The electoral process in India needs short term and long term medications--I Daya Sagar

The electoral process in India needs short term and long term medications--I

A Look Through the Mist : daya sagar

( * Daya Sagar is a Sr coloumnist of Kashmir affairs and a social activist  dayasagr45@yahoo.com ;  ) ' 

http://www.alookthroughthemist.blogspot.com/

Most of the Indian people have today lost faith in the Parliamentary democracy. Rather the floor of parliament as well as the legislative assemblies have lost the grace and honour. I need not quote any specifics here. A common man is often found sermoning that no sensible or respectable person would prefer joining a political party and saying that politics is a dirty profession. The impressions may be true but it can not be accepted that political affairs of the country should be left to those why practice dirty and dishonest code of practice. They are to be either corrected or replaced. All well meaning people must not stay only on the side lines. Rather they should come forward.

India is no doubt the largest democracy of the world. Indian people gave to their self a Constitution on 26th January 1947.It is 61 years now. Indians wrote a Constitution themself for their own use. The Constitution has gone through nearly a century of amendments all these years. Many new laws have been framed since 1950. A lot of material development could be counted .

One would not see quarter the number of cycles in a street in 1970s as the number of cars one would see parked in the streets in 2009.The number of schools, colleges and the hospitals has grown many more times the population of India has grown since 1950.The material standard of living of an average Indian has surely risen since 1947.The production of food grains, milk, fruits, vegetables and consumer durables too has grown faster than the population. Exports of materials and services from India too have grown. The political leadership too has learnt better methods to project their achievements when in power. 

Material wealth of India has risen due to exploitation of national material reserves, through exports and loans & assistance from the international organizations like WB,ADB,IMF etc. But inspite of all this the people are not happy, the common man is exploited, corruption on government funds has grown many folds, the law and order machinery is not functioning, all complain of not receiving justice in time, the welfare schemes are non yielding and have encouraged those who adopt unfair means, the voluntary sector (better known today as NGO secto ) too has lost its credibility, legislature has lost its sanctity ( extreme could be seen the way the Rajay Sabha ---Upper House of Parliament , and Vidhan Parishad - Legislative Council are misused by the political parties to make entries for family friends, those who earlier lost Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly Elections, those who have no special intellectual or professional outstanding qualification except for having found opportunity to rub shoulders with senior political leaders simply for the reasons of their have made crores of rupees through what ever means possible ). 

The poor / low income members of the Indian society have lost any interest in the management of country affairs. They are not sure of any physical or social security. The politicians are lost in dirtiest possible political gamesmanship and have successfully inherited the divide and rule game plan from the British. No efforts are being spared to divide Indians in the name of caste/ creed/religion/region/sects. The law and order machinery having lost its bite, the criminals and those corrupting on the social wealth have risen very close to the political masters. The common man is put under material and mental pressures after every five years to secure the reins of power. The national values are dwindling and the India is being exploited by the foreign powers. The democracy that Indian elders had secured with hard sacrifices now requires even more sacrifice to preserve it.

No doubt the judiciary and the political leadership is theoretically expected to settle the things right. But under the circumstances the Indian people (society) for better self governance will have to take up the corrective measures at its own level. No doubt since the damage has been large it may take min five years of sustained honest efforts for some visible accountable improvements. But still some short term measures too could be taken to see that some good quality people enter the Lok Sabha after April/ May 2009 elections. The long term measures could rest in raising a sound social order percolating deep into rural India and some electoral reforms in our system including some constitutional corrections.

SHORT TERM :

1.Let us dare evaluate the contesting candidate on the basis of his earlier performance and the reputation at the social level.

2.Let us come out in large numbers to vote. Let us motivate our neighbour. This would fight out the elements who depend upon criminal muscle power , the caste/ religion politics and the money power to mis carry the less aware innocent voters.

3. Right to vote is of an Indian citizen and Election commission / Government has to be made to provide all fair , free and easy means for a voter to reach a polling booth. Report any unfair means adopted by any one to EC. Care for others only then you will be safe.

4. You need to inform others about any criminal record of some candidate. Incase you feel scared, atleast you do not vote for such a tainted candidate.

5.Pass on awareness to the rural, uneducated, economically weak and socially innocent voter on importance of his VOTE.

6.Social voluntary organisations should help the EC in spreading the security and support information amongst the voters.

7.Those voters who feel disinterested and helpless should be motivated and encouraged to vote.

8 Be brave to provide social security to weaker sections around you so that they feel safe to vote to their choice.

9. Regional parties usually attempt to get votes in the name of caste / creed since the muscle men from castes / creeds manage votes from minority groups and the majority of peole stay inside. Make people to come out in majority.

The system has been badly damaged. Selfishness in Indian people has grown. The subsidies and the corrupt practices have eaten through the State tax revenue. The common man has only been loaded with new taxes much larger than the subsidies and support prices he gets. 

He is innocent .Instead of knowing the Democratic system more closely, the common rural , backward and poor Indian who forms 70 % of Indian vote bank considers a MLA or MP more than a Monarch of feudal system. Janta Janardan does not understand that Janta is the king maker, if atall the politician allures the voter on the day of polling , it is only for a few moments the prospective voter sits for a "SIP" on the "table" laid by the "candidate". Money and liquor are frequently used to buy the vote of the economically weaker people. 

Rather in many areas the voters flock to vote under the influence of money and liquor. In some areas people flock to vote under the pressure of goons and musclemen. This shows that it is hunger that matters more to economically poor masses and it is physical security that matters more to those who can not hope any security through the existing law and order machinery of the government. Therefore, need is to carry on the corrective measures even beyond the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections at the social, administrative, judicial and prospective levels. Long term measures would surely involve corrections that would need actions at the legislative and executive levels. Ofcourse assistance of judiciary to would be needed.

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