(The
author is the
National Coordinator of Lok Satta movement and National Campaign
for Electoral Reforms)
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The miasma of elections has
enveloped us. In ordinary conversations or talk shows on the
TV, the discussions invariably veer around to elections. Indian
democracy continues to baffle many. A country with a predominantly
illiterate population is going to polls in an electronic format,
and about 725,000 indigenous electronic voting machines are
in place. And yet we find it difficult to enumerate voters
properly! We are all well aware that it's a Herculean task
to get even a small information in a government office, and
yet the details pertaining to assets, liabilities, and educational
qualifications of all candidates contesting elections are
available on the internet! These paradoxes are baffling. The
diversity of this nation was also reflected in the speeches
of the political party leaders. Some made profound observations,
while others were mundane. Some made vitriolic attack on their
opponents and some were surprisingly balanced. The exit polls
have added spice to the whole exercise. For an outsider the
paradoxes of Indian democracy are difficult to comprehend.
No wonder international news agencies have termed Indian elections
as "colourful, confusing, and a passionate exercise".
There is more to an election
than mere exit polls, opinion polls and stars from tinsel
world campaigning for parties. Elections are about exercising
choice - choice not merely about which party should govern,
but also about prioritizing the various options that are available
for the well-being of the society.
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But often such prioritization
takes a back seat as emotions play a predominant role or
the concerns/issues that matter to the people do not come
on to the center stage.
Many issues have come to
the forefront during the current elections - foreign origin,
free power and secularism, to name a few. An important issue
that did not assume much importance was the question of
continued and growing inequality in India. This inequality
manifests itself in social and economic realms. In the economic
realm there is growing inequality between regions and between
different sections of population. While the old license-permit-quota
raj is being dismantled for good, the emergent market economy
is not particularly helpful in reducing disparities. People
who are equipped to participate in the global market have
benefited immensely while the groups who have not acquired
the requisite skills or understanding of the market have
been left behind. It is precisely for this reason that today
we have conflicting slogans - "India Shining"
and "Bharat Not Shining". Both slogans capture
parts of the same reality. While some segments of populations
of the urban India have benefited from market economy and
globalization, the vast stretches of rural India, often
referred to as Bharat, are yet to experience the benefits
of modernization. The growing demand for smaller states
and alleged discrimination of certain regions in this country
is a manifestation of these inequalities. In the social
realm, inequality is a consequence of caste and gender discriminations.
All the parties have reiterated their commitment to greater
representation of women in legislatures. But there is no
tangible action. Further, the strategies to alter the socio-economic
profile of women were not debated. The necessity for structural
change or dismantling the central logic of caste system
or the strategies that are necessary to ensure equal opportunities
for all sections did not dominate election debates. Education,
health care and rule of law - the three essential ingredients
in a just society creating opportunities for vertical mobility
- have not been the main themes of any elections in India
so far. The continued inequalities will only result in discord
and strife, which is neither good for our democracy nor
for the growth of our economy.
Only a strong and vibrant
state can address these challenges. We need institutions
which will breathe life into legislations and scrupulously
implement policies. However, the state apparatus is plagued
by unaccountability and inefficiency. Tragically, all the
parties have failed to clearly specify steps that they would
take to revitalize the bureaucratic leviathan. Most promises
therefore will be unkept. Anti-incumbency is not merely
a consequence of lack of will to deliver basic services
to the poor and needy. It is largely a consequence of the
inability to translate ideas into action due to institutional
degeneration. The need of the hour therefore is to revitalize
our State and its institutions.
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