What is freebies culture
Freebies are promises made by political parties on they will provide the public for free if they win the election. Political parties offer free gas, electricity, scooters, bicycles, laptops with the internet, free bus tickets, phones,
Historical baggage
Election freebies date back to Tamil Nadu. J. Jayalalitha, the late chief minister of Tamil Nadu, had made promises of free saris, pressure cookers, washing machines, televisions, and other items in the 1991 general elections. Since then election freebie culture has gained significance in Indian politics.
Social factors for the rise of freebies culture
1.Vote banks become more materialistic with changes in economic structure -changes in economic transformation and media landscape.
2.Criminalisation of politics - these candidates often resort to distribution of liquor, money , goods etc to lure voters.
3.Legal lag - as far as the Indian context freebies are not precisely defined in the legal framework.
ECI said it has no power to regulate the freebies offered by the political parties.
Social impact of Freebies culture
Positive aspects
1.Women empowerment - Tamilnadu and Karnataka government free bus pass for women has encouraged more women to join the workforce - it leading stable families and make them more economically independent
2.Sacrifices by the marginalized section - they give up lands for cities roads and dams. Thier kinship culture and lives got distrupted.
World Bank recognised in the 1980 that the prevalent polices marginalize the poor and a Safety net ( freebies) is needed.
3.Welfare of the state and glaring inequality in the society. - such freebies become more useful for upliftment of lower strata people's .
Negatives aspects
1.Sociologists argues that these freebies are Elitist - construct - it means these are the opinion from higher class who are barred from availing those freebies.
2.Widening inequalities - the issue of intergenerational equity leads to greater social inequalities.
3.Unsolicited freebies encourage personality cults in a democratic polity
4.Competitive manifesto - sometimes seem impractical and illogical and implementable.
14th finance commission chairperson NK Singh stated that freebies are a quick passport to fiscal disaster.
5.Undermines the spirit of democracy - distribution of freebies influences all people and it shakes the root of free and fair elections to a large degree
5.Disrupt social order - hampering the overall societal development - social tension ( Ex- Srilanka )
6.Patron-Client Syndrome - Clientelism is a political or social system based on the relation of client to patron with the client giving political support to a patron (as in the form of votes) in exchange for some special privilege or benefit (freebies).
7.Rewadi culture - prime minister Narendra Modi called freebies as ( Rewadi culture ) and it dangerous for the development of the country
