Can Politicians Decouple From Freebies?

India's macroeconomy is giving up bad habits. Time India's politics does too

- Soumya Kanti Ghosh

Freebies seem to have come to a tipping point as polling for crucial state elections, a prelude to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, are set into motion. The time has come to initiate a well-rounded discussion on the economic causes and consequences of freebies, and its separation from essential welfare activities.

No one's entitled to a freebie

We must differentiate between freebies and entitlement. Freebies do not differentiate between those who can afford to pay and those who can't, thus alleviating the crucial distinction between who should be and those who shouldn't be the beneficiaries. Entitlement on the other hand, is a bona fide benefit for those who can't afford. A clear example being free power for everyone is freebies, while free food grain for the 80-crore population during a pandemic is an entitlement.

Most damaging of freebies

To begin with, over time, the incessant announcements of the freebies by virtually every who's who of India's variegated political ensemble have created a huge problem, with the biggest damage happening to the power sector.