When Political Parties have no internal democracy how can they give a true Democracy to People
Daya Sagar Sharma
April 11, 2009
A Look Through the Mist
The Indian Constitution was written with care and Parliamentary democracy was enshrined in it. Multi party democratic system was considered the best for independent India. Indian pre 1947 leaders sacrificed the most to secure independence from the British. To day we find many saying that Indians did not need democracy since Indians do not know how to preserve it. I am of the opinion that such like statements are like over stating annoyance. In fact it is the pain in the hearts that speaks so. The non political people in India appear to be very much worried in view of the worsening executive and political system . Judicial system has also started appearing without teeth worth the bite. Surely it is worrying.
The politicians in India have landed the Indian people in most dreadful circumstances just in six decades of Independence. The political parties in India do not stand to their manifestoes and commitments. Many regional parties and local political groups too have mushroomed .The national level parties have rather weaken. Dependence on the small / regional parties has increased for a stable government and so local area interests have taken priority over national interests. The religion and caste based politics has grown over the years. The small parties depend more on divisive policies. Unless parties like Congress value ground level workers, the strength of Congress party will be eaten by regional / splinter parties.
The other serious negative development has been the corruption on the public funds. India as a developing country had to take up development projects , social schemes and support programmes for industry / agriculture/ rural sector. Money for these projects was raised through taxes, public loans, exploitation national mineral & other national wealth and loans from foreign international funding agencies / financial institutions The rural and economically weak people as well as the religious minorities attracted the politicians most of all since they formed over 75% of the vote bank. The politicians used the money from the exchequer and loans to formulate welfare programmes (aids and subsidies) for rural, backward and religious minority people . But these programmes were more quantity based than quality based. Similar had been the fate of the rural development / infrastructure projects. Such programmes and subsidies did less good and in stead made the social and executive order corrupt. The masses remained in confusions and hard to earn two square meals. Unfortunately even the educated , urban rich and rural elite took no interest in mass welfare issues. The masses in general felt helpless,rather were sidelined as regards the local governance. The politicians took the utmost advantage of this and gave first priority to any possible policies that could simply extract or / and buy the franchise of the Indian voter. Criminal rich too came close to the elite leaders and some found politics a means to earn social respect in their later parts of life.
Today Indian democratic system has been badly mutilated and is sick. But Indians can not do away with it. It has to be retained. But Indians will have to work much harder now to restore the trueness of the Indian Constitution for medicating the sick Indian Democratic Order. This could surely be done, though may need some more years. But Indians can not afford to spend more than five years for medication.
The immediate point for consideration is that even the national parties like Indian National Congress do not have internal organizational democracy. Congress has over 100 years of history with Gopal Kishan Gokhale ( Ratnagiri , Maharashtra ), Lala Lajpat Rai ( Punjab ), Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Maharashtra ), Mohan Chand Karam Chand Gandhi ( Gujrat ) , Bipin Chandra Pal ( Bengal ), Ajit Singh ( Punjab ) Chidambaram Pillay ( Tamil Nadu )
in their ancestors. When a party like Congress can not extend internal democracy to its cadres how could we expect that such party could provide a true democracy to the people. Similarly the other parties too do not have the real organizational democracy. Their party cadres are being swayed to the choice of the elite members of these parties. This very plainly speaks about the weak political culture Indian political parties have. For times unknown organizational elections have not been conducted in many national and regional parties. So the foremost job before those who want to initiate reconstruction of the Indian democratic system is to ask for creation ( where ever needed ) even some constitutional provisions so that (a) internal democracy is practiced in political parties and they hold their internal organizational elections regularly with in 6 months of expiry of the earlier term (b) the political parties do not use the institutions of Rajay Sabha ( upper house ) & Legislative Councils simply to benefit those who could buy selection for candidature through money power and /or personal favoritism in total defiance to the holy spirit behind creation of these Institutions through Constitution (c) the political parties follow a system for selection of Candidates to be given tickets for MLA /MP and their party cadres right from the panchayat / block level participate. But surely this can be done only when the political parties too support these requirements on the floor of Legislature. The political party leaders are to be motivated or forced to go for such legislations. The best method would be to make the cadres of all parties aware about their rights who then force the party leaders to hold regular elections / create provisions.
Political parties often undo all morals or ethics while selecting the candidates for contesting MLA / MLC /MP seat. Party cadres are not taken in confidence. The candidates are thrust from the top on the cadres and the voters. The sincere party cadres who can not buy the ticket with money / favouritism / muscle power are neglected for years. The common voter has no option but to vote for the candidate offered by the crown of a party. Presently there is no provision to cast negative vote against any bad element if given ticket or to protest with non participation. In a parliamentary democracy even a mother breaking stones on road side could give birth to a "King" where as in Monarchy king is born conventionally from a Queen. But today´s "democracy," that India has, abhi bhi ek tarah se Raja ya Rani ki ichcha se hee ya "political Raaj parivaar" se hi Raja paeda ho raha hai" The political party cadres will have to think over this very seriously and put pressure on their leaders to make selections through a regular democratic process. If done so I am sure it will not be that easy to completely cripple the democratic structure of India just for the benefit of a few. Candidate selection for contesting a Legislature seat should be done by mass involvement of party workers and not summarily by the "Raj Neta". 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.
Similarly from organisational point of view some more legislative action would be required like (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 an 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 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 being deceived by the candidate and public money is going waste. May be candidate can be asked to make food the expenditure by paying Rs.10 to 15 Lac to Election Commission.(iii) No Government servant who retires from government service or takes voluntary retirement should be allowed to contest elections on the ticket of a political party to parliament or state legislature with in two years of his retirement .
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.
