'Rabri Devi as the unlikely Statue of Liberty'

It was Devi Lal, that great epitome of earthy wisdom, who once asked, "Who reads manifestos?" It doesn't need an exhaustive survey to glean the answer. Yet for political parties, especially those grounded in principles, manifestos are more than decorative add-ons. They are indispensable points of reference, distinguishing the ideal from the expedient.