Now that the Supreme Court has taken a stand, the freebies debate should stop for now
Now that the Supreme Court has opined that political parties cannot be derecognised over the issue of disbursing freebies, it should lay to rest the controversy over freebies for now. Of course, the Central Government would be bringing a Bill that would once and for all define and decide what freebies are and who is entitled to give and receive them. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana has acknowledged that the impact of freebies promised by political parties was a serious issue but he was not in favor of derecognising the political parties for it would be “anti-democratic”. To put things in perspective, the whole freebies debate started with the Prime Minister’s ‘revdi’ jibe in which he maintained that we must be warned against it as it was bad for the country and detrimental to development. A couple of days earlier, the Election Commission had also taken a stand on freebies saying that freebies can be a lifesaver in dire times. Indeed, it boils down to making a difference between doling out freebies for electoral gains and giving subsidies and helping the people with cash transfers and other free stuff.
Democracy is meaningless if it is not welfare-oriented. Any welfare State has to be mindful of the needs and conditions of the people. For instance, fertiliser subsidies which is a must to stabilise the prices of farm goods and protect the interests of the farmers. Likewise, old age pension, railway ticket concession for freedom fighters, sportspersons, etc. are welfare measures that are deemed necessary for the welfare of the people.The ‘revdi’ jibe was directed against the Aam Aadmi Party which has championed the doling out of free stuff. But free bus tickets or subsidised electricity and water are nothing new. It has been given by many previous governments. But now since AAP’s fanning out, it is pinching the BJP electorally. Ironically, the BJP itself is distributing free rations in Uttar Pradesh. In the 2020 Delhi election, the BJP ‘Sankalp Patra’, its manifesto, promised several freebies — flour at `2 per kg, electric scooters for college girls, and bicycles for girls studying in classes 9-10. Moreover, the Election Commission is a competent authority to check the misuse of freebies as an electoral plank. There is a bar to even announcing new projects and doling out Government money in any form after the code of conduct comes into force. It could be made even more stringent.