Indian Parliamentary Democracy: : Remedies :: Action by Voter / Government /Legislature / EC:
Daya Sagar Sharma
June 21, 2009
A Look Through the Mist
In the circumstances that prevail in India today, those who really want reforms in a democratic country like India but do not have enough power of money and muscle at their hand for reaching the seat of power must clearly understand that they will have to work very very hard on ground to secure the vote and confidence of the common man. To day we find many saying that Indians did not deserve democracy . I am of the opinion that in fact it is the pain in the hearts that speaks so. Indian Judicial system has also started appearing without teeth worth a bite. Candidates ( contesting elections ) with allegedly criminal record take advantage under the cover of " Nothing Proved Yet" We have to accept that a politician is "power" seeker first and social activist thereafter. He has to first make his political seat secure & only after that he can strive for the welfare of the weak. Common rural / voter who forms 70 % of vote bank still considers a MLA or MP like a Monarch of feudal system. In some areas people flock to vote under the pressure of goons / musclemen / even liquor/. This also shows that it is hunger that matters more to economically poor masses and it is the physical security that matters more to those who can not hope any security from the appointed law and order machinery of the government.
One would not see quarter the number of cycles in a street in 1970s than the number of cars parked in streets in 2009. The production of food grains / milk/ fruits/ vegetables/ consumer durables too has grown faster than the population. In inspite of all this the people are not happy. The foreign debt is growing. India is being exploited by US /UK/EU. The subsidies and the corrupt practices have eaten through the State tax revenue and foreign aid. The common man has been loaded with direct / indirect taxes much larger than the subsidies and support prices he gets.
In Monarchy king is born conventionally from a Queen. In a spirited Parliamentary Democracy a MOTHER breaking stones on road side could give birth to a "King. But in today´s "democracy," that India has, abhi bhi ek tarah se Raja ya Rani ki ichcha se ya "political Raaj parivaar" se hi Raja paeda ho raha hai" .
Rajay Sabha and Vidhan Parishad are used by political parties to make entries for elite family friends or those defeated in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections or even those who can contribute for the party through money and muscle power. Under the circumstances pressures need be created through the common man and the lower cadres of the political parties for getting some extreme correction made even by the constitutional/ legislative. The subjects of interest could be worked.
Discussions were held at different levels during the Jan Jagran Abhiyaan taken up by Dainik Jagran where in Vichar Kranti Manch ( International) Jammu ( a socio spiritual Voluntary Organisation) too was associated. It was a very useful experience for me. I would suggest some remedies for deliberations along with any other needed corrections for action by the Legislature / Election Commission / Government :
1. .(a) Internal democracy in political parties should be enforced through a law laying down that . organizational elections should be held by recognized Political Parties with in 6 months of the earlier term ended term ( Constituency/ Distt/ State/ Regional/ National level as the case may ) (b) A term for the executive should not be for more than 3 years. (c) A Law is required to direct the political parties to select the candidates for election to Legislature/ Parliament with the involvement of panchayat level party members for MLA and Block level for the MP. (2) Voters are terrorized and exploited mentally and physically. Regular close security has to be provided before the elections to cultivate faith of the common man in the law and order machinery. Special Material and social security has to be ensured to villages for atleast 3 months even after elections. (3) Election Commission of India must provide for distribution of hand bills in every constituency mentioning the particulars of qualification, assets and any criminal record of the contesting candidate. (4) (a).(i) Any person who has lost an Election should not be nominated / given ticket for election to Rajay Sabha or Legislative Council with in a period less than one year.(ii ) Any person who is a member of State legislature should not be nominated for Rajay Sabha or Lok Sabha Election unless he has worked as an MLA/ MLC for atleat one year. He should resign from MLA or MLC seat before the day of voting for Rajay Sabha or Lok Sabha. So far the voter citizen is has been deceived by the candidates and public money is going waste. Such candidate should be asked to pay Rs.10 to 15 Lac as cost to Election Commission (5) 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 (6) (i) There is a 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. This need be amended since it is against the principle if secrecy.(ii) In case some one does not want to vote in favour of some particular candidate or has information about his criminal/ not suitable record he should be allowed to vote against that candidate so as to reduce the votes secured by that candidate by one. EVM could have three buttons Red ( Yes) , Yellow( No ) Blue (Not INTERESTED). It is understood that Election Commission has recommended to Government that a Not interested button / non of these button should be additionally added in the EVM. I donot think this is enough. This way the known bad candidate is not put to any loss. But in case the NEGATIVE ( NO) button is there, the voter can surely make the success of a criminal / favourite/ elite class candidate ( otherwise not suitable ) a bit difficult by reducing his vote number by one. (7) 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. It is unfair. BY a law (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 to the first and 2nd candidates in the same manner . (8) A law prohibiting advertising the projects executed by the State as individual achievements of political parties / those in government by making payments from state exchequer need be made.; (9). No welfare programme or project or scheme should be named after a leader of a political party as it has so far exploited the innocence of rural India more to the advantage of only Congress Party .All such programmes / schemes /projects like Indira Avaas Yajna, JL Nehru Urban Renewal Mission etc.