( Daya Sagar Senior Coloumnist on Kashmir affairs and a social activist dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk alookthroughthemist.blogspot.com).
The Indian Constitution was written with care and Parliamentary democracy was enshrined in it. Multi party democratic system was considered the best for independent India. Indian pre 1947 leaders sacrificed the most to secure independence from the British. To day we find many saying that Indians did not need democracy since Indians do not know how to preserve it. I am of the opinion that such like statements are like over stating annoyance. In fact it is the pain in the hearts that speaks so. The non political people in India appear to be very much worried in view of the worsening executive and political system . Judicial system has also started appearing without teeth worth the bite. Surely it is worrying.
The politicians in India have landed the Indian people in most dreadful circumstances just in six decades of Independence. The political parties in India do not stand to their manifestoes and commitments. Many regional parties and local political groups too have mushroomed .The national level parties have rather weaken. Dependence on the small / regional parties has increased for a stable government and so local area interests have taken priority over national interests. The religion and caste based politics has grown over the years. The small parties depend more on divisive policies. Unless parties like Congress value ground level workers, the strength of Congress party will be eaten by regional / splinter parties.
The other serious negative development has been the corruption on the public funds. India as a developing country had to take up development projects , social schemes and support programmes for industry / agriculture/ rural sector. Money for these projects was raised through taxes, public loans, exploitation national mineral & other national wealth and loans from foreign international funding agencies / financial institutions The rural and economically weak people as well as the religious minorities attracted the politicians most of all since they formed over 75% of the vote bank. The politicians used the money from the exchequer and loans to formulate welfare programmes (aids and subsidies) for rural, backward and religious minority people . But these programmes were more quantity based than quality based. Similar had been the fate of the rural development / infrastructure projects. Such programmes and subsidies did less good and in stead made the social and executive order corrupt. The masses remained in confusions and hard to earn two square meals. Unfortunately even the educated , urban rich and rural elite took no interest in mass welfare issues. The masses in general felt helpless,rather were sidelined as regards the local governance. The politicians took the utmost advantage of this and gave first priority to any possible policies that could simply extract or / and buy the franchise of the Indian voter. Criminal rich too came close to the elite leaders and some found politics a means to earn social respect in their later parts of life.
Today Indian democratic system has been badly mutilated and is sick. But Indians can not do away with it. It has to be retained. But Indians will have to work much harder now to restore the trueness of the Indian Constitution for medicating the sick Indian Democratic Order. This could surely be done, though may need some more years. But Indians can not afford to spend more than five years for medication.
The immediate point for consideration is that even the national parties like Indian National Congress do not have internal organizational democracy. Congress has over 100 years of history with Gopal Kishan Gokhale ( Ratnagiri , Maharashtra ), Lala Lajpat Rai ( Punjab ), Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Maharashtra ), Mohan Chand Karam Chand Gandhi ( Gujrat ) , Bipin Chandra Pal ( Bengal ), Ajit Singh ( Punjab ) Chidambaram Pillay ( Tamil Nadu )
in their ancestors. When a party like Congress can not extend internal democracy to its cadres how could we expect that such party could provide a true democracy to the people. Similarly the other parties too do not have the real organizational democracy. Their party cadres are being swayed to the choice of the elite members of these parties. This very plainly speaks about the weak political culture Indian political parties have. For times unknown organizational elections have not been conducted in many national and regional parties. So the foremost job before those who want to initiate reconstruction of the Indian democratic system is to ask for creation ( where ever needed ) even some constitutional provisions so that (a) internal democracy is practiced in political parties and they hold their internal organizational elections regularly with in 6 months of expiry of the earlier term (b) the political parties do not use the institutions of Rajay Sabha ( upper house ) & Legislative Councils simply to benefit those who could buy selection for candidature through money power and /or personal favoritism in total defiance to the holy spirit behind creation of these Institutions through Constitution (c) the political parties follow a system for selection of Candidates to be given tickets for MLA /MP and their party cadres right from the panchayat / block level participate. But surely this can be done only when the political parties too support these requirements on the floor of Legislature. The political party leaders are to be motivated or forced to go for such legislations. The best method would be to make the cadres of all parties aware about their rights who then force the party leaders to hold regular elections / create provisions.
Political parties often undo all morals or ethics while selecting the candidates for contesting MLA / MLC /MP seat. Party cadres are not taken in confidence. The candidates are thrust from the top on the cadres and the voters. The sincere party cadres who can not buy the ticket with money / favouritism / muscle power are neglected for years. The common voter has no option but to vote for the candidate offered by the crown of a party. Presently there is no provision to cast negative vote against any bad element if given ticket or to protest with non participation. In a parliamentary democracy even a mother breaking stones on road side could give birth to a "King" where as in Monarchy king is born conventionally from a Queen. But today´s "democracy," that India has, abhi bhi ek tarah se Raja ya Rani ki ichcha se hee ya "political Raaj parivaar" se hi Raja paeda ho raha hai" The political party cadres will have to think over this very seriously and put pressure on their leaders to make selections through a regular democratic process. If done so I am sure it will not be that easy to completely cripple the democratic structure of India just for the benefit of a few. Candidate selection for contesting a Legislature seat should be done by mass involvement of party workers and not summarily by the "Raj Neta". 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.
Similarly from organisational point of view some more legislative action would be required like (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 an 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 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 being deceived by the candidate and public money is going waste. May be candidate can be asked to make food the expenditure by paying Rs.10 to 15 Lac to Election Commission.(iii) No Government servant who retires from government service or takes voluntary retirement should be allowed to contest elections on the ticket of a political party to parliament or state legislature with in two years of his retirement .
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.
( Daya Sagar Senior Coloumnist on Kashmir affairs and a social activist dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk alookthroughthemist.blogspot.com).
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