True to its pledge to pick the economy out of its deep depression and stagnation, appropriately designated as the ‘Decade of Decay’ under the Congress-dominated UPA, the much delayed BJP manifesto, released on Monday, promises immediate priority to tackling the price rise and breaking the vicious cycle of high inflation and high interest rates, the principal issues that have contributed to the nationwide anger and disillusionment with the ruling dispensation. It pledges huge public expenditure in infrastructure development, which will kick start the economy and trigger huge employment potential in crucial sectors across the nation.

Addressing in detail all the burning issues of the day, the manifesto lays strong and equal emphasis on measures to revive agriculture and allied farm-based activities and measures to stimulate growth and developmentin urban areas by seizing opportunities offered by the global economy. It bears a strong imprint of the economic thoughts expressed by the party’s Prime Ministerial contender Narendra Modi during his hectic campaign tours across the country. The civilisational content reflects the traditional position of the BJP on issues ranging from the Ram temple to the common civil code.

The 52-page text deals comprehensively with contentious issues such as the need to frame a national land use policy and examine the acquisition of non-cultivable land to protect the interests of farmers and the food security needs of the country; the need to become a global manufacturinghub rather than remain a market for the global economy; encouraging the small and medium sector that has a major contribution in economic growth and employment generation; promoting the cooperative and handicrafts sectors; the tourism and hospitality industry that can earn foreign exchange while creating millions of jobs; building freight and industrial corridors for fast movement of people and goods; expediting national highways, particularly border and coastal highways and building all-weather roads in every village; modernizing airports, ports and railways and building next generation infrastructure; setting up gas grids to make gas available to households and industry; setting up a national optical-fibre network up to the village level and Wi-Fi zones in public areas; harnessing advanced satellite technology and expertise for development.

Lambasting the Congress-led UPA for insensitivity and indifference towards the plight of the people as runaway food inflation crippledhousehold budgets and triggered the overall inflationary trend while threatening the food and nutritional security of millions, the BJP manifesto notes that the regime failed to act upon the report of the committee of Chief Ministers, headed by Shri Narendra Modi, and submitted as early as 2011. It boasts that the BJP-led NDA Government held the prices.

As a corollary, the manifesto promises to rein in inflation by setting up a Price Stabilisation Fund and putting in place strict measures and special Courts to stop hoarding and black marketing. As repeatedly exhorted by Narendra Modi, the BJP-led regime would divide the functions of Food Corporation of India into procurement, storage and distribution for greater efficiency. It proposes to leverage technology to disseminate Real time data, especially to farmers – on production, prices, imports, stocks and overall availability. Steps will be taken to evolve a single ‘National Agriculture Market’, a long standing demand of farmers and traders, which will put an end to artificial embargoes on movement of agricultural produce across State boundaries, and bring better returns to farmers. It will also promote area specific crops and vegetables linked to the food habits of the people.

Promising an exponential leap in employment opportunities by huge public expenditure in upgrading infrastructure and housing, the manifesto also proposes to empower youth for self-employment by incubating entrepreneurship and facilitating credit. It stresses that the issue of employability would be tackled through a multi-skills development programme in mission mode. Thus, there will be simultaneous emphasis on job creation and entrepreneurship, in both rural and urban areas. Employment Exchanges will be transformed into Career Centres that will link youth with job opportunities in a transparent and effective manner through the use of technology, as well as by providing counselling and training.

Lamenting 10 years of jobless growth under the Congress-led UPA regime, the BJP manifesto lays emphasis on employment and entrepreneurship for broader economic revival. Accordingly, it proposes to strategically develop high impact domains such as labour-intensive manufacturing in areas like textiles, footwear, electronics assembly, and so on, and also Tourism. The BJP would work to strengthen the traditional employment bases of agriculture and allied industries, and develop retail through modernization and stronger credit and market linkages. Programmes like MGNREGA will be linked to asset creation.

