Staff Reporter | 14 Apr, 2009
Following is the full text of BJP's Lok Sabha Elections 2009 manifesto.To build a prosperous, powerful nation, recall India’s past
Indian
civilisation is perhaps the most ancient and continuing civilisation of
the world. India has a long history and has been recognised by others
as a land of great wealth and even greater wisdom. But India has also
experienced continued foreign attacks and alien rule for centuries and
this has resulted in a loss of pride in India and its remarkable
achievements. Indians, particularly educated under the system of
education imposed by the Britishers, have lost sight of not only the
cultural and civilisational greatness of India, but also of its
technological achievements and abounding natural resources.
History
tells us that India was a land of abundance. The country has been
blessed with great natural fertility, abundant water and unlimited
sunshine.
According
to foreigners visiting this country, Indians were regarded as the best
agriculturists in the world. Records of these travels from the 4th
Century BC till early- 19th Century speak volumes about our
agricultural abundance which dazzled the world. The Thanjaur (900-1200
AD) inscriptions and Ramnathapuram (1325 AD) inscriptions record 15 to
20 tonnes per hectare production of paddy. Now, even after the first
green revolution, according to Government statistics, Ludhiana in the
late-20th Century recorded a production of 5.5 tonnes of paddy per
hectare. It is, therefore, imperative that India rediscovers an
agricultural technology which incorporates all the inputs from our own
wisdom and agricultural skills that made us a land of abundance in food.
Indian
economy was as flourishing as its agriculture. Foreigners from
Magasthenes to Fa-Hian and Hiuen-Tsiang have described and praised
Indian material prosperity. Indian villages around 1780 in Bihar have
been cited as an example of cleanliness and hospitality. The streets
were swept and watered and the people had a remarkable sense of
hospitality and attention to accommodate the needs of the travellers.
Old
British documents established that India was far advanced in the
technical and educational fields than Britain of 18th and early-19th
Century. Its agriculture technically and productively was far superior;
it produced a much higher grade of iron and steel. The Iron Pillar at
Mehrauli in Delhi has withstood the ravages of time for 1,500 years or
more without any sign of rusting or decay. Metallurgists of the world
have marvelled at this high degree of sophistication in technology.
Textiles formed the great industrial enterprise of pre-British India.
Up to the late-18th Century, India was the leading producer and
exporter of textiles; China was then a close second.
Indian
advancements in astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, physics and
biological sciences have been documented and recognised all over the
world. Contributions in the field of medicine and surgery are also well
known. Ayurveda and Yoga are the best gifts from India to the world in
creating a healthy civilisation. India knew plastic surgery, practised
it for centuries and, in fact, it has become the basis of modern
plastic surgery. India also practised the system of inoculation against
small pox centuries before the vaccination was discovered by Dr Edward
Jenner.
Fa-Hian,
writing about Magadha in 400 AD, has mentioned that a well organised
health care system existed in India. According to him, the nobles and
householders of this country had founded hospitals within the city to
which the poor of all countries, the destitute, the crippled and the
diseased may repair.
"They
receive every kind of requisite help. Physicians inspect their
diseases, and according to their cases, order them food and drink,
medicines or decoctions, everything in fact that contributes to their
ease. When cured they depart at their ease."
It
has been established beyond doubt by the several reports on education
at the end of the 18th Century and the writings of Indian scholars that
not only did India have a functioning indigenous educational system but
that it actually compared more than favourably with the system
obtaining in England at the time in respect of the number of schools
and colleges proportionate to the population, the number of students in
schools and colleges, the diligence as well as the intelligence of the
students, the quality of the teachers and the financial support
provided from private and public sources.
Contrary
to the then prevailing opinion, those attending school and college
included an impressive percentage of lower caste students, Muslims and
girls.
Mahatma
Gandhi was absolutely right in saying that India was more illiterate in
1931 compared to its state of literacy 50-60 years ago, i.e. in 1870.
India had also an expertise in ship building, as also in extensive
manufacturing and uses of dyes, and also in manufacturing paper. India
had a share of about 22.5 per cent of world GDP in 1600 AD which during
British domination suffered a steep decline to 12.25 per cent in 1870,
while the British share in the same period rose sharply from 1.8 per
cent to 9.1 per cent. When Britishers left India, the economy was
completely shattered and India’s share in world manufacture, trade and
GDP declined further. Even after 62 years of Independence, India’s
share in world market remains less than one per cent. India’s
prosperity, its talents and the state of its high moral society can be
best understood by what Thomas Babington Macaulay stated in his speech
of February 02, 1835, in the British Parliament.
"I
have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not
seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief, such wealth I have
seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such high
caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless
we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and
cultural heritage, and therefore, I propose that we replace her old and
ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that
all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own,
they will lose their self esteem, their native culture and they will
become what we want them, a truly dominated nation." This policy was
implemented very meticulously by Britishers and the education system
was created to make Indian’s ignorant about themselves. No nation can
chart out its domestic or foreign policies unless it has a clear
understanding about itself, its history, its strength and failings. It
becomes all the more important for any nation to know its roots which
sustain its people in a highly mobile and globalised world. Leaders
like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Sri Aurobindo, Mahatma
Gandhi and others who spearheaded the freedom movement had built the
struggle around a clear vision of India’s civilisational consciousness.
Indian ways of thought and action were in the centre of their political
action. These leaders had a vision to reconstruct the political and
economic institutions of India as a continuum of the civilisational
consciousness which made India one country, one people and one nation.
It is unfortunate that the leaders of independent India quickly
discarded this vision and continued to work with the institutional
structures created by the British which had nothing to do with India’s
world view and its vitality which were responsible for its survival
despite continued outside attacks and alien rule.
During
the six decades of our independence, governance of our country, except
for a short period, was with the Congress and its associates. It was
most unfortunate that they never thought of creating a socio-economic
and political paradigm of governance drawing from the civilisational
consciousness of India. They, instead, tried to emulate whatever was
being practised in this or that Western country. The disastrous results
are before us.
What
was required after independence was to reorient India’s polity to bring
it in consonance with the seeking and sensibilities of the Indian
people. Failure to do so has resulted in a fractured society, vast
economic disparities, terrorism and communal conflict, insecurity,
moral, psychological and spiritual degradation, and a state apparatus
unable to handle any of these problems. Attempts are sometimes made to
apply palliatives to manage the affairs but nothing succeeds. What is
needed is to arrive at a consensus about the ‘Idea’ of India and also
about the seekings and preferences of the people and how they find
expression in various socio-economic, political organisations and
cultural, aesthetic and ethical sensibilities of the people of India.
The
civilisational consciousness of India has been well defined by the
sages and philosophers and has its roots in Bharatiya or Hindu world
view. This world view is holistic and spiritual. It accepts that
diversity is inherent in the scheme of creation; it is the
manifestation of the same cosmic entity in different forms. Hence it
not only accepts diversity but respects it and even more celebrates it.
Hindu or Bharatiya view of life seeks unity in diversity. It is an
inclusive approach and one can say that Hinduism is the most ennobling
experience in spiritual co-existence. The Bharatiya mind has
contemplated beyond national boundaries and the Vedic Rishi declared in
the hoary past Vasudhaiva Kutumbukam – that the world is a family. The horizons of
India’s
worldview are known to have extended from Bamiyan / Kandahar to
Borobudur / Indonesia on the one hand, and Sri Lanka to Japan on the
other. Imprints of Indian culture are found in some other parts of the
world as well. In ancient times India was isolated in geography but not
in cultural relationship, trade and commerce. The belief in essential
unity of mankind is a unique feature of Hindu thought. The Vedic Rishi
had also declared that Ekam Sad Viprah Bahudha Vadanti (truth
or reality is one but wise men describe it in different ways). This is
essentially a secular thought in the real sense of the term because it
accepts that one can follow his own path to reach the ultimate. Hindus
are well known for their belief in harmony of religions. And because of
this world view almost all religions practised in different parts of
the world have existed peacefully in India and will continue to do so.
But it appears that even after six decades of independence India has
not been able to discover its innate vitality and its sense of time and
consequently has lost its direction and will to act. The drift is acute
and has encompassed all aspects of national life. The situation needs a
change and a new paradigm is called for, for creating a prosperous,
progressive and powerful India whose voice is heard in international
fora.
India
can achieve this goal provided the people seriously set to this task.
We are endowed with vast human and material resources. Indian youth
have demonstrated their capabilities in various walks of life and
proved their competence.
In
science and technology, space and atomic energy, despite handicaps and
lack of world class facilities, they have done remarkably well. In
industry, business and management and information communication
technology, they have successfully taken challenging risks. With this
energetic and vibrant youth power and by prudently harnessing natural
resources, Indians can perform miracles provided they work with
self-confidence and pride in India. We have to assure a prominent role
and full opportunities to our youth in the decision-making process.
They are the future and the propellers of our prosperity.
India
need not blindly copy this or that model of development; it should
evolve a model suited to its genius and resources. The Integral
Humanism suggested by Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay provides such a model.
India should be original, India should innovate, and India should move
upwards on the ladder of global leadership. The global scenario demands
a solution, a radical solution to save the world from the impending
disaster of the Great Economic Recession and terrorism looming large
all over the world. India is destined to play its historic role at this
crucial juncture and for this the BJP is committed to work for creating
a modern, powerful, prosperous, progressive and secure India.
Dr Murli Manohar Joshi
Chairman
Manifesto Committee
April 3, 2009.
For stability & security India needs a decisive leader
A
quirk of fate brought the Congress to power at the Centre in the summer
of 2004. The United Progressive Alliance that it put together, which
was able to secure parliamentary majority with the help of the Left
parties, has shown remarkable lack of cohesiveness with individual
Ministers representing the Congress’ allies running their allotted
Ministries like their personal fiefdom. This was a Government totally
divorced from the twin principles of collective responsibility and
accountability.
The
nation was thus burdened with a Prime Minister who was in office but
not in power; and, a Government that was in power but not in authority.
This was supposed to be a Government that would work for the welfare of
the aam admi – the common man. As it prepares to exit office
after five years, the Government has nothing to show by way of
extending a ‘hand’ to the aam admi.
