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

A Look through the mist : daya sagar

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. 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.
LONG TERM Approach:
1.Now since the political party leadership has failed to deliver democracy through honest means , we can not expect that the same leadership would venture for making corrections. Therefore, the Voter citizen has to come forward for devising ways and means to root out dishonesty from our political order since the majority of the "vote seeker" would never work for corrections.
2. The candidates for contesting elections are thrust on the voter by the political parties. The criteria mostly used is Caste/ Religion/ family relations and nearness to prime leadership. Even the lower level members of the political parties are not involved while selecting candidates. In addition to this the money and muscle power that the aspiring ticket seeker can display too plays a major role. Political parties need be forced to make selection of the candidate with the involvement of atleast panchayat level party members for MLA and Block level for the MP.
3.(a)Democracy in political parties should also be enforced by law. Indian National Congress need to take lead in this regard. In every Political party elections should be held after every 3 years. The schedule to hold lower level elections and the upper level elections could clearly laid in the bye laws of a Political party. Election commission, if need be Parliament should work for devising such a system.
(b).Recognized Political parties must hold their organisational elections with in 6 months of the earlier term ended Constituency/ Distt/ State/ Regional/ National level
(c). National level parties are getting loaded with leaders who have no base in masses. Leaders are being thrust from elite hierarchy and the common man has lost faith in democracy. The lower level workers of parties feel crushed under the money power as well as the favouritism that the elite leadership shows for the family and friends of each other.
(d) As a condition evaluation and selection of candidates for contesting elections should be made in a transparent manner by National and Regional level parties.
3 The voluntary social non political organisation working for education and awareness of the common Indian citizen about their duties, rights , Indian democratic system, the welfare programmes taken up by the government in the rural and backward areas, the health and medical facilities being rendered by the State , for cultivation of moral values and one ness in Nationality should come out in the field . They should move to villages and approach the interior India . Government should provide them material, physical and social security against the ciminal and tainted elements who may be working for the conventional so called " elite leaders."
4.Information about the damage done to every Indian will have to be cultivated deep through a continued motivation process as regards: (a) Low voter turn out (b) Criminalization of politics (c) the caste and religious divides that the elite leadership promotes amongst the economically weak members of the community ( d ) neglect of national issues by local leaders.
5. Rather the common has to be warned about the ultimate dangers. "Warning Process" has to be continuous and not only for 30days when an election is announced. It has not to be only one time.As long as the movement will not be taken to the villages tab tak janta jagae gee nahin. Lok tantra badee kurbaniyon ke baad milaa hai ab esae kurbani de kar hi bachana hai. Rather job can only be accomplished by bringing reforms and awareness at the lower levels. The crown is showing no intention for mends.
6. Voter education has to be given priority. Some say that in India Voter turn out is poor. But the fact is that voter turn out may be low but is not poor. Rather the voter percentage is much higher in the rural and backward areas that lack literacy and awareness. In the urban educated and better informed areas too the voter turnout is very low. Nov/ Dec2008 J&K elections have demonstrated the desire of Indian voter to participate in elections . The thing that should concern us more is the importance of sound, serious and honest elections as they concern security and integrity of a Nation/ Country like India..
7.Other thing that need serious consideration is material and physical security to a common voter citizen against the pressures of rich, musclemen and criminal- politician nexus. Voter is to day terrorised. The criminal and the rich have set roots very deep. Hard effort are needed both at the social and executive level to defeat such forces. Voters are terrorized and exploited mentally and physically. So security has to be practically ensured to the common man. The existing executive structure has failed to deliver. Security has to be provided continuously before the elections to cultivate faith of the common man in the law an order machinery . Ofcourse it has to be more ensured materially and politically after the elections..
8.The Electoral officers have to be brave, should devise methods & ways to reduce the time and distance involved in voting.
9.Voter has very little access to the information regarding the contesting candidates , particularly for Lok Sabha. Rather voter feels helpless for getting involved seriously. Election Commission of India must evolve a method for distribution of hand bills in the constituency mentioning all the particulars of the qualification, assets and any criminal record of the contesting candidate. This could be done atleast for the candidates belonging to Regional Parties ,Regional parties and those who may be contesting as independents but had earlier represented in Lok Sabha or Vidhan Parishad some Regional or National Party.
10 All these years many more suggestions have come. Some of them do need serious and honest consideration but may also require involvement of the Legislature. So exercise must be started right now so that reforms and correction are made well before next elections.
(a).It has been observed that money power too has started playing major role in nomination of candidates for Rajay Sabha and Vidhan Legislative Councils ( Vidhan Parishads). The objective with which these superior advisory institutions were created appears lost in most of the cases. The status of these institutions should be reviewed even to re assess the need for retaining these institutions.
(i) Any person who has lost a Lok sabha Election or Assembly Election should not be nominated as a candidate by any party or as independent with in a period less than one year after he lost the Assembly or Parliamentary election.
