By Mayank Jain:Â
#unManifesto is an attempt to give the power back into the hands of citizens to govern themselves. The campaign has garnered huge support and response from far and wide. People are enthusiastically sharing their preferred promises that should be in the political manifestos. Read on to know the most interesting ones we have received recently:
1. Helplines are always dead and the person in the midst of a problem can’t be more frustrated when he finds nobody at the other end of a helpline.
“Anti-stalking and anti-harassment helplines that actually work with well-spoken and sensitized operators.”- Sonakshi Samtani
2. More and more parties today are resorting to black money embezzlement and stashing funds in shady and dubious accounts. We need transparency in the operations of every political party.
“Manifesto must include the party’s willingness to come under the ambit of the Right to Information Act. Party’s expenditure, track record, composition and background of leaders etc. must be open to public scrutiny”- Shelly Mahajan
3. One of the biggest reasons why people go all the way across oceans just to look for better opportunities and this is indeed a sad state of affairs.
“Take steps to ensure there are lucrative employment opportunities in India, to avoid good brains running away to foreign jobs and working for MNCs.”- Manav Garg
4. When the majority of our population is young, we do need to manage them so that they don’t become a liability from an asset.
“The manifesto must consider youth development, not just in terms of resource allocation but their orientation and drive towards a better India.”- Kapoor Ajay
“A provision where we as citizens are asked about what we want from the ‘to be elected parties.”- Aparna Ravi
6. We need leaders who lead by the example and not just provide lip service.
“I need my leader to justify the poverty line threshold by demonstrating how to live on just Rs.32 a day. I need my leader to ruthlessly clamp down on sexual abusers as if the victims were his family members. I need my leader to step up and speak out for a billion Indians.”- Rajaram Suresh
7. More objective measures of performance appraisal are required.
“Each and every opportunity of the government should be based on performance not on cast basis.”- Dilip Kumar
8. Every girl should be empowered right from her schooling.
“Compulsory self-defence course in high schools and colleges, especially for girls”- Swarna Prava Barik
9. Child labour is indeed a loss to the future of innumerable innocent children as well as the future of this country hence we need: “Strict checks against child labour. Despite the established laws, most of the street restaurants and tea and food joints employ kids as young as 7-8 years old. Strict penalty against the employers.”- Sonakshi Samtani
10. Strong Ombudsman and vigilance commission must step in to prevent shady transactions from happening. “Corruption should be eradicated from the society so that the needy shouldn’t feel cheated.”- Nikhil