With the Indian elections having been announced, we will have the manifestos of various parties making their appearance soon – and vanishing from memory with equal speed. The segment which will be ignored is Middle India. (In telecom terms, this is the India which is between the two extremes of post paid and lifetime incoming free!)
So, what could the political parties offer Middle India to get our vote (of confidence)? What are the top anxieties of Middle India that need to be addressed? Here is my take.
- More Economic Freedom: An assurance that liberalisation will continue, because that is what creates more jobs and opportunities. Over the past few years, liberalisation has come to a halt.
- Less Government Interference: An assurance that people will have more control of their own lives, without the spectre of a government bearing down on them. This means decisions made on merit, and elimination of unnecessary rules and regulations which hobble us and our enterprise. Also, a government that works to eliminate corruption at all levels and introduce greater accountability in its functioning.
- Best Education: If there is one thing that can make us more competitive in the global economy, it is education. India needs the education sector to be opened up.
- Security: Over the past few years, the feeling of security has slowly ebbed away with multiple acts of terrorism coming to our doorstep. India needs to feel safe again.
What are your thoughts? What can Indian political parties offer Middle India to win us over?
