The news of the recent countermanding of Chennai’s R K Nagar polls has now been overtaken by other political events in Tamil Nadu. However, what is clear is that one candidate was allegedly, with much prima facie likelihood, distributing relatively large sums of money to most of the prospective voters in the constituency. In an open demonstration of money power in elections for MLAs and MPs, there is now unmistakable certainty that large sums of money are required. Assuming that Dinakaran spent (or planned to spend) Rs 100 crore on bribing the voters, and another `100 crore for overall organisation of the election, he would have spent over `200 crore to get elected to the house. Money power is not any more an incidental issue—it is a core issue. This is the fundamental of the Indian election scene. Elections are no more free and fair.
Seshan in the ’80s finished off muscle power in the Indian election scene. Apparently, the Election Commission, despite successive excellent commissioners heading it, is clearly unwilling to address the issue strongly and effectively. It should also be added that the existing administrative system is not geared to help the EC address the issue; clearly the political will is not there to see money power as a menace, and address it.
The country admittedly has not done well in almost all Human Development Indicators in the last 70 years of independence—the basic responsibility has to be fixed on the political management. After all, if a company fails to perform consistently for 70 years, the board of directors has to take the blame. It is noteworthy that politics does not attract the right type of public service-minded citizens. To cite a recent example, the MP who created a ruckus in an Air India plane was consistently referred to in the TV channels as a ‘goon’; he is not alone. With honourable exceptions, our lawmakers are not the ideal law-abiding citizens.
We also need to rethink the governance system, where the political class has no check or balance over it. It is also a fact that the system, which was modelled on the Westminster style, has for all practical purposes become a Presidential form of government, especially in the states. In many senses, the Parliament is irrelevant—it can be argued that it is enough for the Parliament to meet only once or twice every year, for a couple of days each time, for expressing renewed vote of confidence in the government, and for passing or voting out every Bill brought before it.
In the State Secretariat, most of the decision-making is done in the Chief Minister’s Office, by the CM with the help of three or four hand-picked officers; the rest of the ministers’ main job is to provide political support, and also make money hand-over-fist at each opportunity.
At the field level, the block/thana/tehsil is managed informally, as is the liaison with the local mafia by the local MLA, in a lucrative manner with all powers and no responsibility. The above appears to be the general rule. Surely, a complete change is required in our fundamentals of governance.
Anna Hazare had sponsored a seminar recently to discuss these urgent issues. The outcome is a four-point demand charter for electoral reform. These include adoption of a new law ‘Political Parties Draft Bill, 2011’, to bring transparency in the functioning of political parties and bring them under the ambit of RTI, use of ‘Voting Totalisers’, make fake news punishable under law, and bar ‘chargesheeted’ persons from contesting elections. Equally addressing money power in elections is an imperative. The indication is that Anna is planning this summer to start a mass movement, much like the Lokpal agitation held three years back.
Electoral reforms are now imperative. Along with these, administrative reforms, new effective policies in education and public health fields are imperative for our democracy to thrive and flourish. The Modi government has already ushered in reforms to tackle black money and move towards a digital economy.
However, the urgent need for electoral reforms, and in administration has not yet been seen as essential. One hopes that Anna Hazare’s new move will trigger major changes in these sectors which are fundamental for the poor citizen of India.
tsrsubramanian@gmail.com