As the party’s manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha polls was launched, he harked back to the original effort under Jawaharlal Nehru in the first elections held in 1951, noting that the first manifesto was simply and succinctly called ‘What Congress Stands For’.
In an exclusive interview, Chidambaram talks about the contrast between the Nehruvian era and contemporary politics and the thrust of the party’s manifesto on “reversing the damage done in the last 10 years”. Excerpts:
Q/ What is the main thrust of the Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections?
A/ The main thrust of the manifesto is to reverse the damage done in the past 10 years, especially in the past five years. Reversing the damage spans all sectors of the polity and the economy. It spans the economy, particularly on growth, jobs, inflation. It covers the polity, particularly institutional capture and institutional diminution. It captures the social sector, particularly the denial of the rights which are conferred by the UPA government especially on women, adivasis, Scheduled Castes and the minorities. So, the manifesto takes a panoramic view of India— social, political and economic. And the underlying theme is, so much damage has been done in the last 10 years that it has to be reversed. And we have to put the country on the right track. That’s the overarching goal of the manifesto.
WE PROMISE NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE PERSONAL CHOICES OF FOOD AND DRESS, TO LOVE AND MARRY, AND TO TRAVEL AND RESIDE IN ANY PART OF INDIA.
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