AN APPEAL

Elections are occasions when political parties make solemn pledges to the people reflected in their manifestos.

The manifesto is an opportunity for a political party to present its agenda for the future embodying the loftiest hopes and noblest aspirations of the people.

The manifesto is an opportunity for a political party to articulate its policies and programmes with a freshness of vision, a boldness of intent, a clarity of purpose and a renewed sense of determination.

The manifesto is a charter, a compact that a political party enters into with the people it serves.

But for the Congress a manifesto is something more. It is an occasion for recalling the uniqueness of the Congress, the special nature of the Congress and the distinctiveness of the Congress.

There is a new aspiration, a new expectation, and a new resolve among our people to better their lives and improve their standard of living.

We can look back with some satisfaction on our achievements. These are the achievements of the people of India, of its kisans, of its khet mazdoors, of its scientists and technologists, of its working classes, of its entrepreneurs and managers. The Congress has provided the political leadership that has made these achievements possible.

And we can also look forward with hope and confidence to what the future holds.

It is to complete the unfinished tasks that the Congress approaches the people of India with a sense of humility.

It is to brig India back on the path of economic growth, political stability and social harmony that the Congress approaches the people of India with a sense of responsibility.

It is a rekindle in very Indian a New Hope, a new expectation that the Congress approaches the people with a sense of dedication.

It is to give politics a whole new direction so that it once again reflects the highest values and becomes the harbinger of social transformation that the Congress approaches the people with a sense of hope.

Every year, the Congress pledges to present to the people of India a Report to the Nation that honestly measures that progress of implementation of the promises made and the commitments given in this manifesto. This reflects the transparency in our approach and the seriousness with which we intend to go about the task of governance.