Justice is an elusive entity. It is perhaps because of this that a pledge of dispensing social justice is expected to have political purchase in the electoral arena. The Congress’s manifesto, the Nyay Patra, which makes several pledges — India’s youth, women, farmers, minorities and the marginalised are in focus — appears to be a testament to the party’s commitment to the principle of social justice. India’s Grand Old Party, for instance, has gone against its traditional position and taken a stand in favour of a caste census and — this may merit legal scrutiny — the removal of the 50% cap on reservation. It has also pledged to re-examine laws that hinder the freedom of speech and expression or are an obstacle to the granting of bail. On the welfare front, there is a legal guarantee for the minimum support price, doles for poor families, health initiatives, a write-off for education loans, a rights-based programme of apprenticeship — is the private sector frowning? — among other measures. Notable assurances on the political front include the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir as well as the clipping of the powers of Delhi’s lieutenant-governor. Unlike its manifesto of 2019, the Nyay Patra seems to have been crafted keeping in mind the challenges vast segments of Indians are facing on the ground. The obvious thrusts are against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s policy failures of a decade, especially those on the economic front, its authoritarian inclinations, and the alleged weaponisation of legal instruments.

But a meaningful manifesto is only a job half done in the context of elections. The challenge lies in communicating the pledges effectively to the people. The Congress, in recent years, has repeatedly failed in this aspect, choosing to respond to the BJP’s distractions instead of concentrating on issues that can help it mobilise public opinion. It would do well to identify Narendra Modi’s strategy of slapping the tag of the Muslim League on the Congress’s document for what it is: an unsubstantial, diversionary tactic. Whether India responds to the BJP’s emotive but divisive appeals or the Congress’s emphasis on social justice could well depend on the latter’s ability to inform and convince the voter of the importance of India retaining its inclusive, welfarist character.