Non-performing assets will be reduced in the banking sector and a regulatory framework created for non-banking financial companies. Taxes will be rationalized, simplified, and the tax regime made trusting, non-adversarial and conducive. All State governments will be brought on board regarding the GST, and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) will be permitted in sectors required for job and asset creation, barring multi-brand retail. The Foreign Investment Promotion Boards will be made more efficient and investor-friendly. The all-pervasive corruption under the Congress-led UPA will be curbed by setting up a system which will eliminate the scope for corruption through public awareness; technology enabled e-Governance to minimize discretion in citizen-government interface; system-based, policy-driven transparent governance, and so on.

The menace of Black Money will be minimized by curbing the scope for corruption and generating black money. A Task Force will be set up to track down and bring back black money stashed in foreign banks and offshore accounts by amending existing laws or making new ones; the cooperation of foreign Governments will be sought for information sharing regarding black money.

Emphasising its commitment to a strong federal structure as envisioned in the Constitution of India, the BJP manifesto affirms that Team India will not be limited to the Prime Minister but will include the Chief Ministers as equal partners. This means the Chief Ministers of all States, regardless of party in power, as asserted by Narendra Modi in rallies in non-BJP-ruled States. The document promises fiscal autonomy of States, but stresses financial discipline. It proposes to establish ‘Regional Councils of States’ with common problems and concerns so as to find solutions applicable across a group of states. It encourages cooperation among states on security-related issues, inter-state disputes and for removing inter-regional economic disparities and promoting tourism.

Acknowledging the special needs and unique problems of hill and desert states, the manifesto proposes state-specific developmental priorities and models to meet the aspirations of the people. It proposes special attention to Union Territories (UTs); tribal welfare and infrastructure, particularly coastal area development. Island territories will be protected and developed, and moribund forums like the National Development Council and Inter-State Council will be revitalised. State Governments will be involved in promoting foreign trade and commerce, and States helped to mobilise resources through investments in industry, agriculture and infrastructure.

The Northeast, to which Narendra Modi has devoted special attention, has an enormous potential to generate wealth on account of its rich resources, but lags behind in development due to poor governance, systemic corruption and poor delivery of public services. The manifesto notes that the NDA government had initiated concrete measures to develop the Northeast by setting up a Ministry devoted to the region, and vows to empower this Ministry with a broader charter and non-lapsable funds. The BJP, it guarantees, will place special emphasis on enhancing connectivity within the region and to the rest of the country.

Pointing to the potential for heavy employment generation in the northeast, it promises massive infrastructure development, particularly along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. This is an urgent imperative from the point of national security. As an offshoot, there could be a boost in employment of local youth directly or indirectly by the armed forces and border security forces whose presence in the area will go up once infrastructure is improved.

The manifesto promises to address the issue of infiltration and illegal immigrants in the Northeast on priority basis. It proposes to complete all pending fencing work along the India-Bangladesh and India-Myanmar border, and enhance border security. Besides, it will tackle the issue of flood control in Assam and river water management; nurture more job-generating opportunities like tourism and IT industry; ensure safety of North-Eastern students studying across the country by setting up Hostels for them at various educational centres. Insurgent groups will be dealt with a firm hand.

Jammu & Kashmir, the manifesto avers, was, is and shall remain an integral part of the Union of India. Taking note of festering tensions between the different regions of the State, the BJP promises to pursue equal and rapid development in all three regions – Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The return of Kashmiri Pandits to their ancestral land with full dignity, security and assured livelihood will be prioritised, and the long pending problems of refugees from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) addressed. Reiterating the need to abrogate Article 370, the BJP proposes to discuss this with all stakeholders. The party promises to do full justice to Seemandhra, and address the issues of development and governance of Seemandhra and Telangana.

Reiterating its commitment to the diversity of India, to inclusion of all without exclusion, the BJP manifesto expresses opposition to the appeasement of one at the cost of the other, and of using institutions to protect the interest of a particular party or persons. It emphasises the concept of ‘India First’ as the philosophy behind ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. At the same time, it stresses equal opportunities for minorities, especially Muslims, and ensuring that the young and the girl child in particular get education and jobs without discrimination. It envisages a National Madrasa modernization programme; empowering Waqf Boards in consultation with religious leaders and taking steps to remove encroachments from and unauthorized occupation of Waqf properties; market linkages and access to credit to traditional artisans in cottage and small-scale industry; preservation and promotion of the Urdu Neo-Middle class; educational scholarships and educational facilities; medical insurance and quality healthcare services; housing and public transport; urban amenities to rural areas and enhanced village level infrastructure by way of roads, potable water, education, health, electricity, broadband, etc.