This
Government will be remembered for four things. It was headed by the
weakest Prime Minister the country has ever had. Its reversal of NDA’s
policies has led to a mounting sense of insecurity fuelled by repeated
terrorist attacks, Maoist insurgency and separatist violence which
together have claimed hundreds of innocent lives. Its gross
mismanagement of the economy has caused inflation, job losses and
lockouts. And, it has shielded corruption at high places by misusing
agencies of the state, namely the CBI.
The
Congress has tried to whitewash its terrible record on the national
security front, especially its abysmal failure to protect citizens from
terrorism, by making cosmetic changes in antiquated laws. This is
clearly not enough. It has sought to gloss over the increasing cost of
food, which is eight per cent higher than in 2008, and many times more
than in 2004, by projecting misleading statistics.
Lakhs
of people in the unorganised sector have lost their jobs over the past
year. Skilled workers are losing their jobs in the organised sector.
This is far worse than unemployment because it impoverishes families
dependent on assured income and dampens the national spirit.
The
worst hit are India’s youth, especially those who are looking forward
to enter the job market. The Congress-led UPA Government has gifted
them with a bleak future. As for the poor, they feel abandoned by the
Congress-led regime. The much-publicised National Rural Employment
Guarantee Programme has turned out to be as much a flop as all other
schemes of the Government. It is a telling comment on the UPA’s
performance that a whopping 55 million people have been pushed below
the poverty line over the past five years. This is according to a study
by the Indian Statistical Institute, based on data collated by the
National Sample Survey Organisation; the real figure could be much
higher.
In
rural India, thousands of farmers have committee suicide to escape the
burden of mounting debt and grinding poverty. They are victims of
Government apathy. An equally damning indictment of the Congress-led
UPA regime is galloping urban poverty. An estimated 23.7 per cent of
the population in cities and towns lives in slums, according to ‘India:
Urban Poverty Report, 2009’, amid squalor, crime, disease and tension.
Such glaring deprivation and denial, such rising numbers of people
below the poverty line, contradict this nation’s aspirations. They are
obstacles to India’s emergence as a great power and need to be removed
through remedial Government intervention. The stability of the NDA
years helped India to prosper. The drift of the UPA years has put India
in reverse gear. The BJP will restore the stability which India
desperately needs.
The
BJP, immediately upon coming to power, will address the key issues of
security and economy. It will resume the employment-generating,
prosperity-creating policies of the NDA government headed by Shri Atal
Bihari Vajpayee, through massive investments in infrastructure
projects, by nursing agriculture back to health, and by making credit
easily accessible to industry, while ensuring the safety and security
of all people from the depredations of terrorists. India today faces a
severe crisis of leadership. The nation needs determined and decisive
leader who has the capacity, commitment and conviction to take command
of the situation and lead from the front. The country needs a leader
who can restore Government’s credibility and the people’s confidence in
themselves. The polity needs a leader who values consensus over
conflict, consultation over confrontation. Then alone can good
governance replace the all-round failure of the Congress.
That leader is LK Advani.
Shri
Advani has an exemplary record of service to the nation covering over
six decades. A leader of impeccable integrity, he was one of the chief
crusaders for democracy during the Emergency (1975-77) and spent 19
months in jail. He led the Ayodhya movement, the biggest mass movement
in India since Independence, and initiated a powerful debate on
cultural nationalism and the true meaning of secularism. Along with
Shri Vajpayee, he was the principal architect of the BJP’s triumph, as
the head of the National Democratic Alliance, in forming a stable and
successful non-Congress coalition Government at the Centre (1998-2004).
As India’s Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, he ably assisted
Shri Vajpayee in steering the ship of the nation through difficult
waters.
The
BJP is proud that it is seeking the people’s mandate in the 2009
general election, along with its allies in the NDA, under the
leadership of Shri Advani. The BJP is contesting the 2009 15th Lok
Sabha election on a Manifesto that commits the party to an agenda for
change guided by three goals: Good governance, development and security.
Our
focus will be on the nation’s youth, on addressing their concerns and
helping them achieve their aspirations. We will lay emphasis on
empowerment through excellence by providing quality education. We will
ensure the security of life and property. Reviving the economy,
re-orienting it towards agriculture, rural development, and unorganised
and informal sectors; creating adequate employment opportunities for
the youth; pushing back the price line; and, investing heavily in
infrastructure projects are at the top of our agenda.
The
BJP believes that after five years of drift and missed opportunities,
the time has come for a Government that works, a Government that cares.
Our primary concern will be India’s rapid, inclusive, equitable and
all-embracing development and stable growth that benefits the largest
number of people. We will invest in rural development; we will ensure
higher agricultural productivity and guarantee an assured income to
farmers; and, we will protect the livelihood of the masses while
creating myriad opportunities of gainful employment.
National security: Fear shall no longer stalk this land
The
last five years have been a nightmare for the people of this country as
terrorists, separatists and insurgents have led the effete UPA
Government on a macabre dance of death and destruction. From the daring
attack on Delhi on the eve of Diwali in 2005 to the fidayeen raid on
the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, from the horrendous bombings in Hyderabad
(including at Mecca Masjid), Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Guwahati
to the slaughter of worshippers at Sankat Mochan Temple in Banaras, the
terrorists have struck repeatedly with impunity as the Prime Minister
spent sleepless nights agonising over the plight of terror suspects and
eagerly offered to reward the kith and kin of terrorists killed in
action. The UPA began its tenure by dismantling the anti-terror regime
put together by the BJP-led NDA Government: The Prevention of Terrorism
Act was scrapped; investigations were halted; and, prosecution was
slowed down. The mastermind behind the daring attack on Parliament
House, Mohammed Afzal Guru, was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court
after being prosecuted under POTA. But a dissolute Government headed by
an irresolute Prime Minister has failed to carry out the execution,
sending out a clear message to India’s enemies: They shall not be
punished till such time the Congress is in power. It is, therefore, not
surprising that terrorists should have repeatedly attacked our cities,
leaving behind a bloody trail of death and destruction. Delhi, the
nation’s capital, and Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, have
been hit twice, as has been Bangalore, India’s technology capital. As
if the bombings of the commuter trains were not enough, the ISI
despatched fidayeen for a multiple strike on Mumbai which began on
November 26, 2008, and lasted for more than 60 hours. Never before has
India been seen to be so helpless in the face of terror.
Terrorism
sponsored by Pakistani agencies is only one of the reasons behind the
fear that grips the people in cities, towns and villages. The life and
limb of the aam admi is equally in danger on account of Maoists
who have expanded their theatre of violence to 156 districts across 13
States. The inter-State coordination mechanism put in place by the NDA
Government has been dismantled and State Governments have been
virtually left to fend for themselves in the face of mounting Maoist
hostility. In Jammu & Kashmir, separatists continue to use the
services of Pakistani terrorists to promote their agenda of relentless
violence. In the North-East, insurgents have remorselessly killed and
maimed innocent people. The situation in Assam is particularly of
concern as the ULFA, which had been all but smashed during the NDA
years, has regrouped and rearmed its cadres, and unleashed a relentless
wave of terror. The Congress State Government has done nothing to
either prevent this violence or punish ULFA; instead, unconditional
talks have been offered to the killers!
Internal
security is also imperilled by unchecked illegal immigration across our
eastern border. The vulnerability of these illegal immigrants has been
time and again exploited by the ISI and its jihadi front organisations
as well as local terror cells to carry out bombings and provide
logistical support to foreign terrorists. The Supreme Court has
described illegal immigration as an act of ‘external aggression’ while
striking down the IMDT Act. But the Congress, both at the Centre and in
Assam, has tried to circumvent the Supreme Court’s judgement through
executive orders. The Gauhati High Court last year lashed out at the
State Government for doing nothing to stop the illegal immigration. The
High Court highlighted how a Pakistani, who had entered Assam via
Bangladesh, contested Assembly elections unchallenged. Vote-bank
politics has not only changed the demography of vast stretches of
eastern and North-East India but also eroded the authority of the
state. India is sitting on a tinderbox. The consequences of this
unabated illegal immigration are bound to be disastrous.
In
its dying days, the UPA Government has tried to fool the people by
tampering with outdated laws and setting up a National Investigating
Agency to fight terror. But such half-hearted efforts to calm anger and
disquiet following the 26/11 outrage are neither enough nor the right
approach to tacking the menace of terrorism.
The BJP will initiate the following measures within 100 days of coming to power:
1.
Revive the anti-terror mechanism that has been dismantled by the
Congress; improve upon POTA to ensure it is more effective as an
instrument of deterrence and a tool to prosecute offenders without
innocent people being harassed; and, strengthen the operational role of
the National Investigating Agency.
2.
Give assent to laws drafted by State Governments for dealing with
organised crime and terrorism; encourage other State Governments to
adopt similar laws.
3. Launch a massive programme to detect, detain and deport illegal immigrants.
4.
Completely revamp the internal and external intelligence agencies and
review the existing system of coordination, convergence and
dissemination of intelligence inputs. A massive exercise will be
undertaken to modernise intelligence agencies so that they are better
equipped to use technology and cope with the rapidly changing trends
and patterns of terrorism at home and abroad. The National Security
Council will be made the hub of all sector-related assessments. It will
be accountable for real-time intelligence dissemination; intelligence
agencies will be held responsible for lapses. Appointments to
intelligence agencies will be on merit and not because of political
patronage as has been the system during the Congress years.
5.
A Digital Security Agency will be set up to deal with cyber warfare,
cyber counterterrorism, and cyber security of national digital assets.
6.
State Governments will be provided with all assistance to modernise
their respective police forces and equip them with the latest weaponry
and communications technology.
This
will be done on a mission mode approach. The police are the first
responders to any crisis situation. Drawing lessons from experience,
police forces will be trained and fully equipped to deal with
situations similar to that of Mumbai and in meeting the challenge posed
by Maoists and insurgents.
7. Border management will be reviewed and improved. Punitive measures will be introduced to block illegal immigration.
8.
India’s vast coastline is virtually unprotected. Coastal security will
be strengthened for better patrolling of Indian waters and preventing
terrorists from taking the sea route to enter India. A National
Maritime Authority will be set up to coordinate coastal security.
9.
Special courts will be set up for speedy prosecution of those involved
with acts of terrorism. Their trial shall be fair and justice will be
done to the victims swiftly.
10.
