Medowe Kapfo
Democracy is a popular form of Government. It is a form of Government in which absolute power is in the hands of common men. Gradually the other forms of Government-monarchy, aristocracy, theocracy, oligarchy, dictatorship etc are disappearing, in which there were total denial of the basic rights of a common citizen. Democracy signifies the rule of the people, and if it means anything, it means equality, not merely the equality at election time in the sense of each person possessing vote, whether rich or poor, high or low, but also social and economic equality. Democracy does not seek to bring about equality among the numbers of various groups who will follow their own convictions and pursue their own lifestyle. But Democracy does mean that everyone will have an equal change of development; there will be no exploitation on one by another; the millionaire and the pauper will both exist together, but both will have more or less equal political rights and equality of opportunity, with each individual free to go as far as he can. Democratic form of Government is expected durable because of the reason that the citizen gets opportunities of expressing his wills, develop his personalities and faculties for both social and economic justice.
Mother India is well known by the World over for her Largest Democratic System of Government and also for being of the one the lengthiest written Constitution in the World. Another striking feature that adds to her beauty is SECULARISM which guarantees a citizen to practices, preach and propagate any religion as per the wishes of the citizens as well as keeping in mind those religions of others citizens deserve to be equally respected. But there is a difference between the definition of Secularism in the West and in India. What is true in the Western context may not be necessarily valid in the Indian context and vice versa. Secularism in philosophy and politics is religious and sacred forms and practices in favour of rational assessment and decision-making. Western dictionaries define “secularism” as the absence of religion, but to India, Secularism means profusion of religions. It does not men irreligiousness; rather it means multi-religiousness. The Constitution of India is deliberately written down in a broader and wider sense by the past nation’s leaders keeping in mind the value of varied cultures and traditions of its people to strengthen the National Unity and Integrity. And for which we the people, boldly hold our heads high with pride and exalt; “Hamara Bharat Mahaan!” means (Our India is Great!).
However, some World leaders of repute and protagonists of Democracy, however, feared and predicted that Indian democracy and Secularism cannot exist long in the midst of want, poverty and inequality and also because of multi-cultures and languages, and it looks, the prophecy predicted is slowly proving to be true as far as from my point of observation. Like other systems of Government, Democracy and Secularism of India prove to be betraying the trust and hope of her people if compare into the present political scenario; she is failing to abide by her words and the outcome performance is nil. It happens many times that majority take a wrong decision both in terms of Government formation and religious adaptation over the minority. This can clearly be justified just by looking back to the incidents of the recent past. They seldom take independent decision and failed to go in tune with its actual synonym, is still failing and the condition is expected to get even worse in the near future if we fail to wake-up by now. The striking features of our constitution for which we were very proud as a citizen of the World’s largest and lengthiest written Democratic System of Government seem to lose its visions, if taken into sufficient consideration and researched without fear of unwanted consequences. However, despite knowing the root causes of its’ failure to serve the people with sincerity and dedication in appropriate direction for which they are solely elected, no ones dare to open up even including myself, as we had finally reached the stage where our own guardians and so-called politicians boast of their criminal connections, phew!!
Election comes and goes every five years with lots of honey-coated promises of Reformation, Development, Gender Equality, Justice, and Education for All, Poverty Eradication, Youth Empowerment & Employment etc. but all in vain and despair; except for some fortunate and privileged few who are close to candidate; to majority of common people like me; to materialize these hopes into reality is just a question of reaching the sky. ‘Blah! Blah! Blah! What a Democracy?’ exclaimed a poor neighbor? Comes elections! and its time to make surroundings and compounds dirty. Posters and paints on every street walls and house doors with clown-like images pasted on them with fake smiles. It’s nothing rather than a short-seasoned festival of papers, and banners of different colours. Besides this, it can be also described as a short of period of making merriment for street-hawkers/rowdies and idle-people as their pockets are warm-up with thick notes of currencies during this very brief period. But for how long it will last is up to one’s guess. Has election just become a change of leaders in every five years? Or has it become just some sort of gambling for the corrupted leaders at the behest of poor and innocent citizens?
Election is round the corners again. Name of intending candidates for the forth-coming election are the hot-topics of every household these days. Every place seems too echoed with the words politic. Politics in the kitchen, politics in the bedroom, politics in the bathroom, politics on the plates and politics on the streets. ‘But I supposed the best and most suitable place for one to talk about politics this season is to hold one’s cup at booze’s house because there one can have a chance to encounter with lots of interesting, genius and stupid personalities who have all the knowledge and meanings of politics to lecture you at their disposal.” Said I, “After all, who cares? Everyone is politicians these days. Isn’t it?” Said my friend mocking me. Anyway, let’s start rolling the ball straight away.