(ii ) Any one who gets elected to a State Assembly Seat should not be nominated by any party for Rajay Sabha or Lok Sabha Election unless he has worked as an MLA for atleat one year. And that too he should resign from MLA or MLC seat before the day of voting for Rajay Sabha or Lok Sabha. Presently the voter citizen is being deceived by the candidate.
(b) No Government servant who retires from government service or takes voluntary retirement should be allowed to contest elections to parliament or state legislature with in two years of his retirement on the ticket of a political party.
(c) (i) There is a need to delete the provision of registering the name parentage voter number and signatures in form 17C before election officer by those who want to register that they do not want to vote for any of the candidate seeking election since it is against the principle if secrecy and has not been used by the people in significant numbers.
(ii) There is demand for introducing a provision for negative voting. In case some one does not want to vote in favour of some particular candidate but has particular reasons/ information about the unsocial/ criminal/ not suitable record of some candidate he could vote against that particular candidate so as to reduce the votes secured by that candidate by one. Presently there is one button in EVM against the name of one candidate, in the new system there could be two buttons. Similarly in case a voter finds no candidate worth election there should be a provision for recording his opinion in the EVM. Or any method that could meet this need could be deliberated.
(d) In the present sytem the candidate securing the highest number of votes is declared elected even if he has secured less than one sixth of the total votes polled ( otherwise a candidate securing less than one sixth votes loses security deposit). In case there in only 50 % polling and a candidate polls only 20% of polled votes he may get elected to represent a constituency of 100 voters from where only 10 have voted for him. How funny. In 2004 Lok Sabha Elections there were 23 MPS who one with a margin of just near 5000 votes and nearly 325 MPs out of 543 did not get even 50% of the total polled votes. On an average there were 10 candidates for each Lok Sabha Seat. When averaged out one candidate each from a Nation and a Regional party, two candidates out of every un recobnised party and 4 independents who contested lost security deposit for every Parliamentary seat contested. So this aspect has to be examined and some convincing basis evolved. One such method could be that (i) .winning candidate must secure more than 50% of the polled votes (ii) in case it does not happen method of added weightage could be adopted. (iii) the votes polled by last candidate be added to the votes polled by the first candidate and the votes polled by the last but one could be added to 2nd candidate. (iV) in case still the number is not more than 50% polled votes for any of the two, then the votes polled by the remaining candidates be added further two the first and 2nd candidates in the same manner (v) process repeated till the votes in account cross 50% for one candidate. This is open for discussion could be taken to start the exercise.
(e) Suggestions are also in the tray for evolving a method to call back a MP /MLA when he does not perform or gets involved in criminal / corruption cases. This provision sounds attractive but requires hard brain storming and deliberations.
(f) Disturbed with the dishonest attitude of the politicians of the day some people suggested very harsh remedial measures like enforcing upon the political parties to declare their alliances before the elections along with pre decided CMP so that the voter could make a proper choice and the MP/MLA for whom one voted does not change his policy / loyalties thereafter by joining another party whose ideology did not suit the voter. In a democracy like India where we have so many parties and regional parties have practically dismantles national party like Congress, for running a government parties will have to come together. It may not be that easy to come out with some workable method unless some system like limited number of parties is worked out and enforced through parliamentary legislation. The anti defection law is already in force and has not been able to work that fruitfully. Regional parties succeed in getting votes in the name of caste / creed / regional issues since the muscle men from castes / creeds manage votes from minority groups taking advantage of their low economic levels or limited interest in national issues. Many people feel disinterested in the election process and show no concern for the electoral process, this is bad but is hard reality today. So a good number of people who may have information about the social and political values that a candidate may carry stay away from polls and their this attitude helps those who work to buy the vote of the poor with money or of the innocent in the name of religion / casre /sect. Voter awareness would provide some solution.
(g)To some estimates over Rs.400 to 500 crore may be spent during 2009 Lok sabha election through those who would manage the Election Event of Big Bosses through electronic and other media. If true this promotes unfair means. The projects executed by the State are projected through advertisements as individual achievements of the politicians. Money for advertisements is also paid from State Exchequer. This has to be ofcourse banned.
(h) No welfare programme or project or scheme should be named after a leader of political party who came into prominence after 1947. This practice has so far exploited the innocence of rural india more to the advantage of Congress Party. All such programmes / schemes /projects should be renamed .
(h) Suggestions for fixing maximum age limit for a MLA /MP do not appear that wise. Similarly setting educational qualification too needs debated since more that matters in a democracy is management of social / material needs of the people on the ground and this has more relation to one's coming from masses . The professional and educated brains are available in the government executive infrastructure for the use of the Legislators/ Government. Some suggestions have also come for conducting the elections only for the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister and let them then appoint their governments . This too needs to be put to regular celebrations.
.*( Daya Sagar Senior Coloumnist on Kashmir affairs and a social activist dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk alookthroughthemist.blogspot.com).

