Guest Column: Politics of freebies cost heavy in long run, hit poorest most

Freebies or the ‘revdi’ culture, all pervasive in the political economy of the country, has been the focus of attention not only of the highest office of the country, but also of the apex court of our nation. Come election season and it rains freebies. The recent statement of the Prime Minister has reignited this debate. Narendra Modi said, “Populism may yield political results in the short term, but it will exact a great social and economic price in the long term. Those who suffer the most consequences are often the poorest and the most vulnerable.” The PM’s take on the subject cannot be bettered.

However, despite such clear adverse consequences, freebies rule the roost. Till not very long ago, only a few states were known for offering giveaways on the eve of elections. Now, it is widely prevalent, not only in most of the states, but at the national level as well. Some political formations have elevated such handouts to the level of guarantees and, in the event of their winning the election, the first priority is accorded to the implementation of such guarantees. In other words, the prevalent credo is, ‘We did what we promised’. This begs the fundamental question: Why is the culture of freebies so widely pervasive and flourishing despite its deleterious consequences so vividly spelt out by our Prime Minister?

Conventionally, votaries of handouts justify them in the name of welfare and wellbeing of the people, while their critics dub them as wasteful. To say so should not distract us from the obligation of the state to handhold our unfortunate brethren who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to lead a dignified life of their own. That said, the drift of the argument of this write-up is that the culture of freebies is emblematic of a deeper malaise. No doubt, it is addictive and is at the cost of worthier causes such as empowering the disadvantaged with better education, skills, healthcare and nutrition. But at a deeper level, it leads to the degeneration of the constitutional democracy into an electoral democracy and fundamentally alters the social contract between citizens and the state.

The core of the constitutional democracy is the social contract, whereby the state is granted monopoly to the use of violence to enforce its writ and is, in turn, obligated to secure for its citizens:

·Right to life, limb and liberty and protection of property.

·Rule of law.

·Delivery of public goods and services in a transparent and accountable way.

Seen in this light, citizenship, rights and state capacity are the heart and soul of the social contract, under which the citizens enjoy certain inalienable rights and access to public goods and services and the state has the capacity and capability to deliver on the same.

In contrast, electoral democracy is ruled by the dictum: Winner takes all, wins at all costs and by all means. It is in such a backdrop that the culture of freebies flourishes and culminates into competitive populism, which is currently on display. It makes the relationship between the citizens and the state purely transactional and reduces the citizens to grateful supplicants. The unabashed bluster accompanying the advertisements of these giveaways in electronic and print media has an uncanny resemblance to a street vendor trying to trick a gullible customer into buying his wares.

In such a scenario, politicians are not the only ones in the game. Citizens are also swayed by the handouts that encourages the political parties to follow the easy path than enforcing the social contract. For the constitutional democracy to strike root, citizens are required to be eternally vigilant and work hard to hold their government to higher standards of accountability, than being passive recipients of handouts.

Apart from the deep scars on democracy and blunting of the social contract, the culture of giveaways corrupts the process of elections and impairs the state capacity to do lasting good. Therefore, if India is to survive and thrive this culture needs to be resolutely reversed. It has to be the shared responsibility not only of the political actors alone, but also of the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. However, the ruling parties at the Centre and in the states are uniquely poised to lead the march to restore constitutional democracy and reaffirm the social contract. One can only wish them luck and godspeed. krlakhanpal@gmail.com

The writer is former chief secretary of Punjab. Views expressed are personal.