Swarna Bharat Party India’s only liberal party Training Manual This document supplements SBP’s manifesto. Wherever this document differs in from the manifesto, the manifesto’s position over-rides. Draft 22 September 2018 Suggestions for improvement may please be sent to [email protected]. WEALTH IS CREATED THROUGH FREEDOM “You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” - Adrian Rogers, 1931 i Contents Part 1: General questions about SBP as a party .......................................................... 2 1. Common questions about SBP and Indian politics ........................................... 3 1.1 Questions about the ideology of the party .................................................................................. 3 1.1.1 Why a liberal party? ....................................................................................................... 3 1.1.2 Why does SBP oppose socialism? ................................................................................... 4 1.1.3 How is SBP legally able to oppose socialism even though it swears allegiance to it? .............................................................................................................. 4 1.1.4 What can SBP do within one prime ministerial term? ................................................... 5 1.1.5 How do you expect to teach liberalism to the uneducated “masses”? ......................... 5 1.1.6 Why does the party claim to be “liberal” - a word which stands for socialism in many parts of the Western world? ............................................................. 6 1.1.7 Won’t SBP need a lot of money to win elections? ......................................................... 6 1.2 Questions about party’s name..................................................................................................... 7 1.2.1 Why is the party’s name “Swarna”? Does it mean the party supports the “upper” castes/ varna? ................................................................................................... 7 1.2.2 You should change the name Swarna Bharat Party to something else ......................... 7 1.3 Questions about the party’s political strategy............................................................................. 7 1.3.1 Is SBP going to contest elections? How will people become aware of this party until they try to come into the limelight? ............................................................. 7 1.3.2 Will SBP merge or form a coalition with other parties? ................................................. 7 1.3.3 How will SBP overcome the challenge posed by India’s diversity of castes, ethnicities, religions, and languages, which make it hard to govern? ........................................................................................................................... 8 1.3.4 Can honesty really work? Crooked socialists adopt vote bank politics to succeed. How can SBP succeed by being honest and not dividing the country? .......................................................................................................................... 8 1.3.5 Why will voters vote SBP if it doesn’t pander to their religion/ caste, nor provides freebies? .......................................................................................................... 9 1.3.6 SBP’s manifesto is largely for national reform. How much state reform is intended? ........................................................................................................................ 9 1.4 Questions about SBP’s internal management ............................................................................. 9 1.4.1 On what basis does SBP claim its leaders are competent and have impeccable honesty? ...................................................................................................... 9 1.4.2 How can we be sure that SBP doesn’t accept black money? ......................................... 9 1.4.3 How can SBP assure it won’t fall prey to factionalism and infighting between power-hungry politicians? .............................................................................10 1.4.4 How will SBP prevent a dictatorship by high command? .............................................10 1.4.5 Does SBP expect its leaders to sacrifice for the country? ............................................10 1.4.6 Are SBP leaders physically safe if they contest elections? ...........................................10 1.5 Key differences between SBP and other parties .......................................................................10 1.5.1 What is the guarantee that SBP won’t become corrupt and comprise its values to gain power?...................................................................................................10 1.5.2 How is Swarna Bharat Party any different from other parties? ...................................11 1.5.3 Difference 1: Nationalism but not Hindu Rashtra ........................................................11 Training Manual: Swarna Bharat Party ii Suggestions for improvement may please be sent to [email protected]. 1.5.3.1 What is SBP’s position on Hinduism as India’s national religion? .............................................................. 11 1.5.3.2 Should Hinduism be the national religion of India, given that India is a Hindu-majority country and the only homeland for Hindus? ............................................................................................. 12 1.5.4 Difference 2: By ensuring liberty (not socialism) we know exactly how to bring development and fight corruption ......................................................................12 2. Lies and canards about SBP ........................................................................... 13 2.1 False idea: The solutions in SBP’s manifesto are too ambitious................................................13 2.2 False idea: SBP wants absolute freedom ...................................................................................13 2.3 False idea: SBP is copying policies from small countries like Australia .....................................13 2.4 False idea: If SBP is so good why are committed liberals not joining politics? .........................14 2.5 Falsehood: Liberty is not an Indian idea ....................................................................................14 Part 2: Facts about India and common errors Indians make ..................................... 15 3. Facts about India ........................................................................................... 16 3.1 Why this chapter ........................................................................................................................16 3.2 Overall situation of India............................................................................................................16 3.3 India’s global ranking on freedom and development indices....................................................17 3.3.1 A massive qualitative difference makes things even worse .........................................18 3.3.2 Poverty..........................................................................................................................19 3.4 Justice 19 3.4.1 Rule of law ....................................................................................................................20 3.4.2 Public safety: Fifth worst for safety of women travellers ............................................20 3.5 Missing basic freedoms ..............................................................................................................20 3.5.1 Personal freedom .........................................................................................................21 3.5.2 Freedom of speech .......................................................................................................21 3.5.3 Freedom of association ................................................................................................21 3.5.4 Freedom of religion ......................................................................................................22 3.5.5 Freedom of occupation ................................................................................................22 3.5.6 Virtually no property rights ..........................................................................................22 3.6 Shoddy infrastructure ................................................................................................................22 3.6.1 Electricity ......................................................................................................................22 3.6.2 Sanitation and sewerage ..............................................................................................22 3.6.3 Water ............................................................................................................................23