The BJP proposes administrative reforms through an appropriate body under the PMO to bring about transparency in the decision-­making process. The party pledges to set-up an effective Lokpal institution and deal with corruption at any level firmly and swiftly. People-friendly measures will be installed for services like birth certificate, school admission, setting up business or paying taxes. All government records will be digitised on priority basis so that they are easily accessible. All government schemes and programmes will be reviewed and audited, and obsolete laws and regulations removed.

The manifesto posits IT as a great enabler for empowerment, equity and efficiency and points out that the NDA Government had made IT one of the major thrust areas, which resulted in India becoming the IT capital of the world. In future, the emphasis will be to ensure that the benefits of IT percolate to ordinary men and women. BJP will make e-Governance the backbone for good Governance. For this, every household and every individual will be digitally empowered.

Besides institutional reforms, rationalization and convergence among Ministries and opening up government to expertise from industry, academia and society, the heavy duty manifesto proposes doubling the number of courts and judges in the subordinate judiciary; a National Judicial Commission for the appointment of judges and separate fast track courts for specified commercial laws; reducing the number of cases in which the Government is a litigant and several measures to empower lawyers, increase the number of women at the Bar and on the Bench; and vast enhancement of specialized universities in Forensics, Arbitration, IPR, International Law, and so on. Police services will be vastly enhanced, and this too, could emerge as an area of immediate employment generation.

To bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, the manifesto proposes to bring the 100 most backward districts of the country at par with other districts and gainfully employ the rural poor in agriculture and allied activities, while developing the skills of the urban poor so that they take advantage of emerging opportunities. Food Security measures will include incorporating the best practices of successful PDS models to revise the existing PDS and addressing under-nutrition and malnutrition.

Special measures are proposed for the disadvantaged and weaker sections of society, with emphasis on education and entrepreneurship for SC, ST, OBCs and other weaker sections. Untouchability is to be eradicated at all levels; manual scavenging ended; and tribal development expedited with welfare schemes, electrification of tribal hamlets, development of all-weather roads, rural Haats (markets) and other measures.

The manifesto expresses special concern for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, including higher tax relief for families caring for a disabled member. There are a plethora of measures for the youth, sports, and women. Health has been emphasised with AIIMS like institutes in every state and public investment to promote Yoga and Ayurveda; universalisation of emergency medical services; sanitation, and so on.

Education will receive 6 per cent of the GDP, which will boost employment of educated graduates; universalisation of secondary school education has been made a national priority. The University Grants Commission will be restructured into a Higher Education Commission and measures taken for vocational of youth for employment. There will be massive Open Online Courses and skill development opportunities.

The highly comprehensive document touches almost every aspect of life. Among the notable promises is the pledge not to allow Genetically Modified (GM) foods without full scientific evaluation. It is impossible to do justice to the document in the course of a single article, but a quick perusal shows that the BJP was blasé about the delay in releasing the document because all the major promises have already been expounded at length before the people by Narendra Modi in his rallies while criss-crossing the nation.

Among electoral reforms, the BJP proposes to evolve a method of holding Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously and revising expenditure limits realistically.

As was only to be expected, the BJP concluded its manifesto by acknowledging the cultural heritage of India. It reiterated its commitment to explore all possibilities within the framework of the Constitution to facilitate construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and recognised the Ram Setu as part of India’s cultural heritage also of strategic importance due to its vast thorium deposits, which will be considered while taking a decision on the Sethu- Samudram Channel project.

The party has reiterated its commitment to cleanse the sacred Ganga, which is also the life sustaining source for the parts of the country through which it flows. All other rivers will also be cleaned with people’s participation. The cow and its progeny will be suitably protected in view of their contribution to agriculture and the socio-economic and cultural life of the country. All Indian Languages will be promoted as repositories of our rich literature, history, culture, art and scientific achievements. The document concludes with a commitment to draft a Uniform Civil Code to bring about gender equality and protect the rights of all women by drawing upon the best traditions and harmonizing them with the modern times.