Coercive measures, including diplomacy, will be used to deal with
countries which promote cross-border terrorism. India will engage with
the world in the global war on terror while not compromising on its
domestic interests, primarily protecting citizens from the ravages of
terrorism.
11. The
Centre will facilitate better inter-State coordination and real-time
intelligence-sharing, apart from helping States to raise
anti-insurgency forces, to face the threat posed by Maoists. The
‘Chhattisgarh Model’ will be used for counter-Maoist operations. At the
same time, every effort will be made to address the social and economic
issues that make the ground fertile for Left-wing extremism.
12.
Any talks with insurgent groups will be conditional and within the
framework of the Constitution. The BJP will send out a simple message,
loud and clear, to terrorists and their sponsors: They will have to pay
a heavy price for each innocent life lost. Retribution will be swift
and exemplary. The authority of the state, which has been diminished by
the Congress in pursuit of vote-bank politics, shall be restored.
National Identity Cards for All
The
BJP will launch an innovative programme to establish a countrywide
system of multi-purpose national identity cards so as to ensure
national security, correct welfare delivery, accurate tax collection,
financial inclusion and voter registration. Voter identity cards, PAN
cards, passports, ration cards and BPL cards are already in use though
not all with photo identity. The NDA proposes to make it incumbent for
every Indian to have a National Identity Card. The programme will be
completed in three years. The National Identity Card will contain
enough memory and processing capabilities to run multiple applications.
Through it the NDA will ensure efficient welfare delivery and tax
collection. The card will also be linked to a bank account. All welfare
payments, including widow and old age pensions, through the wide range
of schemes such as Mother and Child support/ Kisan Credit, Students
Assistance and Micro-Credit will be channelised through the National
Identity Card. The card will make it possible for individuals to save
and borrow money; for farmers to get bank credit, also establish
accurate land titles data. The National Identity Card will also
strengthen national security by ensuring accurate citizen identity,
thus tracking illegal immigration. All financial transactions, purchase
of property and access to public services will be possible only on the
basis of the National Identity Card which will be made forgery and
hacking resistant.
Engaging the world: India’s voice shall be heard
The
BJP believes a resurgent India must get its rightful place in the
comity of nations and international institutions. The BJP also believes
in a multi-polar world with no nation having overriding powers over
others. Towards this end, the BJP in power will engage in meaningful
diplomacy with nations across the world on equal terms. The BJP’s
foreign policy will be based on the principle of enlightened
self-interest.
The
BJP desires good relations between India and the USA and will
strengthen the India US strategic partnership on the principle of
equality. But we will not compromise on either India’s national
interest or relations with another friendly country. The BJP will
restore the balance that has been disturbed by the UPA Government.
India’s
traditional relations with Russia and the Central Asian Republics will
be refashioned to keep pace with current realities and derive maximum
mutual advantage.
We
will pursue friendly relations with the European Union, West Asian
countries and South-East Asian nations. It will further strengthen
relations with Arab countries and pursue enhanced cooperation with
Israel – the two are not inter-linked and both are beneficial for India.
The
dialogue process of solving the outstanding border dispute with China,
which was initiated by the NDA Government under Shri Atal Bihari
Vajpayee’s leadership, will be revived. We believe that both India and
China can prosper and rise together; increased economic cooperation can
contribute to this.
India
has a special role to play in the Indian Ocean region and we will
pursue this vigorously. The BJP believes in forging enduring friendly
and cooperative relations with India’s neighbours. We also believe that
political stability, progress and peace in India’s neighbourhood are
essential for South Asia’s growth and development: SAARC is a good
platform to promote these goals.
But
the BJP will be guided solely by national interest while dealing with
India’s neighbours. Towards this end, its decisions and actions in
power will be determined by the following: Pakistan: There can be no
‘comprehensive dialogue’ for peace unless Pakistan a) dismantles the
terrorist infrastructure on territory under its control; b) actively
engages in prosecuting terror elements and organisations; c) puts a
permanent, verifiable end to its practice of using cross-border
terrorism as an instrument of state policy; d) stops using the
territory of third countries to launch terror attacks on India; and, e)
hands over to India individuals wanted for committing crimes on Indian
soil.
Nepal:
The BJP will re-craft India’s Nepal policy to rid it of the UPA’s
biases that have influenced India’s response to events in Nepal with
which our country shares a common civilisational and cultural history.
India-Nepal relations must be based on friendship, mutual cooperation
and harmony of interests. Towards this end, existing arrangements will
be reviewed and revised bearing in mind mutual interests and benefits
on the basis of dialogue. The BJP would like to see Nepal emerge as a
stable, prosperous country, and will strive to strengthen age-old
fraternal ties.
Bhutan: Existing close relations with Bhutan will be strengthened.
Bangladesh:
The BJP will pro-actively engage the Government of Bangladesh on issues
of mutual assistance and benefit. A friendly Government in Dhaka is in
India’s interest.
Sri
Lanka: The BJP believes that Sri Lanka has the right to deal with
terrorism on its soil. At the same time, the political, economic and
human rights of Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority community must be protected
by the Government in Colombo. The BJP will pursue a robust relationship
with Sri Lanka and regain the initiative that has been lost during the
last five years.
Afghanistan:
The BJP believes that India has an important role in helping the people
of Afghanistan to rebuild their country and stabilise their society, as
well as secure their lives from the depredations of the Taliban
operating from Pakistani sanctuaries. The BJP will further build upon
India-Afghanistan relations and work in close association with the
international community to ensure a stable, secure and prosperous
Afghanistan.
Mother India’s Children Abroad
The
BJP will maintain close contacts with people of Indian origin who have
settled on foreign shores. It has been the consistent policy of the BJP
to promote the interests of people of Indian origin living abroad.
During the NDA years, special efforts were made to revive and
revitalise the ties between Pravasi Bharatiyas and their ancestral land
by institutionalising the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, honouring achievers
and introducing the PIO card. Those efforts will be given a further
boost.
Defending India: No compromise, no concession
The
Indian Army, Air Force and Navy need to be strengthened in view of
rapidly changing regional and global realities. Tragically, the
services have been ignored by the Congress and failure to address the
concerns of the Army, Air Force and Navy has bred undesirable
discontent. The BJP will address all pending issues immediately. It
will be guided by the following solemn commitments while dealing with
the defence of India:
1.
The long-pending acquisition of military hardware will be expedited
through absolutely transparent means in a time-bound manner.
2.
Budget allocations for defence forces will be spent without being
allowed to lapse. The criminal negligence of the defence forces by the
UPA Government has resulted in nearly Rs 24,000 crore by way of
budgetary allocations being allowed to lapse over five years. This not
only endangers the lives of our soldiers but also the security of the
nation.
3. Our forces are performing a service to the nation and deserve better pay and privileges.
Towards
this end, the BJP is committed to the following measures: a. The
pending issues of pay and privileges will be revisited and resolved to
the satisfaction of the defence forces. The modalities for setting up a
separate Pay Commission for the forces will be expedited; b. All
personnel of the Army, Air Force and Navy, as also paramilitary forces,
will be exempt from paying income tax on their salaries and
perquisites; c. The honorarium for winners of gallantry awards like
Pram Vir Chakra, which is abysmally low at Rs 500 to Rs 3,000, will be
increased ten-fold to Rs 5,000 to Rs 30,000. This will be done with
retrospective effect; the honorarium will be tax free. d. The principle
of one rank, one pension will be implemented; e. Incentive-based steps
will be taken to make joining the defence services an exciting
proposition for young men and women to overcome the shortage of
officers; and, f. Incentives will be offered to State Governments for
ensuring honourable settlement of retired personnel of the defence
services.
4.
The present shortage of defence personnel at all levels will be met by
making the Services an attractive career option. This would include
competitive pay and privileges, and pension benefits. This task will be
completed in a time-bound manner. 5. The capacities of Defence Research
and Development Organisation will be enhanced. The PPP route will be
explored for conventional defence production bearing in mind the
nation’s needs and to make India a competitive player in the global
market by 2020.
Independent strategic nuclear programme: We will assert India’s sovereignty
The
BJP believes that India’s strategic nuclear programme has been deeply
compromised by the Congress. The gains of Pokhran-II and subsequent
development have been frittered away for gains that have accrued to
those who wish to see India’s nuclear programme to be contained, rolled
back and eventually dismantled.
The
BJP will reverse this drift. India’s indigenous thorium technology
programme will be expedited and given all financial assistance,
correcting the grievous wrong done by the UPA Government. India needs
nuclear energy, but not at the cost of our national strategic
interests. The Congress has fooled the people of India by selling the
over-hyped India-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement as an absolute
necessity and how it will help light up people’s homes. It has done so
by suppressing two crucial facts. First, as the CAG has pointed out,
the UPA Government did not make the smallest effort to tap India’s own
nuclear fuel supplies. Had it done so, our reactors would have produced
many times more power than at present. Second, nuclear power is
tremendously expensive and not affordable for the aam admi. The
India-US nuclear deal, in the final analysis, is not about empowering
India but disempowering India by making us dependent on American
supplies and tying us to discriminatory regimes from which Pakistan is
free.
The
BJP will honour India’s commitments to prevent proliferation. But it
will pursue an independent nuclear policy based on the following:
1.
All options will be kept open and all steps will be taken that are
necessary for the technological advancement of India’s civil and
military nuclear programmes.
2. Maintain a credible minimum deterrent that is in tune with changing realities.
3. Seek cross-party consensus before agreeing to any control regime, including CTBT, FMCR and MTCR.
In
view of the uncalled for and regrettable secrecy with which the
Congress and the Prime Minister dealt with the India-US nuclear deal,
the BJP proposes to introduce an amendment to the Constitution to make
it mandatory for Government to seek Parliament’s approval/ratification
by two-thirds majority before signing any bilateral or multilateral
agreement that impinges on India’s strategic programmes, territorial
integrity and economic interest.
Food security: We will make India hunger-free
The
BJP views food security as integral to national security. The spectre
of a looming food crisis haunts the developing world as never before.
