Courting the power of words

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Promises made by politicians have long turned into a matter of public derision and fodder for cartoonists. In a climate of declining trust of the people on the promise and assurance given by politicians and chief ministers, a single bench of Delhi High Court ruled on July 22 that the state government must honour the commitment of paying house rent of those who could not make those payments during the lockdown. The judge said that the assurance by a chief minister in a press conference is an “enforceable promise” and good governance enjoins that the ruler is expected to implement it.

The decision can have wide ramifications in a land where politicians have traditionally devalued their words through indiscriminate promises. The judge’s observations go far beyond the immediate subject matter of the case at hand and concerns broader parameters of accountability.

Among the reasons that have shaken the trust of the common people on politicians as a whole, a key one is promises tossed around indiscriminately in public forums. Frivolously dished out, these words can earn a few immediate claps but can seriously erode credibility — one of the pillars of a political career.

If the verdict eventually culminates in the Delhi government opening up its purse strings for a section of wage earners, it can unleash a welcome shift in the political culture. With dole politics gaining ground in the country, rulers are more prone to make promises in press conferences. This verdict could trigger a process where politicians apply their mind and feasibility of certain steps before announcing them. For the common people, it would be a big gain to be ruled by politicians who are more aware of the weight of their words. Promises would turn solemn again, without the need to underscore their solemnity.