Shall we still follow that old and outdated system of conducting the election; once when we weren’t aware of own rights and casting our votes just for the sake of few hundred bucks and unnecessarily acknowledging them not knowing what their inner motives meant? Anything of too much is not good. Our votes worth more than one/two hundred bucks or thousand and even lacs. We ought to realize that our votes determine our future/children and the type of society we longed for. Therefore, one cannot make so cheap of one’s votes stupidly just for the greed of few bucks. Think carefully; think twice/thrice before you take the decision. As the saying goes, ‘The first step is the last step of your journey and you’ll be fully responsible for yourself. For every action, there is reaction. Likewise, let the stupidity of bygone days open our eyes and move ahead this coming election with brighter future and better hopes by observing our duties carefully as a concerned and civilized citizen of true democratic state. Let’s all vow to share equal responsibilities and make this coming election truly a Democratic election; The first step is to asked ourselves and revised our actions and scrutinize where did we went wrong; look back to the past performances, rechecked the same things where we had failed on our parts and discuss them in details to re-strengthen our Democratic Rights.
As stated earlier, we had finally reached the stage where our so-called politicians boast of their criminal connections. There have been a number of cases where persons under trial have contested elections, while being lodged in jail, and have won. Unfortunately no political party has taken any concrete steps to curb this menace. Decriminalization of politic should be one among the main issue of every election besides some other important issues and agendas of which we’ll discuss them later on. Truth is over shadowed and buried under the Supremacy of Gun Culture and Political Criminalism. As a matter of fact, criminal candidate with muscle power has greater chances of winning the election than a person of clean and decent character. And the outcomes and consequences we can reap through these kinds of criminal leaders is a clear cut picture of our dark-future which any normal person can simply imagine.
The Election Commission of India is powerless in preventing criminals contesting election. Law makers have become law-breakers. Laws have fallen to too-lows and cheap. It has rather become Laws of Jungles and the question to survive is ‘Survival of the Fittest’ like the wild creatures of the Amazonian Forest where only the strong survive. While a handful of political leaders have a serious responsibility not to put up criminals as candidates; we, the voters have equal responsibility to strengthen the power in defeating them. Before things get worse, some radical reforms in the existing of law needs to be taken urgently, else the Day is not far away from here to replace our Democratic Form of Government by dictatorship form of government.
Next followed by, ‘CORRUPTION’. It is viewed as a synonym for politician by the present generation. The word ‘corruption’ is not exactly associated with Politics, it is an inducement by bribery to do wrong, and this bribery can be of any type-monetary, emotional, sexual, mental, wealth etc. But of all, it is to be opined that the closest synonym to Corruption is POLITIC. It is a very deep in problem. It has entered into the psyche of people. Corruption has become one of the natural quality of politicians is unanimously accepted and understood and conceived by the people. Nevertheless, there is corruption in every department. For instance, bribe at the local police station seeks to lodge first information (FIR) when a crime is reported or electricity meter reader takes to read your meter wrongly or Doctor demands to treat a patient quickly. While the police have been declared the most corrupted Department in terms of public perception, the maximum amount of money is tucked away in the Public Health care system by the doctors and nurses with active involvement of chemists and pharmacies by charging extra for the medicines that are supposed to be supplied free by compelling them to purchase medicines from specific chemist and pharmacy recommending them un-required check-ups at preferred laboratories by simply gratification of proper care of health. Next comes, Power Department and the Education sector comes in third in ranking. Here the main source of corruption is Teachers forcing private tuition on students as a way of seeking extra income and helping students’ pass. But leaving aside all these references aside, Political corruption take the top-most priority in ranking of all other corruptions. It is not about lacs or crores but it’s about millions and billions which is beyond the imagination of average and ordinary people like me that simply vanish to the hands of so-called politicians before reaching the deserved people.
Corruption has crossed all limits. It has spread from the highest of politicians to the lowest bureaucrats of State’s Government. When Our Bureaucrats themselves are hand in glove with politicians and carry out their like pet dogs, getting like creamy crumbs and favours, what’s the ultimate option left for common people like me? These circumstances and situations gave rise to terrorism and factional activities due to political isolation and mal-administration. In turn, this becomes the greatest threat to the society not from outside but from within and who is to be blamed?
Due to above mentioned reasons there pops up some kinds of like Class systems in our society like the French Systems in the past where the Society was divided into three class systems and this like French systems are prevailing in our present era and gives birth to a huge differences in terms of Economic development. The activities of corrupted politicians and bureaucrats have done and contributed a lot in widening the gap between the rich and the poor. Although basic poverty levels have fallen, the living standards of the wealthiest in society have improved at much faster rate with the advantage of mal-governance, leaving the poorest lagging even further behind.