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

A Look Through the Mist : daya sagar

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 sector ) 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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.*( Daya Sagar Senior Coloumnist on Kashmir affairs and a social activist dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk alookthroughthemist.blogspot.com)
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A voter citizen can sentence a corrupt politician to political death

A voter citizen can sentence a corrupt politician to political death ::::daya sagar
It is no use becoming critical about the political leadership only when the elections are around. The efforts to work out corrections must carry on on a regular basis even after elections. Any how let us take some short term measures too during 2009 Lok Sabha elections.Time has arisen to correct the politician. The Voter Citizen can only do.
In the Films of Fifties the Villain wanted to marry a Lakhpati’s daughter, then in Sixties Villain was engaged in black marketing/ currency rackets. Then followed the Villains who were Dons of the criminal/ smuggling world. And in 2009 Villain in films is played as a Political Leader. The Boss character as played in Indian films has changed from an ordinary negative social element to a Political “White Collared Legislator” of the day. Films do reflect some thing that exist in the society. Corruption appear having become synonymous. Fingers are this day raised almost on all the public institutions . Even the legislature is not spared. But we can not afford to do away with the Legislature in a democracy.
In a democracy like India the Legislature is elected/ selected by the masses to work out the requirements/ priorities of the society to be executed out of the common pool and regulate those engaged on regular basis as government employees. Another paid full time “Executive” infrastructure is created ( through the Legislature) in the form of Cabinet for execution and management of common order. A government employee is paid pension after retirement because during the service days under service rules he is debarred from taking up any private business enterprise. Once the Politician is corrected, honesty will be delivered by the government servant
The rules / codes/ procedures have this day failed to punish the culprits and the corrupt. It is painful but a true fact even some legislators are often accused for their joining hands with the corrupt .It has become rather impossible these days to punish a criminal element of the society through the laid down rules / procedures.
The government infrastructure for checking the social and material crimes has increased so much that in 1950s States like J&K had only one IGP but this day such States may be seen at occasions having half a dozen officers of the level of DGPs but hardly any theft being traced or criminal being booked . State Vigilance organizations are growing but the accused subjects are remotely convicted . Agencies like CBI are this day accused of political affiliations. And all limits of democratic and political ethics were pushed deep into the ground by the recent controversy regarding the report of the Chief Election Commissioner of India about one of the Election Commissioner. The social conditions this day demand very very special surgical and clinical treatment. But even such like statement made on the floor of Legislature was taken very very causally. Now the Legislators/ Parliamentarians and Judiciary are also being questioned .The commissions set for enquiries including judicial commissions are not yielding.
Books of laws and codes are filling the libraries but the laws are not delivering. Every other morning suggestions are coming for framing newrules/ codes.
Many have been suggesting that there should be a system to call back a corrupt or dishonest Legislator. But , no one has been able to suggest the methodology for the same. How could it be ascertained that a Legislator has reached the level of corruption from where he has to be made to vacate the seat, who will ascertain it and how will the return be ordered ?.
Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was asked by members of a Women Society while at Kolkota that why his party was giving Mandate to the corrupt / dishonest/ alleged criminals. So simply but so wisely had Rajiv replied saying that when the so called "bad element" of society comes to seek the party ticket with thousands of voters endorsing his request , how could he deny such a ticket seeker and explain the refusal if questioned by his supporters.. Under the law the Government machinery / Organisation functionaries have to prove / justify every action taken for or against some one with proper documentation. reasons and opportunity to the accused / concerned. Where as,a Voter Citizen in a democracy is like the "Almighty" for a Vote Seeker ( politician). Rajiv asked “why do you vote for an dishonest person to whom Congress gives a ticket”. Mr. Gandhi’s words of 1985 still appear to me to be the only likely solution as on date in our democratic system to call back a non performing legislature or reject a bad element unilaterally. May be there is some other solution and it could be worked out later.
So far the only answer appears lying in our electoral system and the voting right the voter citizen has. No doubt in a normal course it could be only after five years but five years is not too long a period . A Legislator will again return to the common man for seeking his vote for reelection and then the non performing or and dishonest leader could be sentenced to political death. No case file is to be constructed , no written record of reasons of punishment is to be kept. More over such dismissal through denial of vote support can not be challenged in any court of Law. The rejected politicians has to plead his case for reconsideration only before the common man who denied him vote.
Direct action in material/ physical terms could be anti democratic. We must go by democratic means. When punished through a democratic process ( like elections to Legislature/ Parliament) no one can take the shield of rules and procedures/ or benefit of doubt. A voter citizen can sentence a politician to political death by casting his vote against the criminal/ anti social / bad element / unsuitable favourite of political heads of Party who may be contesting elections. No proof is to be given, no file is to be written, no advocate is to be engaged. A voter citizen is the total judge. A voter citizen has no judge above him/ her except his/ her conscience. Vote for the best before you till you have option to caste even a negative vote. Motivate the fellow voter citizen to caste vote and not simply criticise Indian Constitution.
Let the common man of India not simply rest after sixteenth May. Think of or debate some solution to this problem that is so frequently discussed ? . We need to introspect.
. But the Voter Citizen will have to correct the self first. The common man too will have to become honest by shedding selfishness that the system and subsidy culture has given to Indian society over last 5 decades thereby ensuring safety only to the corrupt politician.
"I" must have patience to stand in a queue wait for my turn. In case "I" wish to break the que it could be only through corrupt means and the menace of corruption would go stronger simply to benefit the " Corrupt Political order ". Indians must work to make India a strong Nation and not a big country infested with the divisive policies and programmes tailored by the politicians in the name of religion and region.
( *dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk )