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Lok Satta Party was formed with the goal of creating new
politics for a new generation of Indians. For Lok Satta,
power is a means to promote public good, and not an end in
itself. Lok Satta believes that elections are about the
people and their future, and not just about candidates and
parties.
That is why Lok Satta unequivocally rejects traditional
vote gathering techniques employed by traditional parties
in India. Most Indian political parties take advantage of
the poverty, ignorance and helplessness of the bulk of the
people. Vote buying, distributing liquor, arousing
animosities on sectarian grounds, enticing people with
short-term sops and freebies, running politics as big
business, abusing public office and trust for private
gain, indulging in dynastic politics all of these are
endemic to our political crisis.
Lok Satta is striving to change the rules of the game by
adopting and practicing internal democracy, transparent
resource mobilization and utilization, national public
policies and democratic methods of mobilizing public
opinion, enhancing the liberty of all sections.
Every political party has the obligation to analyse social
conditions and propose clear and unambiguous goals for
progress and prosperity. Lok Satta's goals are
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Eliminating all forms of discrimination by birth through
ensuring opportunities for quality education, healthcare,
skills and employment.
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Enhancing incomes in agriculture and other traditional
occupations.
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Improving quality of life by creating basic amenities in
all rural and urban settlements.
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Establishing truly
empowered and effective district and
local governments and decentralizing power.
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Promoting full transparency and accountability at all
levels of governance.
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Establishing rule of law and ensuring that all people are
treated equally without favouratism or discrimination.
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Ensuring social justice by building a new society in
which a child's future is not determined by birth, caste,
family, region, religion or wealth.
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Utilizing public resources fully and properly.
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Eliminating corruption.
It will be the duty of a future Lok Satta government to
introduce specific policies and programmes to implement
this agenda of governance. Meanwhile, it is the
responsibility of Lok Satta Party to design these policies
and programmes, and mobilize public opinion in support of
them. Traditional politics in India regards people as mere
vote banks and mendicants seeking alms from the state.
Misappropriation of a large proportion of public money,
squandering precious resources, transferring a small part
of public money to the tax payers in the form of sops and
freebies for short-term political gain, and reducing
people into abject dependence on political patronage and
state support are the key features of the traditional,
kleptocratic politics of India. Lok Satta aims to
transform this by enhancing the capabilities of citizens,
making them partners in wealth creation, and promoting the
dignity, self-esteem, security and opportunities of every
individual.
It is in this spirit that Lok Satta is placing before the
people irrevocable and specific pledges to which the party
is fully committed. It will be the primary task of Lok
Satta government to fulfil these pledges in full measure.
Deep reflection, an unflinching commitment to achieve
long-term public good, and treatment of citizens as
sovereigns are embedded in each of these guarantees. In
drafting these pledges, the following standards have been
applied:
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Every citizen will have opportunities for growth without
discrimination
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Politics and governance will be people-centered
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People are the true sovereigns in a democracy
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The citizen will be enabled to be self-reliant and
independent
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Fulfillment of the long-term national goals
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Implementing best practices to achieve maximum output at
least cost.
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Designing of rational, creative and practical policies.
Lok Satta is fully committed to each of these pledges. They
constitute the well considered answer to the genuine
question from people: What can we expect from a Lok Satta
government?
We call upon every thinking citizen in the state to
enlighten their families and fellow citizens about the new
society Lok Satta envisions - a society in which there is
dignity, opportunity, and justice for all Indians.
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