With the agriculture sector suffering on account of the Congress’ gross
negligence, India faces a real threat of food scarcity. With India
becoming a net importer of food under Congress rule, there is genuine
concern about food security. Three factors have contributed to
increasing food scarcity and the resultant sense of growing insecurity
among the masses. First, the real income of workers and farmers has not
kept pace with the rising cost of food, thus reducing their purchasing
power. Second, the public distribution system has been severely
crippled by the Congress-led Government which has been more interested
in importing food grains and selling them at a high price than in
securing the needs of the people. Third, with an additional 55 million
people pushed below the poverty line over the last five years, there is
widespread malnourishment. The economic recession has only worsened the
situation and made it grimmer, especially for workers in the
unorganised sector.
The
BJP believes people have the right to food. To ensure food security for
all and eliminate hunger, we will: 1. Provide 35 kg of rice or wheat
every month to BPL families at Rs 2 per kg under an improved and
expanded Antyodaya Anna Yojana. This will be available against ‘Food
Coupons’ redeemable at both PDS and private outlets.
2. Allocate more funds for expanding, universalising and improving the functioning of the Public Distribution System.
3. Preventing families from slipping below the poverty line.
4. Setting up community kitchens in extremely impoverished areas with the help of NGOs through shared funding.
5.
Aggressively addressing the problem of widespread malnutrition,
especially by expanding the scope of the existing mid-day meal scheme.
6. Encouraging the production of cereals and discouraging the conversion of fertile farm land for dubious industrial projects.
7.
Ensuring a sufficient level of food stocks are maintained to meet any
exigencies due to possible global food crisis which could be severely
debilitating and make imports prohibitively expensive, if not
impossible.
Energy security: We will protect India from future crises
India
cannot afford to lose any more time on securing its energy
requirements. The Congress’s response to this issue has been episodic
at best, often resulting in India failing to secure its energy
interests even as other countries in the neighbourhood, most notably
China, have spared no effort to single-mindedly pursue the goal of
securing their energy needs for the present and future.
At
present India is largely dependent on imported oil and gas to meet its
energy demands, especially demand for power although our per capita
power consumption is only a sixth of the world average. Sixty-seven per
cent of our power supply comes from fossil fuels, of which 70 per cent
is imported. With market fluctuation and manipulation, as it happened
in 2008, this makes us vulnerable to external factors.
The
BJP proposes to invest heavily in developing non-fossil fuel-based
clean energy sources, especially for electricity production. Our goal
will be to add at least 120,000 MW of power over the next five years,
with 20 per cent of it coming from renewable sources. Similar emphasis
will be placed on developing alternatives to petrol and diesel to
lessen the burden of imported oil and gas as well as meet the
challenges of climate change. Adequate support will be extended for
developing hybrid technologies and their applications. There will be
special emphasis on developing renewal energy sources, especially solar
energy, wind energy and run-on-the-river technology, and bio-fuel.
Innovation will be rewarded.
Impetus
will be provided for the production of non-conventional energy by
enabling people and firms to bank it in the power grid and draw it at
the time of their need.
Reviving the national economy: From recession to job-generating growth
The
UPA Government’s mismanagement of the national economy and fiscal
indiscipline has resulted in frittering away the tremendous gains of
the NDA years. The slowing down of India’s growth has had an adverse
impact on people across the country. To control inflation, the UPA
Government drained liquidity out of the system, which, in turn, hobbled
both the organised and unorganised sectors. It is now desperately
trying to reverse that flawed policy, but clearly such half-hearted
measures are not sufficient. The situation calls for determined, direct
and visible Government intervention. The BJP plans to do so through
robust policies aimed at revitalising the economy and placing India on
the path of employment-generating growth coupled with rapid
development. Towards this end, the BJP will take the following
measures: 1. Put in place a low tax, low interest regime so that people
have more money and their purchasing power increases, which in turn
will serve as an impetus for the economy. 2. Exempt income up to Rs 3
lakh from Income Tax. Women and senior citizens will receive an
additional exemption benefit of Rs 50,000. 3. Income of all senior
citizens by way of pension will be exempt from Income Tax. 4. To
incentivise savings, all interest earned on bank deposits other than by
corporates and those who have business income shall be exempt from tax.
5. Dispense with clubbing of agricultural income with other sources of
income for determining tax liability on other income. 6. CST will be
abolished and GST will be rationalised between 12 and 14 per; FBT will
go. ESOPS and MAT tax regime will be rationalised and made equitable.
7. Firm action will be initiated to minimise the presence of black
money in the national economy. We will take determined steps to bring
back the money (estimated at Rs 25,00,000 crore and Rs 75,00,000 crore)
illegally stashed in Swiss bank accounts and tax havens, and use it for
infrastructure development, housing, health and social welfare schemes.
8. Arrest the loss of jobs and reverse the trend of joblessness which
is far worse than unemployment by making massive public sector
investments in job-generating infrastructure programmes, especially
building of roads and highways, and linking of rivers.
5.
Hindustan Diamond Corporation will be provided full support to help the
diamond industry tide over the crisis caused by the global economic
slump. It will provide raw diamonds to the cutting and polishing units
and bank them for future trade.
6.
Highways construction, which got a boost during the NDA years, will
once again feature high on Government’s agenda. We will build between
15 and 20 km of highways every day.
7.
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the largest rural connectivity
programme initiated by the NDA Government, will be fully implemented in
the first three years.
8.
Bring down interest rates for housing loans so that housing becomes
affordable, accessible and revives the stalled real estate sector which
has witnessed huge job losses.
9. Enhance the capabilities of the manufacturing sector by easing credit availability.
10.
Promote SMEs and the retail sector which can generate a large number of
jobs and make a meaningful contribution to the national economy. The
criteria for classifying SMEs will be reviewed.
11. Introduce reforms to improve productivity and greater capital formation.
12.
Give a boost to tourism by selecting 50 tourist destinations and
investing heavily in their infrastructure and communications. Tourist
arrivals will be doubled.
13.
Impose countervailing restrictions on foreign companies operating in
India, especially in the services sector, which, on account of domestic
laws of their respective countries, have introduced restrictions on
hiring Indian employees with valid work visas.
14.
Regulatory bodies which are supposed to monitor the performance and
balance sheets of companies will be strengthened to prevent corporate
fraud that dents India’s image as well as has a direct impact on the
market and investors.
15. Make India proud of Indian products, and make Indian brands globally competitive.
16. Ensure a decent level of consumption for all without encouraging consumerism.
Urban India: Looking ahead to the future
As
the national economy grows and jobs are generated, there will be a
matching increase in the pressures on urban centres. Apart from
assisting State Governments to renew and revive existing cities and
replace festering slums with hygienic, affordable living quarters, the
BJP will review and recast the Urban Development Policy. We will
specifically do the following, bearing in mind the challenges of the
future:
1. In pursuit of the principle of ‘Shelter for All’, 10 lakh dwelling units for the poor will be constructed every year.
2. Fifteen new cities, with world class infrastructure facilities and amenities, will be built in five years.
3.
For existing urban centres, basic infrastructure facilities and
amenities of water, drainage, roads, electricity, environment and solid
waste management will be enhanced for a clean and healthy city life.
4.
Peripheral areas of cities will be developed on the basis of ‘rurban’
concept to minimise migration: The physical infrastructure facilities
will be that of urban areas but the heart and soul will be of rural
areas.
5. GIS-based mapping of urban properties and title certification will be concluded.
6. Practical, pragmatic measures will be adopted to deal with emerging urban problems like vehicular traffic overload.
Agriculture: Debt-free farmer, prosperous India
The
pitiful state of our farm sector is best exemplified by debt-ridden
farmers committing suicide. The UPA Government, while actively
promoting the import of food grains, has callously ignored the plight
of India’s farmers. There are three immediate concerns which will be
addressed by the BJP in a time-bound manner: Ensuring assured income
for farmers; freeing farmers from the burden of mounting debts; and,
increasing public investment in agriculture. Everything can wait, but
not agriculture. To make India’s farmer debt-free, the BJP will:
1. Waive agricultural loans.
2.
Set up a commission to study the entire gamut of farmers’ loans and
come up with an actionable solution to the deepening crisis within six
months.
3. Set a maximum ceiling of 4 per cent interest for agricultural loans to farmers from banks.
4. Introduce a pension scheme for aged and helpless farmers.
5.
Make agriculture profitable by reducing the cost of inputs, enhancing
yields and reviewing the present method of determining prices.
6.
Implement a Farm Income Insurance Scheme through which both price and
produce will be insured. In the event of loss of crops, farmers will be
compensated under this scheme so that they do not suffer any loss of
income.
7. Promote
nature-friendly cultivation and incentivise organic farming to arrest
soil quality depletion. Special marketing assistance for organic
produce.
8. Introduce
value addition schemes to reduce wastage and invest in food-processing
units which will generate jobs for rural youth.
9.
Create irrigation facilities for an additional 35 million hectares of
land in five years: This will generate rural jobs as well as benefit
farmers. Drip irrigation will be promoted along with better water
management and use of check dams.
10. Ensure quality power, seeds and other inputs.
11.
Heavily invest funds in agriculture to reverse the trend set by the
Congress-led UPA and make the farm sector an equal engine of growth
along with industry and the services sector.
12. Strengthen National Rural Bank and allied services.
13. Promote horticulture, floriculture, pisciculture and poultry for generating additional jobs and supplementing incomes.
14. Create additional grazing land and encourage the maintenance of ponds and water bodies.
GM
Seeds: No genetically modified seed will be allowed for cultivation
without full scientific data on long-term effects on soil, production
and biological impact on consumers. All food and food products produced
with genetically modified seeds will be branded as ‘GM Food’.
Land acquisition for infrastructure, farmers interests will be protected
The
Central and State Governments, for long, have acquired land, through an
opaque process, to hand it over to private parties under the umbrella
of ‘public purpose’. The UPA Government has approved 572 Special
Economic Zones that cover 50,000 acres, three times the size of
Singapore. This is clearly absurd and spells disaster for the farm
sector. The BJP will adopt a National Land Use Policy which will
protect the interests of farmers. Its implementation will be monitored
by a National Land Use Authority which will work with State Land Use
Authorities to regulate and facilitate land management. The powers and
functions of the National Land Use Authority will be similar to those
of other regulatory bodies. The BJP will bring about amendments to
existing laws to rectify anomalies pertaining to land acquisition.
