NEWS
VIEWS
INTERVIEWS
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
POLLING BOOTH
ISSUES '98
MANIFESTOS
OVERHEARD
YEH HAI INDIA
CHAT

'If you are unable to keep your promises, why make them in the first place?'

My only expectation from our leaders is that they abolish the devil of poverty from this country, come what may. It is a horrendous thought that India is getting poorer by the day; a majority of its people continue to live below the poverty line. If there is chaos everywhere in India, it is as much due to our so-called leaders as it is due to the common people who are very poor.

I firmly believe no country can make full progress when most of its people are excessively poor. It is fine to give them a lot of promises with a view to winning their votes; it is quite different when it comes to keeping these promises.

If Indians have lost hope in their leaders, it is because of this stark reality. If you are unable to keep your promises, why do you make them in the first place? It is as simple as that. So I expect our leaders to be honest and true to their word in whatever they do, as far as possible.

Talking about crushed dreams, there are many, really. I am a qualified electrician with a good academic record. I can compete with the best in business. But I have not got a decent job and I think that has disappointed me a lot. I know there are many youngsters like me in India whose dreams of getting good jobs after studying so hard are eventually crushed when they face the stark realities concerning modern India where there are problems galore.

I suppose unemployment is another big problem in this country. But then I don't blame our leaders for that directly. One must know that India is a vast country with a mindboggling population and to provide every individual with a decent job is not as easy as it may seem from outside.

I hope, on the political front, that we will have a stable government both at the Centre and in the state. Stability is very vital when it comes to running and ruling a country or a state. Unfortunately, both at the national and state (Gujarat) level, things have not been rosy at all for the last few years as far as a stable government is concerned. I am almost certain the BJP will form the government without support from any party; not only in Gujarat but also in Delhi.

As told to Haresh Pandya

India Speaks!

Tell us what you think of this report