Having taken ample time to regroup and articulate my thoughts, I am ready now with the answer, to a gentle question posed to me by a person with respect to my blog, “Independence”. The question was, are we ourselves not responsible for the situation we are in? Because it is “We, the people”, who send the people to represent us in the Parliament.
Well, this statement is only partially correct, as I perceive it. So it is not necessary that my views represent those of my fellow human beings. I on my part shall try to explain the cause of this view of mine. Being a teacher has this serious pitfall: trying to explain everything, considering this whole Universe to be a huge classroom with all fellow mates as students! I am sorry for that.
First thing that drew me towards this perception is the fact that nature has a way of creating opposites for everything. Each event has its positives and negatives. Even, whether science is a boon or a bane has been an issue of a raging debate from time immemorial.
It is true for democracy in its classical format as well. The electorate, i.e., the mass, is empowered to choose who will run the country for five years. But, whether the persons or the party that is elected will “run the country” or “rule the people”, is not known to the largely unenlightened electorate. Even in this age, our country has a high illiteracy. Though shamelessly, the people concerned boast of an improved literacy rate. I ask, is it sufficiently high and in direct variance to the rate of increment in population? Unfortunately, no. So basically a vastly uneducated electorate has been given the job of electing the parliamentarians. This I say not to demean my fellow nationals, but one cannot deny the truth. Since these people don’t understand what politics is (anyway it is a difficult proposition for educated people as well!), the parameters that they have for deciding in favour of a particular candidate is not in keeping with his/her worthiness. To them high profile campaigners from the glamour world or good looking people suffice. If a candidate can pull off a coup, in the form of getting such campaigners having a mass appeal, they are through to the “hot seat” of the parliament. Though this is not true for all, but is so for a very high percentage of our leaders. So with the inflating population and inadequate literacy rate, the “servants of the nation” are reaping the harvest of power from this “Demographic dividend”! And thus craving for absolute power. Greed is self-perpetuating.
Then I take of the second class of people, those who have been fortunate to get a formal education. I think that includes me too! Please don’t feel that this is a divisive approach of mine: creating “we” and “they”. It is not. The valid question then is, are we totally powerless? What are we doing then? Why can’t we change the outcome?
We can, only if we could know what runs inside the brain of these “servants of the nation”. Every time the performance of a “ruling party/parties is/are found inadequate enough to bring a change, those party/parties is/are voted out of power. In lieu of them we select some others. But alas, the outcome turns out to be the same. We keep continuing in the same boat. Their policies might differ but their agenda doesn’t, which is to rule. So rule shall they, while having managed to get the “mandate”. So where are we going wrong? We try to bring about the improvement by opting for change, keeping the credentials of the person/s we choose, in mind. But our perceptions are made to look wrong. But each time we can’t be wrong. It is too frequent an occurrence not to generalize that power corrupts a person powerfully. It has been rightly said, “absolute power corrupts a person, absolutely”. There is no conformity between what the political parties preach and practice. What they promise before the elections, forget them quite conveniently afterwards. And we falter, going by their promises while taking the decision, to choose or reject a particular person to represent us.
Blame cannot be placed on us, thus, entirely.
The third factor is the way the elections are conducted. Though I totally agree that technology has only and only improved the whole process of electioneering with the introduction of the EVM’s (Electronic Voting Machines) and issuing of voter identity cards, still, even the Election Commission wouldn’t deny the still continuing unfair means. With the onset of a new disease, medicines are discovered for its cure, so is with the advent of the new means of voting methods; ways to defy it and tamper with it have too been scripted. Our nation is a treasure trove of talent, but alas, they are being misused.
These are the reasons working in tandem to lead to the prevailing sorry sate of affairs, a very negative example of “unity in diversity”. Parameters are all diverse in nature but when integrated, generate a “Democracy”, which is nothing but basically a slap on the face of Democracy.
Then who is/are to be held actually accountable for the ongoing system?
None can bring in the winds of change alone. Just as this statement is true so is the fact that we as individuals can’t wash our hands completely from the issue. We can at least give the issue a tweak. So I being a person like most of fellow nationals, who loves the country dearly, can put forth some suggestions in my minuscule capacity.
To counter the first factor of the inadequately educated electorate and thus armed with improper acumen, to carry out the responsibility of electing the correct person, there can be two ways:
(i) Educate them in the right sense of education. Mere literacy with respect to knowledge of the Roman or Devnagri scripts is insufficient for the purpose.
(ii) If that is not possible then bring in the required changes in the Constitution wherein “age” shall not be the sole criterion for exercising the voting rights.
I am daring to ask for an amendment in the Constitution. Because if (i) is not possible, then (ii) has to be executed to honour the words, “We, the People” that have been so proudly scripted in the Preamble to the Constitution, to proclaim the intellectual caliber of the citizens. Instead of considering a burgeoning populace, educated or not, as a source of “Demographic dividend”, we need to respect them and their right to be properly educated and claim for good, if not great, governance.
As to the second and third factors, we need divine intervention!
The third factor, recognizing the unfair means and unfair persons, prays to the Almighty for outnumbering such people with persons of integrity.
The second factor asks specifically for divine vision to penetrate through the illusions that are created by the parties prior to the elections. We crave to see what we are not made to see, hear what is not said. Only then can we take the right decision.
For once “ being disillusioned” shall become a positive word! I look forward to the day when the citizens of the country will get their due. When truly their needs will be given a serious look-in and the country will be loved as much by “all” the “servants of the nation” as is done by “We, the People of this Nation”.
Sushmita Mukherjee
4th May, 2009
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