Farmers will be compensated at market rates for any land acquired for
infrastructure purposes. The BJP will not allow the conversion of
fertile farmland for industrial/ commercial projects or Special
Economic Zones.
The
entire issue of Special Economic Zones and acquisition of land for
industrial use will be addressed after a careful scrutiny of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee’s report and factoring in the need to
protect the farm sector and enhance food production.
International Trade Agreements
The
BJP shall fight against the protectionist trend which is emerging in
some developed countries. We will safeguard the country’s interests in
all bilateral and multilateral trade agreements by avoiding to accept
any new unilateral or less than reciprocal commitments. Our Government
will renegotiate all such past commitments that are inconsistent with
national interests, especially to ensure food security and affordable
health care. We will not hesitate to roll back any concessions and
facilities not reciprocated by the counterparts. The BJP will safeguard
the interests of our vast technical manpower and ensure maximum market
access in future agreements depending upon the offers made by the trade
partners.
Retail Trade
The
BJP understands the critical importance of retail trade in the context
of employment and services provided by them, and thus favours a
dominant role for the unincorporated sector in retail trade. Towards
this end, it will not allow foreign investment in the retail sector.
After agriculture, the retail sector is the largest employer of nearly
four crore people.
We will:
1. Adopt all necessary measures to safeguard the interests of small and tiny retail vendors.
2. Ensure availability of working capital needs for such vendors through credit at not more than four per cent interest.
3. Study the feasibility of a slab-based ‘Compound Tax’ for traders to free them from needless harassment and end corruption.
4. Set up an empowered committee to recommend welfare measures, including a pension scheme, for small traders.
Labour:
The BJP will holistically address the long-pending issue of labour
reforms, bearing in mind the long-term interests of the working class.
It will do so through close consultation with representative bodies of
labour and employers. We are committed to ensure the following:
1. Making secret ballot compulsory for trade union elections, by suitably amending the Industrial Disputes Act.
2. Launching a training programme for trade unions to play an effective and positive role.
3. Setting up a ‘Workers Bank’ to deal with the banking requirements of labour in the organised and unorganised sectors.
4. Ensuring adequate compensation for any labour that may be retrenched, with the first option being redeployment.
5. Setting up a National Child Labour Commission.
6. For labour in the unorganised sector, revise minimum wages; expand safety net. Cooperative Sector
Every effort will be made to encourage the cooperative sector. Towards this end, the BJP will do the following:
1. Exempt cooperative banks from paying income tax.
2. Frame a model law for cooperative societies for nationwide implementation.
3. Amend the Multi-State Cooperative Act to remove current lacunae and anomalies.
4. Set up a Central regulatory authority for cooperative bodies.
Consumer rights
The
rights of consumers will be further strengthened. The BJP will set up
an experts committee to deal with the following issues:
1. Setting up of services specific arbitration courts to settle consumer disputes.
2. Creating a mechanism for whereby consumers can participate in a structured consultative process with Government.
3. Making consumer product labelling more content information specific.
Youth power: Empowering young India
India’s
population, unlike that of Western nations, is getting younger by the
day. More than half of our citizens are aged 25 and below; nearly
two-thirds are aged 35 and below. The aspirations and ambitions of the
youth are fuelled by rising literacy and awareness levels. It is the
Government’s duty to help them achieve these aspirations and ambitions,
and make them capable of taking on all challenges and converting them
into opportunities. The BJP will fulfil this duty by framing policies
in consonance with the concerns of ‘Young India’ and aimed at
unleashing the abilities of the youth, who will be the driving force of
this nation’s emergence as an awesome knowledge power. The BJP’s
Manifesto has been drafted keeping the aspirations and ambitions of the
youth in mind.
We
propose to review, revive and re-launch the National Service Scheme and
National Cadet Corps as effective vehicles to involve the youth in
nation-building and reinforcing their national spirit. Their
participation in the decision-making process and decision-making bodies
will be actively encouraged.
The BJP also proposes to launch a unique ‘National Knowledge Incubation Programme’.
This
will involve the setting up of ‘Incubation Centres’ for meritorious
students from all strata of society. To begin with, at least one per
cent of the best brains will be deployed for mentoring at the
‘Incubation Centres’. Adequate resources will be provided for the
programme. A National Student Bank will be set up to meet the banking
requirements, including study loans, of students, at 4% rate of
interest.
Education for all: Literate India, powerful India
The
BJP will give education its due place in governance to achieve social,
economic, cultural and technical advancement. Education will be the
Government’s instrument to reduce poverty, promote health, protect the
environment and advance gender equality. Central allocation to
education shall be raised to six per cent of the GDP. Our goal is to
spend nine per cent of GDP on education by involving the private sector.
A
National Education Commission will be constituted to propose a
comprehensive policy for the 21st century. The content and process of
education shall be made responsive to the needs of the times and the
aspirations of the young. The existing digital divide will be removed
by extending the outreach of information technology to every child.
Particular
emphasis shall be laid on value education, inclusive education,
education of the migratory tribes and other deprived groups and all
those who need additional support. The examination system will be
reviewed for extensive reform.
The following are the highlights of the BJP’s agenda to ensure education for all: School Education
1.
The success story of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, launched by the NDA in
2002, shall be strengthened, extended and concretised further in
quality, content and support systems.
2.
Implementation of the mid-day meal scheme shall be revitalised on
modern management lines. Akshaya Patra Scheme will serve as a model for
this purpose.
3. Effective steps shall be put in place to provide skills acquisition.
4.
Primary school timings and vacations shall be flexible and decided upon
by the local community and the Parents-Teachers Associations.
5.
Universalisation of secondary education shall be speedily implemented.
Special emphasis will be given to girls’ education at the secondary
level.
6. All assistance will be provided for a national madarsa modernisation programme.
7. Close linkages between school education and higher education shall be built into the system.
Vocational education
1.
Widespread network of providing skill orientation and vocational
training shall be established. Provisions for certification of skills
acquired traditionally or through private initiatives shall be made.
2.
Additional structures and facilities shall be created at secondary
stage to provide generic vocational skills to every child who is
willing to do so.
3. A
fresh countrywide initiative shall be launched to bring about an
attitudinal transformation among parents and communities towards skill
development and vocational education.
4.
Industry shall be persuaded to play a greater role than at present to
prepare skilled manpower, which will be of mutual benefit.
Higher Education
1. Institutions of higher learning shall be given full autonomy, coupled with accountability, in real practice.
2.
Access to higher education shall be expanded without any compromise on
quality and content. Private initiatives shall be encouraged within the
broad educational priority parameters and provisions for focus groups.
3.
Manpower planning shall be put in place and made active and effective.
Higher education prepares top-level manpower for every sector. Hence,
its quality and relevance have a multiplier effect.
New National Policy on Education
Immediate
steps will be initiated to appoint a National Commission on Education,
the report of which shall lead to the formulation of a new National
Policy on Education that will replace the NPE-1986/92. This Commission
shall undertake continuous envisioning of educational plans, strategies
methods, material and research to make India a knowledge power and
develop several institutions of higher learning and research as centres
of international pursuit of knowledge and learning.
Ragging to be made a criminal offence with stiff punishment
The
BJP will frame a law to deal with the menace of ragging. All cases of
ragging will be tried in fast-track courts. School/college/university
authorities will be held culpable for failing to implement the law.
Science and technology: Over the moon and beyond
The
BJP in power will aggressively promote science and technology for the
well-being of all citizens and India’s progress as well as its
emergence as force on the global scene. We believe our science and
technology system has to be infused with new vitality if it is to play
a decisive and beneficial role in advancing the well-being of all
sections of our society.
Shri
Atal Bihari Vajpayee had promised Chandrayan – India’s mission to the
Moon – and it has been fulfilled by our scientists. We now propose to
take the mission a step forward:
Chandrayan – II will see Indians stepping on the Moon in the next five years.
We
will take India into the ‘Super Computer’ era to enhance the nation’s
defence capabilities and scientific research and development.
The
BJP recognises the central role of science and technology in raising
the quality of life of the people of the country, particularly of the
disadvantaged sections of society, in creating wealth for all, in
making India globally competitive, in utilising natural resources in a
sustainable manner, in protecting the environment and ensuring national
security. Our objectives will be aimed at:
1.
Ensuring food, agricultural, nutritional, environmental, water, health
and energy security of the people on a sustainable basis.
2.
Mounting a direct and sustained effort on the alleviation of poverty,
enhancing livelihood security, removal of hunger and malnutrition,
reduction of drudgery and regional imbalances, both rural and urban,
and generation of employment, by using scientific and technological
capabilities along with our traditional knowledge pool.
3.
Building and maintaining centres of excellence, which will raise the
level of work in selected areas to the highest international standards
along with creating suitable employment opportunities.
4. Promoting the empowerment of women in all science and technology activities and ensuring their full and equal participation.
5.
Providing necessary autonomy and freedom of functioning for all
academic and R&D institutions, while ensuring that science and
technology enterprises are fully committed to their social
responsibilities and commitments.
6. Accomplishing national strategic and security-related objectives by using the latest advances in science and technology.
7.
Encouraging research and innovation in areas of relevance for the
economy and society, particularly by promoting close and productive
interaction between private and public institutions. Sectors such as
agriculture (particularly soil and water management, human and animal
nutrition, fisheries), water, health, education, industry, energy
including renewable energy, communication and transportation would be
accorded highest priority. Key leverage technologies such as
information technology, biotechnology and materials science and
technology would be given special importance.
8.
Establishing an Intellectual Property Rights regime which maximises the
incentives for the generation and protection of intellectual property
by all types of inventors.
9.
Ensuring, in an era in which information is key to the development of
science and technology, that all efforts are made to have high-speed
access to information, both in quality and quantity, at affordable
costs; and also create digitised, valid and usable content of Indian
origin.
10. Encouraging
research and application to meet the challenges of climate change and
for forecasting, prevention and mitigation of natural hazards,
particularly, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, drought and landslides.
11.
Promoting international science and technology cooperation towards
achieving the goals of national development and security, and make it a
key element of our international relations.
The BJP will also focus on the following:
1. New funding mechanism for promotion of basic research in science, medical, agricultural and engineering institutions.
2. Promotion of innovation by creating a comprehensive national system of innovation.
3.
Achieving synergy between industry and scientific research. Autonomous
technology transfer organisations will be created as associate
organisations of universities and national laboratories to transfer the
know-how generated by them to industry. Industry will be encouraged to
adopt or support educational and research institutions to help direct
science and technology endeavours towards tangible industrial goals.
4.
Indigenous knowledge, based on our long and rich tradition will be
further developed and harnessed for the purpose of wealth and
employment generation.
5.
Intellectual Property Rights have to be viewed not as a self-contained
and distinct domain, but rather as an effective policy instrument
relevant to wide-ranging socioeconomic, technological and political
concepts. The generation and fullest protection of competitive
intellectual property from Indian R&D programmes will be encouraged
and promoted.
Science
and technology, we believe, should be used to build a new and resurgent
India that continues to maintain its strong democratic and spiritual
traditions, that remains secure not only militarily but also socially
and economically. Our science and technology policy will be framed and
implemented so as to be in harmony with our worldview of the larger
human family. We will ensure that science and technology truly uplifts
the Indian people and indeed all of humanity.
Information Technology: India@e-superpower
The
NDA Government had made ICT one of the major areas of policy thrust.
This was one of our achievements and we propose to pursue ICT with same
vigour and purpose. A separate IT Vision Document has been issued,
containing specific details of the policies the BJP proposes to pursue.
The following are the main highlights of our IT Vision Document:
1. Generate 1.2 crore new IT-enabled jobs in rural areas.
2. Make computers affordable for students.
3. All schools and colleges to have Internet-enabled education.
4. Launch a National Digital Highway Development Project to bring affordable broadband Internet connectivity to every village.
5.
Every Indian citizen to have a bank account; welfare funds to be
deposited directly into end beneficiary’s bank account to eliminate
corruption.
6. Video-conferencing to be made affordable.
7. Internet users to equal mobile subscribers.
8. Primary Health Centres to be linked to the National Telemedicine Service Network.
9.
Massive expansion in the use of IT in agriculture, rural development,
SMEs, retail trade, and informal and unorganised sectors of the economy.
10.
National e-Governance Plan to cover every Government office from the
Centre to the Panchayats. The ‘E Gram, Vishwa Gram’ scheme in Gujarat
to be implemented nationwide.
11.
All post offices to be converted into IT-enabled Multi-Service Outlets.
All telephone booths to be upgraded to Internet kiosks.
12. e-Bhasha: National Mission for Promotion of IT in Indian Languages.
13. Special focus to bring women, SC/STs, OBCs and other weaker sections of society within the ambit of IT-enabled development.
14. Use of IT for the protection of India’s priceless cultural and artistic heritage.
15. Government to promote ‘open standard’ and ‘open source’ software.
16. Domestic IT hardware industry to be aggressively promoted to minimise dependence on imports.
17. Domestic hosting industry to be promoted to minimise international bandwith charges.
Promotion of sports: Making youth healthy, competitive
To
make the nation a strong player in diverse international sports, the
BJP will invest in every sporting activity. This is an essential
element of achieving our goal of making India a developed nation in the
sports world within five years. Towards this end, we will:
1.
Introduce sports as a compulsory part of school curriculum. Towards
this end, sports infrastructure and facilities in schools, colleges and
universities will be expanded with adequate provision of resources by
the Ministry of Human Resource Development and State Governments. Rs
5,000 crore will be allocated for the purpose to be released through
the UGC, Central Educational Boards / Sangathans and State Governments
for speedy implementation of sports and youth development activities.
2.
Create an effective National Sports Talent Search System so that
extraordinary sporting talent is identified at a very young age. Such
promising boys and girls will be selected for special training. The
existing rural sports programme and National Women Sports Festival will
be broadened to reach every village and to identify talent for
nurturing and excellence development.
3.
Ensure sports training is world class by appointing excellent coaches,
training of sports persons abroad and upgrading the skills of existing
coaches. International training and competition exposure programme will
be prepared for which an amount of Rs 1,000 crore will be allocated per
year.
4. Offer a secure
and attractive career plan both in public and private sector for medal
winners in National Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympic
Games. The present reservation of jobs only in Groups C and D
categories under Central Government Rule will be suitably revised to
provide employment to meritorious sportspersons in Groups A and B
categories also. Similarly, all public sector undertakings will be
advised to employ international medal winners in Groups A and B
categories.
5. Encourage business houses to set aside some resources for the development of sports.
They
will be offered tax incentives for creating sports infrastructure and
sponsoring sports events at district, State, national and international
level.
6. Make the
management of various agencies involved in sports promotion more
efficient and accountable. All these institutions will be made to
recognise that our sportspersons are the most important entity in our
strategy to achieve excellence in sports. Hence, transparency will be
ensured in their functioning.
7.
Amend guidelines for the MPLAD scheme so that MPs can make their funds
available for promotion of sports and adventure activities.
8. Mandate all new housing colonies to include sports facilities.
9.
Enhance Plan allocation for sports development and encourage State
Governments to fully discharge their responsibility in the promotion of
sports.
Women’s empowerment: Nari shakti key to inclusive development
The
BJP’s political adversaries talk of women’s empowerment but have done
nothing to truly empower them. The Congress had promised to introduce
the law for women’s reservation in State Assemblies and Parliament. But
it had neither the conviction to introduce the legislation nor the
courage to stand up to its allies who are opposed to the political
empowerment of women. The BJP remains committed to 33 per cent
political representation for women, and shall act on this after coming
to power.
There are other key areas where the BJP will focus its attention to empower women:
1.
Introduce the Ladli Lakshmi Scheme, which has been a big success in
Madhya Pradesh, at the national level to encourage girls to attend
school up to at least pre-college level. Under this scheme, each girl
child from disadvantaged families will receive Rs 2,000 on reaching
Class 6; Rs 4,000 in Class 9; Rs 7,500 in Class 11; and, Rs 1,10,000 on
completing 21 years of age. From Class 6 onwards, she will get a
stipend of Rs 2,400 per year till such time she remains in school.
2.
Adopt the Bhamashah Vitteeya Sashaktikaran Evam Naari Samriddhi Yojana,
conceived by the erstwhile BJP Government in Rajasthan, to financially
empower women from Below Poverty Line, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes families and those of small and marginal farmers. Under this
scheme, bank accounts will be opened for the beneficiary women and they
alone will be able to operate the accounts through specially designed
smart cards. An initial deposit of Rs 1,500 will be made in the bank
accounts.
The scheme
also envisages job creation through opening of banks in remote areas
and counsellors to help the beneficiaries to manage their accounts.
3.
A national programme will be launched, in cooperation with State
Governments, to provide bicycles to girls from Below Poverty Line
Families who attend school.
4. Review and revamp women’s participation in local self-governance, especially Panchayati Raj bodies.
5.
Adopt a National Policy on Women’s Economic Empowerment to ensure every
woman has access to livelihood and enhance the income of all categories
of working women. Gender discrimination in wages, whether in organised
or unorganised sector, will be eliminated.
6. Remove all remaining gender disparities in property rights, marital rights and cohabitation rights.
7. Support for programmes like Swavalamban
and ‘STEP’ (Support to Training and Employment Programme), which
promote self-employment and entrepreneurship for women through
self-help groups, will be greatly enhanced. Technical and management
services for those engaged in handicrafts, food-processing, handloom,
garments, etc, will be strengthened. Added focus will be provided for
implementing these programmes in the North-East, Jammu & Kashmir,
and areas affected by Maoism.
8.
Enterprises promoted by women, or employing a large number of women,
will be given ‘fast track’ facilitation. They will get loans at
preferential rates of interest.
9.
Laws to check female foeticide, dowry, child marriage, trafficking,
rape and family violence will be reviewed, strengthened and strictly
enforced. The CrPC will be amended to ensure the rights of victims of
rape are not diminished and the guilty are not able to tamper with
evidence or escape the law of the land. A special programme will be
launched, in cooperation with State Governments, to ensure full
security for women.
10.
Programmes aimed at helping indigent women and women in distress will
be strengthened with the cooperation of State Governments.
11. Every effort will be made to expand and improve upon the existing network of working women’s hostels.
12.
The current extremely low salaries of Anganwadi workers and helpers,
who are the backbone of the Integrated Child Development Scheme, will
be doubled.
Protecting Women’s Rights
Article
44 of the Constitution of India lists Uniform Civil Code as one of the
Directive Principles of State Policy. There cannot be real gender
equality till such time India adopts a Uniform Civil Code which
protects the rights of all women. The BJP, as a first step towards this
constitutionally mandated direction, will set up a Commission to draft
a Uniform Civil Code, drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising
them with the modern times. The Commission will also study reforms
towards gender equality in other countries, including Islamic countries.
Dalits, OBCs & economically weaker sections of society: We will ensure social justice and harmony
The BJP is committed to the principle of Social Justice (Samajik Nyay) and Samajik Samarasata
(Social Harmony). Instead of pursuing identity politics which do not
fetch benefits to Dalits, OBCs and other deprived sections of our
society, the BJP will focus on tangible development and empowerment.
The
BJP will boost opportunities for entrepreneurship and commerce among
Dalits, OBCs and other deprived sections of our society so that India’s
social diversity is fairly reflected in its economic diversity.
Atrocities against Dalits, Tribals and weaker sections of society will be firmly dealt with.
The
extremely backward communities need urgent Government assistance.
Special efforts will be made to reach out to them. In contrast to the
UPA years when an additional 55 million people were pushed below the
poverty line, the BJP will strive to bring families above the poverty
line through aggressive policies and targeted programmes.
A mission-mode approach will be adopted for providing the following to deprived communities:
1. Special educational facilities through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan.
2. Water, health, sanitation and hygiene for all families/habitations.
A
special component will be created in all development schemes to benefit
the deprived sections of society. An ‘Extremely Backward Communities
Development Bank’ will be set up for promoting skill enhancement
through learn-and-earn schemes for their uplift.
The
BJP will introduce education and job quotas on the basis of economic
criteria for all economically weaker sections of society other than
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs, who will continue to enjoy
quota benefits.
Tribal development: Long-term strategy for lasting welfare
It
is a proven fact that incremental and piecemeal attempts for the
development of tribals have not helped. Hence, the BJP will adopt a
comprehensive, all-encompassing long-term strategy to empower tribals
and ensure their welfare. We will draw upon the experience of our
Governments in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh which have
successfully implemented tribal welfare and development schemes.