No doubt such like legislative measures may look too harsh , but I am being forced by the ground realities to suggest such checks on MP/MLA since they have not stood to the spirit of high esteems to which their status was conceived in Indian Constitution. We need to have patience and continue our efforts beyond 2009 Parliament ( 15th Lok Sabha) elections as well. May be we could see some hopeful change when the Political parties give tickets for elections to 16th Lok Sabha. Let the exercise start now itself.
Suggestions are also coming for evolving a method to call back a MP /MLA when he does not perform or gets involved in criminal / corruption cases ; enforcing upon the political parties to declare their alliances before the elections along with pre decided CMP; for fixing maximum age limit for a MLA /MP (do not appear to me that wise worth immediate yes ) : setting educational qualification (too needs to be debated ).
( Daya Sagar is a Sr Coloumnist on Kashmir affairs and a social activist dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk www.alookthroughthemist.blogspot.com)
In the circumstances that prevail in India today, those who really want reforms in a democratic country like India but do not have enough power of money and muscle at their hand for reaching the seat of power must clearly understand that they will have to work very very hard on ground to secure the vote and confidence of the common man. To day we find many saying that Indians did not deserve democracy . I am of the opinion that in fact it is the pain in the hearts that speaks so. Indian Judicial system has also started appearing without teeth worth a bite. Candidates ( contesting elections ) with allegedly criminal record take advantage under the cover of " Nothing Proved Yet" We have to accept that a politician is "power" seeker first and social activist thereafter. He has to first make his political seat secure & only after that he can strive for the welfare of the weak. Common rural / voter who forms 70 % of vote bank still considers a MLA or MP like a Monarch of feudal system. In some areas people flock to vote under the pressure of goons / musclemen / even liquor/. This also shows that it is hunger that matters more to economically poor masses and it is the physical security that matters more to those who can not hope any security from the appointed law and order machinery of the government.
One would not see quarter the number of cycles in a street in 1970s than the number of cars parked in streets in 2009. The production of food grains / milk/ fruits/ vegetables/ consumer durables too has grown faster than the population. In inspite of all this the people are not happy. The foreign debt is growing. India is being exploited by US /UK/EU. The subsidies and the corrupt practices have eaten through the State tax revenue and foreign aid. The common man has been loaded with direct / indirect taxes much larger than the subsidies and support prices he gets.
In Monarchy king is born conventionally from a Queen. In a spirited Parliamentary Democracy a MOTHER breaking stones on road side could give birth to a "King. But in today´s "democracy," that India has, abhi bhi ek tarah se Raja ya Rani ki ichcha se ya "political Raaj parivaar" se hi Raja paeda ho raha hai" .
