses in security.That’s all. I am not interested in GDP growth projections, on how by 2014 or whenever what is going to happen or not. I am not interested in empty promises about how India will become this or that superpower. I am quite capable of working hard and creating my own destiny.
I just want that the government do its job and I will do my bit. But I will not vote for any party that does not share my values and my concerns.
What is interesting is how Atanu has nailed down to the basics. Once these are provided then the people can create their own destiny. These are the “public good” stuff which the government needs to do.