We will initiate a Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana at the national level, to be overseen by a ‘Tribal Development Authority’. This scheme will focus on:
1.
Setting up new schools and colleges, as also engineering colleges,
polytechnics, agri-engineering colleges, nursing schools, veterinary
schools.
2. Upgrading housing, water and health facilities.
3. Electrification of tribal hamlets and provision of all-weather roads.
4. Initiating new economic activities related to agriculture and agri-processing, horticulture, etc.
5. Promoting dairy-based activities.
6. Creating employment opportunities by promoting bamboo-processing units and small scale units.
7. Preventing tribal land from being alienated.
8. Facilitating access to minor forest produce and creating a network of rural markets.
9. Establishing a National Research Centre for the preservation of tribal culture and languages.
10. Providing adequate funds for tribal welfare and development.
Senior citizens: Care and respect for the elderly
The
elderly deserve full support of both Government and society. The BJP is
committed to the welfare of senior citizens. A separate department will
be created in the Social Welfare Ministry to deal with senior citizens’
issues. We will:
1. Review pensions and pension policies to ensure benefits keep pace with the actual cost of living.
2. Study the feasibility of introducing higher interest rates on savings for all citizens above 60 years of age.
3. Rationalise travel concessions.
4. Introduce a health insurance policy that does not discriminate against the elderly.
5.
Income tax benefits for senior citizens will be made available at 60
years, instead of 65 years as is the practice at present.
6. Review existing provisions of old age pension scheme and expand its application.
Care of the disabled: Integrating the differently-abled
Disabled
people constitute five per cent of India’s population. Years of neglect
has delayed their integration into the social mainstream. Their welfare
and rehabilitation is integral to NDA’s vision of a caring society and
a responsive government. The BJP will:
1. Ensure and implement the right for education and vocational training for the disabled.
2. Ensure disabled-friendly access to public utilities, public buildings, and transport.
3. Ensure maximum economic independence of the disabled by creating more income generation models for the disabled.
4.
Facilitate establishment of an Institute of Vocational Training for the
Disabled in every district with public-private partnership.
5. Provide special incentive for the adoption of a disabled child.
6. Support voluntary organizations working for the care of the disabled.
Minority communities: Healthy diet of development
The
BJP repudiates the division of Indian society along communal lines
which has been fostered by the Congress and the Left in pursuit of
their vote-bank politics. Categorisation of communities as ‘minorities’
perpetuates notions of imagined discrimination and victimhood; it
reinforces the perception of the ‘minority’ identity as separate from
the national identity. The BJP remains committed to a common Indian
identity that transcends community, caste and gender, with every Indian
an equal participant in the building of a prosperous nation and an
equal beneficiary of that prosperity. Pluralism is a sine qua non for
any democracy and the BJP cherishes the diversity that is also the
strength of Indian society and lends vibrancy to our national fabric.
But pluralism should strengthen, not weaken our national resolve. It is
an unfortunate fact that Muslims form a substantial part of the
underprivileged. The principal reason for this is the fact that the
Congress, a dominant presence in power for six decades, has secured
minority support through the politics of fear rather than a healthy
diet of development.
The
BJP will implement a set of policies committed to a massive expansion
of modern education among Muslims, particularly for the girl child,
through a new nationwide network of schools, in a public-private
partnership programme. This will include, but not be limited to:
1.
Capital assistance in new educational projects, both for basic and
technical education, in low-income minority areas. Each project will be
vetted for viability by a team of professionals within a maximum of six
months.
2.
Cash incentives for the education of the girl child, based on
attendance and performance. Incentives will rise for those girls who
get admission into recognised colleges for higher education.
3. Computer centres will be set up in low income urban areas and the most backward districts of the country.
4.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs, today a stagnant source of toxic
politics, will be revitalised into a hub for economic projects
specifically targeted towards employment creation. There will be
special emphasis on crafts and small-scale industries that have been
traditional employers of minorities. The neglect of the Congress-led
UPA Government was evident in the fact that even monies allotted for
minority welfare programmes in States like Maharashtra were largely, if
not wholly, unspent.
5.
Youth are the owners of the future, and it is our duty to make them a
dynamic social and economic engine for upliftment. The young do not
live only in cities. In districts like Murshidabad in Bengal, young
girls are being forced by poverty into making bidis on pathetic wages.
Dynamic intervention is needed to improve income levels where such jobs
exist and to create fresh avenues of employment where they do not. The
unfortunate phase of confused loyalties in some minority sections is
over. Generations have been born in free India who are as committed to
the nation as the nation is committed to them. The success stories of
Muslims in sports, cinema, industry and a host of other fields, as
individuals and team players, makes every Indian proud.
6.
Terrorism does not have a religion. Those who espouse terrorism have
stepped outside the moral code of their religion into barbarism. We
must lift community-relations from the morass of misunderstanding. A
vibrant, modern India can have no place for either the perpetrators or
the exploiters of fear.
Religious Conversions
The
BJP will facilitate, under the auspices of noted religious leaders, the
setting up of a permanent inter-faith consultative mechanism to promote
harmony among and trust between communities. This mechanism will also
be used for a sustained and sincere Inter-Faith Dialogue between
leaders of the Hindu and Christian communities on all aspects of life,
including the issue of religious conversions. The dialogue should be
held in the spirit of the unanimous report of the Inter-Faith Dialogue
on Conversions, which was organised at the Vatican in May 2006 by the
Pontifical Council for Inter-Faith Dialogue and the World Council of
Churches, Geneva.
Health for all: India’s wealth, people’s health
Access
to quality and affordable healthcare remains a dream for a vast
majority of our people. This is truly ironical because India is rapidly
emerging as a global destination for medical care for foreigners. The
BJP will launch a massive programme, through public-private
participation, to introduce a ‘Health for All’ scheme based on an
innovative insurance policy. Under this scheme, the premium of BPL
families will be paid by Government. Beneficiaries will have access to
Government and private hospitals for cashless treatment. We will make
the ‘108’ telephone service – for medical emergencies – universally
accessible throughout India in 12 months.
One
of our main targets will be to eradicate the curse of malnutrition. We
will do so by revamping existing programmes and launching a
multi-pronged war against malnutrition across the nation, especially in
the under-developed areas, with the help of State Governments. All
resources will be provided to achieve this goal.
The BJP will also initiate action on the following:
1.
Set up a National Regulatory Authority for private hospitals, nursing
homes and special care facilities to ensure quality services,
affordable fees and prevent/punish malpractice. While private sector
participation in health care is welcome, it cannot become a source of
unrestricted and unrestrained profit-making at the expense of the
people.
2.
Ongoing work on setting up six additional All-India Institutes of
Medical Sciences in various parts of the country, which were proposed
by the NDA Government but not acted upon by the UPA, will be expedited.
Similar institutions will be set up in other places to broad-base
access to specialised medical care.
3.
Incentives and disincentives will be introduced for State Governments
to improve the quality of primary health care, maternal health care,
and child health care.
4.
Targets will be set for achieving significant reduction in maternal and
infant mortality by improving the Janani Suraksha Yojana. The
successful initiative of the BJP Government in Gujarat in this regard
will be used as a model.
5.
Preventive health care by way of inoculation against diseases and
dissemination of information will receive focussed attention.
6. A national programme will be launched to vaccinate adults and children against all forms of hepatitis.
7.
Substantial investment will be made in promoting Ayurved as an
alternative therapy. Full support will be extended to the promotion of
Unani system of medicine and homoeopathy. The promotion of Yoga will
receive all Government assistance.
8.
Clean drinking water is one of the best barriers against common but
often fatal diseases. The BJP proposes to make access to clean drinking
water a fundamental right for all citizens.
Population Stabilisation
The
BJP views the people of India as productive assets of society. To
maximise their productivity, they have to be provided with access to
health, education, technology and skills, which, in turn, require
additional resources. This will be possible if we are able to stabilise
India’s population. Towards this end, the BJP will address three
priority issues:
1. Recognition of close linkages between sustainable development and population stabilisation.
2.
Link population programmes with other development initiatives like
health, education, nutrition and poverty eradication programmes.
3. Follow a non-coercive and gender sensitive approach for population stabilisation.
One earth, green earth: Creating the right environment
The
BJP will pursue national growth objectives through an ecologically
sustainable pathway that leads to mitigation of greenhouse gas
emissions. We recognise that containing global warming is essential to
protecting life and security of people and environment. Mitigating the
threat by building a low carbon economy is the biggest economic
opportunity of the 21st century.
The
BJP endorses the principle of "common but differentiated
responsibilities", as enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change. We look at ‘Climate Change’ in the context of the
promises made by the international community for technology transfer
and additional financing since Rio, which have remained unfulfilled.
The BJP will actively pursue the transfer of critical technologies that
can have a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions.
Bearing in mind concerns on environment and related climate change issues, the BJP will:
1. Give appropriate importance to containing climate change.
2.
Lay importance on energy security and sustainable energy pathways by
setting clear targets for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
3.
Bring about a complete shift in subsidy from chemical fertilisers to
rewarding farmers for pursuing conservation and enhancement of local
crop varieties, thereby enhancing the conservation of local
agro-biodiversity.
4.
Offer attractive support prices and incentives for traditional rain-fed
crops and promote markets for them. This will be coupled with a
decentralised Public Distribution System that will mop up excess
production of local food and distribute it among those households that
are food deficit locally. A decentralised PDS will be more climate
smart since it will eliminate excessive costs of transportation and
storage.
5.
Revisit laws for protecting forests and reserve parks to make them more
effective in preventing encroachment and man-animal conflict. All
resources will be provided for protecting forestland and animal
reserves; wilful destruction of forests and killing of wildlife for
profit or pleasure will fetch stringent punishment.
6.
A permanent Task Force will be set up for the protection and
preservation of tigers, lions and other wild cats. A separate Task
Force will look after the protection and preservation of elephants. A
third Task Force will look after bird sanctuaries. They will be duly
empowered to take whatever steps are necessary to achieve their goals.
7.
Provide incentives to encourage institutions and individuals to switch
over to energy saving devices and eco-friendly designs for housing and
workplace. Full support will be given for developing low-energy,
low-cost technology by both public and private sectors.
A Group of Experts will be set up to formulate target-driven objectives towards this end.
8. Encourage citizens’ participation in protecting the environment and curbing pollution.
Schools will be involved in promoting environment and ecology-related issues among children.
9. Adopt a mission-mode approach to clean all rivers.
10.
Launch a national programme for citizens’ participation in
reforestation, agro-forestry and social forestry by planting a billion
trees every year.
11.
Importance given to programmes to arrest the melting of Himalayan
glaciers from which most major rivers in North India originate.
Administrative issues & centre-state relations: We are committed to good governance
The
BJP will set up a Group of Ministers to study the report of the
Administrative Reforms Commission and submit its recommendations within
six months. Given the importance of these reforms to our pursuit of the
goal of Good Governance, the BJP proposes to implement them through an
appropriate body under the Prime Minister’s Office. We will strive to
bring about absolute transparency in Government’s decision-making
process. Corruption at any level of Government will be dealt with
swiftly.
We will place Centre-State relations on an even keel through the process of consultation.
The
genuine grievances of States will be addressed in a comprehensive
manner. The moribund National Development Council will be revived and
made into an active body.
While
every effort will be made to meet the development aspirations of the
people and make authority accountable to the citizens, no concessions
will be made to separatist and insurgent groups.
Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu
& Kashmir was, is and shall remain an integral part of the Union of
India. Its status is non-negotiable and, as successive elections have
comprehensively demonstrated, the people of Jammu & Kashmir see
themselves as part of the Indian national mainstream. The BJP will be
guided by the following principles while dealing with issues related to
Jammu & Kashmir:
1.
The territorial integrity of India is inviolable. The unanimous
Parliamentary Resolution of 1994 reiterates this point and shall remain
the cornerstone of future decisions and actions of our Government.
2.
To meet the aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and ensure
rapid progress of this State, the BJP will promote an agenda of equal
development of its three regions
— Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. All support, including financial, will be provided to the State Government for this purpose.
3.
The Pandits who had to leave their home and hearth in the Kashmir
Valley on account of separatist violence and terrorism are fully
deserving of all support and assistance, which will be provided to them
in full measure. Their return to the land of their ancestors with full
dignity, security and assured livelihood will figure high on the BJP’s
agenda.
4. The long-pending problems and demands of refugees from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will be addressed.
5.
Article 370 poses a psychological barrier for the full integration of
the people of Jammu & Kashmir with the national mainstream. The BJP
remains committed to the abrogation of this Article.
Small States
The
BJP has always been in favour of formation of smaller states. It was
during the NDA’s rule that the three small states of Uttarakhand,
Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were created. Keeping in mind its commitment
to good governance and all-round development, the BJP in future, too,
would encourage the cause of establishment of smaller States. In
consonance with its policy, the BJP supports the creation of Telangana
as a separate State of the Union of India.
We
will sympathetically examine and appropriately consider the long
pending demands of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis and other people of
Darjeeling district and Dooars region.
North-East
Poor
governance, corruption and insurgency have resulted in the
resources-rich north-eastern states lagging behind. The physical
distance between the North-East and New Delhi has contributed to the
widening of psychological distance. The NDA years saw the Union
Government actively pushing a development agenda for the north-eastern
States. A similar but more robust agenda will be crafted by the BJP in
power for the welfare of every north-eastern State and the region’s
rapid development. In doing so, the BJP will be guided by the following:
1.
Immediate steps will be taken to stem the tide of illegal immigration
from Bangladesh to Assam and other North-Eastern States. The
construction of the India-Bangladesh border fence will be completed
without any further delay. A special cell will be set up to monitor the
detection, detention and deportation of illegal immigrants.
2.
Insurgent groups will be dealt with firmly. Simultaneously, the
grievances of a section of the youth will be identified and addressed.
3. The land and culture of indigenous ethnic groups will be protected.
4. Flood control in Assam and river water management will receive special attention.
5.
Appropriate resources will be allocated for land development,
agriculture and allied activities, housing, nutrition, health,
education, rural connectivity and irrigation.
6. New institutions of higher education in engineering and medical sciences will be set up.
7.
Job-generating schemes will be initiated, especially in the services
sector, to address the problem of unemployment in the region. Tourism
and traditional skills-based industries will be given a big boost.
8. Special emphasis will be given to connectivity with and within North-Eastern States.
Hill States & Desert States
The BJP recognises the special needs and unique problems of the hill and desert States.
In
consultation with the Governments of these States, a development-based,
State specific model will be evolved so that the aspirations of the
people can be met.
Union Territories
Given
their unique status, Union Territories will receive special attention.
We will focus on developing and strengthening the economy of Union
Territories. Tourism will be promoted; tribal welfare and rights will
receive full attention; and, infrastructure and coastal area
development will be given top priority.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshdweep Islands
The BJP is committed to the protection and integrated development of our island territories.
Judicial Reforms
The
BJP will initiate a set of judicial reforms to deal with the issue of
appointment of judges, tackling the backlog of cases and other problems
that exist at various levels of the judiciary.
Towards this end, the BJP will:
1.
Streamline the appointment procedure of judges in the higher judiciary
through the National Judicial Commission and introduce guidelines on
objective criteria to determine merit.
2. Double the number of courts and the judicial strength of the sub-ordinate judiciary in five years.
3. Create a Fund for Modernisation of Courts to improve the physical and operational infrastructure of courts.
4.
Set up a separate class of courts for cases involving specified
commercial laws such as the Contract Act, Negotiable Instruments Act,
and other business laws. These would deliver quicker justice and be
partly funded by charging both litigants a ‘Fast Track’ fee.
5.
Reform the criminal justice system to make dispensation of justice
simpler, quicker and more effective on the basis of the Malimath
Committee Report.
6. Computerise and network courts all over the country for improving their efficiency.
7. Extend fast track courts to all layers of the judiciary.
8. Expand alternative disputes redressal mechanisms through Lok Adalats and Tribunals.
9.
Appoint a Judicial Procedural Reforms Committee which will suggest, in
six months, how to halve the time taken to conduct every trial, civil
or criminal. The aim would be to ensure that three-fourths of all cases
are completed within 12 months.
10. Halve the number of cases in which the Government is a litigant in the next three years.
Electoral Reforms
The
BJP will seek, through consultation with other parties, to evolve a
method of holding Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously.
Apart from reducing election expenses for both political parties and
Government, this will ensure certain stability for State Governments.
Panchayati Raj Institutions
To
empower self-governance at the grassroots level, the BJP will
strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions. Towards this end, it will:
1.
Work for the effective financial and administrative empowerment of
Panchayati Raj institutions and Urban Local Bodies in respect of funds,
functions and functionaries. There will be further devolution of powers
by amending the Constitution.
2.
The institution of the Gram Sabha will be strengthened to enable a full
discussion on development projects, scrutinise the allocation and
spending of funds, and evaluating the performance of elected and
Government functionaries.
Preserving our cultural heritage
Ram Setu
Ram
Setu is our national heritage. Millions want to visit it and it can be
developed as a centre of cultural tourism. For millions it is a place
of pilgrimage. Saving Rama Setu is to save the vast thorium deposits
which are the future source of our energy. Thorium technology will
ensure India’s energy security. BJP will, therefore, look for an
alternative alignment for the proposed Sethu-Samudram Channel Project
(SSCP).
Ram Temple
There
is an overwhelming desire of the people in India and abroad to have a
grand temple at the birth place of Sri Ram in Ayodhya. The BJP will
explore all possibilities, including negotiations and judicial
proceedings, to facilitate the construction of the Ram Temple in
Ayodhya.
Ganga
Ganga
occupies a special place in the Indian psyche. It is most unfortunate
that it has been thoroughly neglected even after India attained
freedom. It is a pity that even after six decades of independence Ganga
continues to be thoroughly polluted and is drying. The BJP will ensure
the cleanliness, purity and uninterrupted flow of Ganga, and will take
all measures, legal and administrative, in this regard. Necessary
financial and technical assistance will be provided on priority.
In
addition, a massive ‘Clean Rivers Programme’ will be launched across
the country with the participation of voluntary organisations.
Cow and its Progeny
In
view of the recent judgement by the constitutional bench of the Supreme
Court, and in keeping with the Directive Principles of State Policy as
contained in the Constitution, necessary legal framework will be
created to protect and promote cow and its progeny.
In
view of the contribution of cow and its progeny to agriculture,
socio-economic and cultural life of our country, the Department of
Animal Husbandry will be suitably strengthened and empowered for the
protection and promotion of cow and its progeny. A National Cattle
Development Board will be set up to implement a programme for the
improvement of indigenous livestock breeds.
Monasteries and Temples
The
BJP shall ensure autonomous administration of Maths and Mandirs. These
institutions have been the heart and hub of dharmic and cultural life
and traditions of Indian society. Huge properties were offered to Maths
and Mandirs by society for running their religio-cultural activities
and service projects for the benefit of all. The management of such
institutions should be freed from Government control and handed over to
autonomous bodies constituted by the followers and devotees of those
seats. Necessary legal framework will be provided for this purpose.
All
dharmic activities will be considered as ‘charity’ with appropriate tax
incentives. A special cell will be created to make dharmic
organisations’ interface with government agencies hassle-free.
A
National Mission for beautifying and improving the infrastructure and
amenities at pilgrimage centres of all faiths will be launched.
Waqf Properties
The
BJP will examine the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary
Committee regarding Waqf properties headed by Shri K Rahman Khan,
Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, and would, in consultation with Muslim
religious leaders, take steps to remove encroachments from and
unauthorised occupation of waqf properties.
Heritage Sites
The
ASI will be provided with appropriate resources for the maintenance of
all national heritage sites and prevent their vandalisation in any form.
Languages
Indian
languages are repositories of our rich literature, history, culture,
art and scientific achievements. Many of our dialects are important
source for knowing our heritage.
Sanskrit
and Tamil have made remarkable contributions in this regard. BJP would
promote Indian languages and measures for the development of all Indian
languages including Urdu will be taken by providing adequate resources
so that they become a powerful vehicle for creating a knowledge society.
Bharatiya Janata Party
11 Ashok Road, New Delhi-110001