Manifesto punctures BJP's 'secular drive'
R R Nair in New Delhi
Despite its multiple marriages of convenience for electoral purposes, the Bharatiya Janata Party's stand on various contentious issues has changed little.
This was revealed by the party's manifesto, which was released on Tuesday by party president Lal Kishinchand Advani in New Delhi.
Promising a vibrant India which is free of riots and terrorism, the party pledged its allegiance to Hindutva and reiterated that "a magnificent Shri Ram Mandir at Ram Janmasthan in Ayodhya" would be built.
But the commitment to Hindu nationalism is tempered with an effort to have the image of a consensus maker. "The BJP will explore all consensual, legal and constitutional means to facilitate the construction of the Shri Ram Mandir at Ayodhya," the manifesto says.
Despite the party's efforts to woo the Muslims, the saffron brigade said it would introduce a uniform civil code in the country while protecting the minorities's honour and dignity.
If voted to power, the party would "impose a total ban on the slaughter of cows and cow progeny, including bulls and bullocks and prohibit all trade, including export (state as well as private) in beef."
Another major blow to Muslim sentiments would be the winding up of the Minorities Commission, whose responsibilities would be transferred to the National Human Rights Commission.
In order to tackle communal violence, the party would set up special courts to try such cases and may amend existing laws to provide for 'exemplary punishment to those inciting or taking part in communal or sectarian violence'.
It would also "ban job advertisements which require applicants to declare their religion".
The party also promises to free "our sacred motherland of the scourge of hunger, unemployment, fear and corruption''.
As for the nuclear option, the party has revealed its tough posture.
"The BJP rejects the notion of nuclear apartheid and will actively
oppose attempts to impose a hegemonistic nuclear regime by means of Comprehensive (Nuclear) Test Ban Treaty. We will re-evaluate the country's nuclear policy and exercise the option to induct nuclear weapons."
Asked whether a BJP government would go ahead with a nuclear test, Advani made it clear that the BJP ''means what it says about the nuclear option... I was told that nowadays testing is not really required."
While the scrapping of Article 370 (which gives a special status to
Jammu & Kashmir) has been assured in a section dealing with constitutional reforms, the proposed uniform civil code has been mooted in Nari Shakti, Empowerment of Women.
Projecting the uniform civil code as a gender issue, the party guarantees women property rights besides ensuring them the right to adopt. The party will ensure equal guardianship rights, remove discriminatory clauses in divorce laws, end polygamy and make the registration of all marriages mandatory.
The party also stresses the importance of arriving at a consensus on electoral reforms, centre-state relations, population policy, empowerment of women by legislating 33.33 per cent reservation for them in all elected bodies, inter-state water disputes and environmental protection.
To thrash out constitutional reforms, the party proposes to set up a commission to 'comprehensively review the Constitution'.
Opposing the misuse of Article 356, the party promises to carve out
Uttaranchal, Vananchal, Vidharbha and Chattisgarh as separate states. It will also create separate regional development councils for the regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
As for electoral reforms, the party proposes to "introduce a scheme for state funding of election expenses''. Multipurpose voter identity cards will be made mandatory.
A national judicial commission for recommending appointments to high courts and the Supreme Court has been envisaged, which would also draw up a code of ethics for judges.
In the most comprehensive section on economy, the party calls the
United Front government's efforts at reforms and liberalisation 'a corrupt
hoax'. It says that the Congress government, under the guise of correcting
the past mistakes, actually surrendered to the International Monetary Fund conditionalities.
Disclosing that its liberalisation drive would have a 'swadeshi approach', the party says the Indian market would be guarded against foreign interests -- it refers to the 2 per cent foreign direct investment in the last five years of reforms.
"The BJP government will frame policies to restrict FDI in non-priority areas. FDI will be encouraged to promote exports rather than target the domestic market. FDI is welcome in a non-predatory role in joint ventures rather than in 100 per cent subsidiaries."
The party clarifies that liberalisation would not mean that the government would
completely withdraw and let the market play the game as it wants.
In dealing with the World Trade Organisation, the BJP's attitude would be that the Indian industry needs time to get integrated with the world economy.
The party promises a projected annual growth rate of eight to nine per cent in the gross domestic product with agricultural growth pegged at 5 per cent and industrial growth at 12 per cent
The agriculture sector would get 60 per cent of the plan funds. And the fertiliser subsidies would continue. And import of farm goods would be kept to a bare minimum.
The party also promises to set up national level regulatory bodies for infrastructure areas, disinvest in non-strategic public sector units and control and rationalise all subsidies, except those that benefit the weaker sections. It will also privatise the insurance sector.
Expectedly, the BJP has announced its intention to help out its traditional
friends -- the trader community. The Bhagidari sector or the
un-incorporated sector, which accounts for 40 per cent of the GDP, will get a development bank, a social security net which 'the Indian private sector insurance companies can provide'. The party will also give full income tax deduction for religious contributions made by this community and protect them against state excesses.
The BJP will also review the entire regulation on the non-banking
finance companies and bring about an orderly growth.
The party has kept another of its constituency -- the non-resident Indians -- in mind. Dual citizenship would be re-examined, fresh incentives for non-resident Indians to invest in their motherland would be re-examined, social security for NRIs working in the Gulf and South-East Asian countries would be assured.
The manifesto, however, made no mention of drafting a common minimum programme with its allies before the election.
Urging the people to choose 'between nationalism and a foreign hand' -- referring to Congress star campaigner Sonia Gandhi -- Advani said the party's prime ministerial nominee Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ''greatness is no reflected glory of being part of
any dynasty''.
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