(An excellent article by Sri R.P Malhothra, thought to add the same to my blog.-Manoj Ambat............)We have just voted for 15th Lok Sabha. Despite dismal performance and nothing worth-mentioning to its credit, the verdict has gone in favor of UPA. Nothing is going to change. 26/11 Mumbai attacks witnessed total system failure. Just ten people inflicting hundreds of fatalities held the entire country to ransom for three days. People of the country were dismayed. Their anguish was not against the perpetrators but towards those who were responsible for total collapse of the system. As per Media reports vital clues were available with the intelligence agencies through phone interceptors about the 26/11 attack but every warning fell on deaf ears.
Notwithstanding widespread condemnation of their role, during post 26/11 episode candle light public rallies organized by many of the nonpolitical NGOs in various parts of the country to pay homage to the departed souls and soldiers those sacrificed their lives for the great cause, politicians were busy in politicizing the incidence.
But the unanswered question is; who is to be blamed - the irresponsible political system, the corrupt bureaucracy or lack of coordination among the intelligence wing and the law enforcing bodies?
It is more worrying about those who come by vote than those who sneaked in by boat. Political character has steeped too low to endanger the country’s safeguard. Vested interests reigns supreme over nation’s wellbeing in present day polity. If political rulers are least bothered about the public woes, corrupt bureaucracy, too, is little accountable.
The elected representatives run the country- the largest democracy of the world. Then should we say the people who elect them are to be blamed? No – the electorate have little choice. Practically, democratic set up in India is rightly elected by the people but functionally it is run by the bureaucracy for the politicians. Voters are just statistics. In our democracy those who turn up to the ballot box are easily wooed, misled, cajoled and bribed for desired ends and are then left to fend for themselves. The elite and enlightened seldom cast vote; they just discuss the outcome.
The political class, irrespective of the parties, has pooled together to form an exclusive group in which party tickets and plum positions are distributed within their circles and in most cases are inherited.
Performance or for that matter profile of a politician is no criteria for winning an election. Raw-hand youngsters and children of politicians inherit the business of politics. No ordinary person or for that matter a right thinking and able individual can manage to possess the kind of money, muscles and unethical ways- needed for winning elections; thus monopolizing the election process with a select class.
Officialdom is corrupt and the entire setup dedicatedly works for political bosses. Not a stone is unturned without suitable gratification and/or recommendation of some political bigwig. And in an exception where a team of officials just tries to work independently the politician at the helm of affairs starts fighting tooth and nail for supremacy even at the cost of stalling the development. Chandigarh is a union territory. Its affairs are run by a bureaucratic setup headed by an administrator appointed by the union government. Under the administrative setup the local Member of Parliament has no direct interference in the working of the administration. As sole people’s representative with the union government, he could have been instrumental for the overall development of the city. But instead the fight for the supremacy between the MP and the administrator took the ugliest shape to the extent of abandoning a number of prestigious projects.
Political interference in the working of police force needs to be curtailed. Accusing the political class of holding on to the reins of control of the police force, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi said the country was a soft target for terrorists and that the ‘neighbors’ were aware of it.
“Our system is old and medieval and the neighbors know this. We have not let the police system become professional and fully accountable because politicians and bureaucrats want to retain control. Professionalizing the police means true rule of law. The police is fully accountable to law and no one else,” the first woman IPS officer said. On the recent terror attack on Mumbai, Bedi said, “All those who had access to information, be it politicians, bureaucrats, law enforcement agencies and the police among others, should be held responsible for the attack.” “Breach in accountability ought to have meant dismissals and not mere transfers or suspensions. And later, reinstatements,” she added.
Electoral Reforms is need of the hour. Need is to make the politicians accountable. For that stringent laws are required for the candidates to qualify for the elections. To make the politicians accountable to the electorates, the electors should have the right to vote to dislodge (recall) the elected.
As said above the voters who turn up to the ballot box are easily wooed, misled, cajoled and bribed for desired ends. In an era of IT advancement, there is a need for foolproof polling. A system to cast vote through smart card, mobile or email should be devised to check widespread rigging and use of money and muscle power during polling.
Vote is a powerful weapon to change government- punish the corrupt and wrongdoers. It is not only one’s right but a social responsibility of each of us too, to use this weapon judiciously. Apart from sparing a few hours to cast the franchise, one should keep in mind to cast for a righteous candidate. Rising above the party line, past performance and/or profile of the candidate should be the only criterion in mind while casting the vote.
R.P. Malhotra
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