This extreme difference is proving harmful to our Democracy. Due to these factors, the poor and common people are unwillingly compelled to pass on inherit their sufferings from his to next generation. Thereby and probably, the next generation starts their lives with extreme difficulties and circumstances will deny them the opportunity to have equal and adequate share for example; nutrition, health and basic-education, etc. The Democratic system of our country is at risk. Growing inequalities is weakening social harmony; it is to be warned that in society where wealth is concentrated in the hands of privileged and selfish few, there is danger of revolutionary movement or like-civil-war against the aristocrats by the frustrated common people. For example; a country like Nepal saw one of the most rapid increases inequalities over the last 10 years and also experienced a political conflict in the form of Maoist violence.
Corruption is a grave problem which needs an immediate correction and attention. Severe punishment to the culprit irrespective of his/her designation and quick addressal of corruption-related crimes can be some punitive measures to check corruption or corruption-related matter crimes. Though there are sufficient provisions for punishing the offender in the Indian Panel Code; it has been found the offender get Scot free due to lack of evidence, excessive delay or intentional negligence and sometimes due to lack proved evidence by the concerned Department.
Population and Unemployment are the other two deadly diseases and threat to our so called existence of Democratic India. The population explosion in India, undoubtedly, is cause of great concern. There are various factors responsible for the population explosion for example like advancement in Medical science which reduced the death-rate in the country and longevity of life has risen. Our Mass ignorant illiterates consider each child a means of adding to their family income and other case like large-scale of immigration into the state is of great threat and are some of the major factors responsible for population explosion besides many reasons to mention. In this case, the government alone cannot be blame; both the people and the people in power share equal responsibilities in solving the problem. The people, especially those who are educated and literate, must consider it their individual responsibility to have a limited family. While the government on the other hand, should introduce some more means of strict and rigid measures. Much has been achieved, but still there is still a long way to go. If neglected and left unchecked, population will become unmanageable as more population means scarcity of all resources and requirements and may give birth to new problem of unemployment. The problem will never cease but will keep on growing more when neglected.
Unemployment is enforced idleness of the workforce who is able and willing to work but cannot find jobs. In compiling unemployment statistic for the United States of America and other developed countries; an unemployed person is defined as anyone who is capable of working actively and is actively seeking work but is unable to find a job. This magnitude of problem can be judged from the fact that for a few of government posts; lacs of people apply. Still those who have the courage, will and knowledge think of beginning a venture on their own, face the drawback of lack of fund and investment from the financial Institution. The result for this is frustration. When one get frustrated. It forces a man to think all kind of negative things. Life becomes hard and difficult and in the absence of money he may be forced to do all kinds of illegal activities, become beggars/extortionist or even joined terrorist organizations in order to survive.
Unemployment kills the creative urge of an individual and it is great lost to the nation in general and self in particular. The new kinds of employment scheme and special financial packages are the need of the hour to be introduced for the dynamic unemployed youths. Apart from these, population control is one of the main among to be kept mind while dealing other agendas and should also be taken deep consideration with guaranteed measures for positive result.
As a matter of fact, in a Democratic form of Government the opposition has a great role to play. The Oppossition Parties perform a significant role. They criticize government in the case the latter ignores them or conceal facts and they resort to protestation in the house and at the public level. It counts very much for awareness among the people over the specific issues of national importance and raises levels of political consciousness among them. However, just for the sake of opposition, the opposition criticizes the right policy of the Government. This proves very harmful for the Democracy. The Opposition acts a watchdog of the system. In countries where this multi-part system in vogue, including India, the opposition parties try to co-operate among themselves over particular issues. Arbitrary and despotic behavior of the Government is checked by the opposition in the Parliament that has a very important role of check of balance to play in the larger public interest and correct democratic practices. However, sometime the opposition criticizes the government just for the sake of opposition. It doesn’t see the merit side of the Bill or the actions of the Government and it risky to Democratic Government. The Opposition should only criticizes and posse the Government inside the Parliament, not by boycotting the parliamentary procedures.
The Opposition plays a significant role in its through recommendations. Therefore, in shaping of the legislative measures, opposition has a say, or at least influences it. Still, if their recommendations are ignored, they have another chance when the Bill is introduced in the House and debated. In extreme cases of confrontation, if the Government is all powerful to crush the Opposition, the later is potent enough to make a stir against the former and force them to exit by means of mass movement and agitation. Only than they can save the Democracy. Plato has rightly said, “The Punishment of the wise man who refuses to take part in the affairs of the Government, is to live under the Government of unwise men.”
The writer is from Pfütsero Town