Rajay Sabha and Vidhan Parishad are used by political parties to make entries for elite family friends or those defeated in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections or even those who can contribute for the party through money and muscle power. Under the circumstances pressures need be created through the common man and the lower cadres of the political parties for getting some extreme correction made even by the constitutional/ legislative. The subjects of interest could be worked.
Discussions were held at different levels during the Jan Jagran Abhiyaan taken up by Dainik Jagran where in Vichar Kranti Manch ( International) Jammu ( a socio spiritual Voluntary Organisation) too was associated. It was a very useful experience for me. I would suggest some remedies for deliberations along with any other needed corrections for action by the Legislature / Election Commission / Government :
1. .(a) Internal democracy in political parties should be enforced through a law laying down that . organizational elections should be held by recognized Political Parties with in 6 months of the earlier term ended term ( Constituency/ Distt/ State/ Regional/ National level as the case may ) (b) A term for the executive should not be for more than 3 years. (c) A Law is required to direct the political parties to select the candidates for election to Legislature/ Parliament with the involvement of panchayat level party members for MLA and Block level for the MP. (2) Voters are terrorized and exploited mentally and physically. Regular close security has to be provided before the elections to cultivate faith of the common man in the law and order machinery. Special Material and social security has to be ensured to villages for atleast 3 months even after elections. (3) Election Commission of India must provide for distribution of hand bills in every constituency mentioning the particulars of qualification, assets and any criminal record of the contesting candidate. (4) (a).(i) Any person who has lost an Election should not be nominated / given ticket for election to Rajay Sabha or Legislative Council with in a period less than one year.(ii ) Any person who is a member of State legislature should not be nominated for Rajay Sabha or Lok Sabha Election unless he has worked as an MLA/ MLC for atleat one year. He should resign from MLA or MLC seat before the day of voting for Rajay Sabha or Lok Sabha. So far the voter citizen is has been deceived by the candidates and public money is going waste. Such candidate should be asked to pay Rs.10 to 15 Lac as cost to Election Commission (5) 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 (6) (i) There is a 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. This need be amended since it is against the principle if secrecy.(ii) In case some one does not want to vote in favour of some particular candidate or has information about his criminal/ not suitable record he should be allowed to vote against that candidate so as to reduce the votes secured by that candidate by one. EVM could have three buttons Red ( Yes) , Yellow( No ) Blue (Not INTERESTED). It is understood that Election Commission has recommended to Government that a Not interested button / non of these button should be additionally added in the EVM. I donot think this is enough. This way the known bad candidate is not put to any loss. But in case the NEGATIVE ( NO) button is there, the voter can surely make the success of a criminal / favourite/ elite class candidate ( otherwise not suitable ) a bit difficult by reducing his vote number by one. (7) 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. It is unfair. BY a law (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 to the first and 2nd candidates in the same manner . (8) A law prohibiting advertising the projects executed by the State as individual achievements of political parties / those in government by making payments from state exchequer need be made.; (9). No welfare programme or project or scheme should be named after a leader of a political party as it has so far exploited the innocence of rural India more to the advantage of only Congress Party .All such programmes / schemes /projects like Indira Avaas Yajna, JL Nehru Urban Renewal Mission etc.
No doubt such like legislative measures may look too harsh , but I am being forced by the ground realities to suggest such checks on MP/MLA since they have not stood to the spirit of high esteems to which their status was conceived in Indian Constitution. We need to have patience and continue our efforts beyond 2009 Parliament ( 15th Lok Sabha) elections as well. May be we could see some hopeful change when the Political parties give tickets for elections to 16th Lok Sabha. Let the exercise start now itself.
Suggestions are also coming for evolving a method to call back a MP /MLA when he does not perform or gets involved in criminal / corruption cases ; enforcing upon the political parties to declare their alliances before the elections along with pre decided CMP; for fixing maximum age limit for a MLA /MP (do not appear to me that wise worth immediate yes ) : setting educational qualification (too needs to be debated ).
( Daya Sagar is a Sr Coloumnist on Kashmir affairs and a social activist dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk www.alookthroughthemist.blogspot.com)
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