Friday, March 9, 2012

Weakest Democracy




Selecting a less musty apple from a bunch of stale fruit would eventually lead to severe health problems. Same is true while electing a sleazy candidate as a nominee of yours in the government to frame rules and regulations for you. Choosing a bad from worse won’t solve a country’s problem. However, it can vitiate the present system of governance to even much pernicious state. 

India’s soi-disant Mahatma once criticized the representative democracy as emblems of slavery. He added that it is a superstition and an ungodly thing to believe that an act of a majority binds a minority. 59% Indians turnout to vote in the last general election that were held in 2009. Mathematically that meant 41 percent of adult Indian voters refused to take part in elections. Approximately 37% out of 59% voted for the Congress to rule over them. 15% Indian voters went with NDA while the rest voted for the third front. Ironically, the biggest share was of those Indian voters who didn’t want any political party to rule.

Yet, the UPA government with a minority of votes claimed the right to govern i.e. rule the whole of India. Such obtrusion of human rights isn’t new to India. India claims to be largest democratic country in the world still views of large educated section of the society are unheard purposely. Democracy by definition means the government by people. That means there must be an alternative if majority of people aren’t in support of any political party ruling over them. 

A question peeps out in my mind that when majority of adult educated Indians aren’t in support of a mass plebiscite in the form of general or assembly elections than why are we bearing down the load of democracy? Isn’t it stupid than to pay tax from your hard earned money in order to run a democratic alliance formed by minority of people? Often we hear various governments using misleading word “consent of the people” as a refuge to hide their incompetence. Consent of the people is again a very perturbing notion. Did Indians signed any legislative document or agreed upon any contract?

As a whole it all looks gloomy and imaginary like a fairy tale and we are forced to not only accept but also respect it. Also, why never did the majority that didn’t want any political party to rule over them revolted against this brutal practice? The answer is simple yet complicated. Majority of Indians never cared whether their country follows democratic principles or some other form of governance. The government never allowed majority of Indians to take an active role in the formation of government. Fallacious stories like politics is dirty were furnished from the beginning to prevent educated Indians to take an active part. Involving educated people directly in the mainstream political scenario of the country was always resisted. Instead, services involving government like banks, railways, etc. were created to make people work under an authoritarian rule. 

What’s the solution? It’s hard to reap out completely an established form of draconian practice. The best possible way I see is not to vote. Still there are minority of people believing in a failed democratic dictatorship and will go out to vote.

Time to Change | Views expressed are personal | Figures might vary.

26 comments:

  1. Rachit, our elections have become a joke. Honestly we never know what to expect, educated people just don't bother voting and the ones not so educated are bullied and bribed. And we end up being governed by people who should not be in the government at all.

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  2. hmm educated people, well they did join last time there was loads of youngsters who got into politcis but suddenly they have disappeared

    The problem we have is that WE know this person is BAD but WE will still go and vote for them, that mentality needs to change.. There are people who have tried to enter politcis but they have met WALLS, as in punjab a new party came up with very young face , young educated people . THEY got ZERO seat , because the people who were cribbing about how akalis did this or that , when they say a bottle of whiskey or some money they were ready to vote for them again.. along with leaders the mentality of VOTERS need to change tooo


    Bikram's

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    1. Well the crippling political situation in Punjab is 'coz of the fact that people don't care much while they go for electing their nominee. For them it's more or less like a rummy game. Also, the youths today in Punjab are engrossed over by drugs, adding to the mayhem.

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  3. Choosing a bad from worse won’t solve a country’s problem... agree and sadly almost in every election the situation is same.
    In the name of CHANGE just face of exploiters change and situation is same. It doesn't mean that development and growth in at stagnation.. It is obviously there but its quantity and quality is so feeble that its better to ignore.

    Agree with Bikram that along with the other side Voters also need to change their outlook.

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    1. We have been electing candidates not 'coz of their credentials but 'coz of his religion, caste, fame & money. Revolution don't occur midnight, it's the high time we start thinking of one. Thanks for your valuable commenting.

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    2. It's been a long time... readers deserve a new poet :P

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  4. If i see myself from the voters point of view, trust me, it would be bcoz ppl lost the belief in the system. Even if i'm voting, i have to finally select the best among the lot of all those candidates put by the political parties- so like you said, taking a best frm the worst and then seeing history happening again !! Change is required and there were sme upcoming youngsters, but seems like they all are invisible now.

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    Replies
    1. Youngsters?? Where are they?
      Or, are you talking about nepotist leaders like 40+ Rahul Gandhi or Akhilesh Yadav?

      Don't vote, let none reaches the parliament, force another election, again follow the step until the political parties get aware of the new revolutionized political scenario.

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  6. selfish and criminals do not vote in India.
    because of that honest people suffer.

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    1. or is it the other way around?

      We voted for 60 odd years, whats the result? Declining democracy & increasing corruption. It means the system isn't working and needs revision. It's high time now for a change.

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  7. And there's another list list to our country's problems too.

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  8. A less rotten apple or a less ‘sleazy’ candidate. Good analogy. “India Burned” was a fitting republic day tribute too. Beautiful picture and background too. As for not voting, what guarantees do we have that the system still won’t be in place? They'd simply have less people to bribe. I feel that giving a little time every week to support a more worthy candidate (like the young educated faces mentioned in the comments) might be a better way to make your vote count (and get rid of a whole bunch of rotting apples.)

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    1. Don't vote for non deserving candidate. If you don't find anyone worthy enough just boycott the whole election fiasco and let other know about the reason of your boycott. In much simpler words, create an awakening. It will take time, may be 2-4 general elections. But than politicians across party lines will know that if they don't work they won't get votes. Don't vote for the sake of universal franchise, vote for the sake of revolution.

      Welcome to Weakest LINK. :)

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  9. I think many people want this option on the ballot paper. Perhaps many discussions of the pros and cons would be a good place to start?

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  10. Choosing a bad from worse won’t solve a country’s problem... agree and sadly almost in every election the situation is same.
    In the name of CHANGE just face of exploiters change and situation is same. It doesn't mean that development and growth in at stagnation.. It is obviously there but its quantity and quality is so feeble that its better to ignore.

    Agree with Bikram that along with the other side Voters also need to change their outlook.

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  11. in 7-8 years these problems would be solved

    i see a coup in 1-2 years if they continue harrassing the army in same way however for that congress must remain in power

    and a revolution somewhere around 2019

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  12. KayEm: Yeah, there must be something similar to it. Welcome to Weakest LINK :)

    WR: Welcome to Weakest LINK.... and really the outlook that stinks needs to be dropped soon.

    Sanchit: military coup..? so you go with what some paid newspapers of India have to say? And yeah, there will be a dramatic sequential revolution in 7-8 years.

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  13. so you go with what some paid newspapers of India have to say ?????

    i didn't went through the news but heard on t.v. that some newspaper allegedly published an article -- i don't have even iota of knowledge about them as i only read dainik jagran

    i just speculated it seeing current trends

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  14. Well said...we need electoral reforms more than Lokpal...

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  15. nice post
    we need election reforms

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  16. Sanchit: Yeah friend, it was none but illusions of a treacherous mind.

    Alka: Tot agree with you ma'am.

    Sm: Thanks buddy, but I don't think our political parties will support any move for electoral reforms. Sad but true :(

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  17. well....true....what's the solution???

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    ReplyDelete