Tryst with Elections; A Celebration or a Requiem

                                                Tryst with Elections; A Celebration or a Requiem

The Countdown has begun .   20hours to go, ,19,18, 17…..before the clock strikes 8 on the 11^th of April for voting to begin. This will be my 13^th election. !3 is not a unlucky number for me as I am thirteenth born and all through my life number 13 has signified an upward change  in my personal and professional status. I don’t intend to be biographical and nostalgic except  to say that it has deepened my skepticism against superstitious beliefs that regards 13 as unlucky.

What does the 13^th election hold for me? For that matter, what does it hold for those for whom it will be voting for the first, second or the third … time? For the first time this year, I experience the eerie feeling that my forefinger cuticle will have the indigo ink stain for the last time. This eerie feeling is not age related cognitive degeneration that afflicts all those at the threshold of becoming octogenarians.  I share this eeriness with many others who have the good fortune to get another 15 plus or minus  opportunities to get their index fingers inked.  My only fear is this may be the last election we will see in a democratic India  if the forecast of the poll pundits run true to their arithmetic.

Psephologists  studying the current election trends are unanimous in predicting a second term to Narendra Modi and his team (which is a two-in-one team). The rest of the cabinet is there and will be there as per the wishes of the two men squad and will continue to function as celestial satellites orbiting around the solar order of Namitshaw.  Like all other celestial bodies, these satellites do not have light or heat of their own and they are lit by the stellar duo. They are only glorified caged parrots who parrot the language of their masters.

For many like me, watching the five years gone by has been a nightmarish experience. Unlike many critics of the Modi government who lament the absence of law and order when it comes to lynching and Hindutva push,  my real fear is the brazen flouting of law by the Master duo giving unfettered license and freedom for their bhakts to follow. Whether it is flouting of  the Sabarimala order or of the moral code of conduct, the hysterical pitch of the election speeches  from the two masters is a sign of no holds barred attempt to do what they intend to do. The MCC-moral code of conduct is applicable only to the opposition where even a weatherman has the power to  deny permission to an opposition rally by  a brother-sister duo- whose flashes of  cherubic smile seems to betray they are still political  novitiates . Their harking back to the age of innocence, love and compassion sounds queer to the modern generation fed on display of macho bravado of our Bollywood stars.  The distance between the screen and the multiple aisle seating in an auditorium lends enchantment to onscreen heroism  and so long as the action is on the distant screen, it fills theaudience  with a sense of euphoric nationalism that evaporates as soon as they walk out of the theatre. It is the same with the huge crowd at election rallies, mesmerized by the hysterical oratory of chest thumping leaders.  It is this exaggerated elation for the moment that gives a thumbs up to the political class who has pitch forked  centre stage the idea of hypernationalism that negates all the values associated with humanism and globalism. The fluent political and social commentator Santosh Desai says what we see today is not democracy, but emocracy where the appeal is to the emotions and feelings that are less positive and more negative in tenor. Hugging is passé on the screen;  hugplomacy is applauded when the macho man hugs the leader of a hostile nation. In this new age, old world values of genuine friendship are dismissed as archaic and Christ’s aphorism “love thy neighbour as thyself” is suited and limited to pulpits and seminaries. Such ideas are dismissed as antediluvian and often termed anti national as we are psyched up to celebrate retaliatory measures and actions against the  enemy-bullet for bullet, missile for missile, drone for drone, prisoner for prisoner. I remember one of the presentsenior ministers shrilly screaming when she wa sin the opposition that for one  Indian beheaded, we will have 100 Pakistanis beheaded, never pausing to wonder what it will be for the families left behind!

Hence my genuine fear that democracy may die, unsung, unwept and unhonoured when the law makers become law breakers.  If the abusive language resorted to by our political actors from all political parties has become the norm of political discourse, democratic civil discourse is dead. If there is no scope of civil discourse, then why have elections at all? They can serve only as a spillway for black money . The money that is being spent during this election is estimated at 50,000 crores that could have been utilized for building toilets, building schools, providing  relief for farmers, modernizing  technology in all sectors including defence, aviation, health, education etc. This is the tragedy of elections as conducted today that has been characterized by divisiveness, hatred, violence,  incivility, and falsehoods.

I will not be surprised if our two men army turns demolition squad and saves the nation from  the clutches of democracy that is founded upon old world value of “One Planet, the Earth/one Family, Mankind” that cuts  through hyper-nationalism and embraces humanity!  They can do sosaying they want to save the whopping  election expenditure.

Will the 13 ^th be my last elections/?Am I to concede that after five years, when I expect still to be mentally sound if not physically strong, I will be denied my right to vote and sit doing nothing ?

No, I want to protect and preserve our democracy, the benign gift of the founding fathers of our Constitution. I want this legacy for my children and for the coming generations. This means bringing some amendments before a  fatal amendment ofdoing away with our Constitution and democracy is brought into force. My writing this is an appeal to fellow Indians to understand and value the right given to us to govern democratically. The six amendments to be introduced shall be;

1.      The Minimum qualification to stand for the elections should be a graduate degree. If a graduate degree is minimum qualification to be an office clerk or assistant, why should it not apply to  MPs`and MLAs

2.      Only those who  are absolutely blemisheless  with no criminal record can seek election

3.      They must have participated in either NSS or NCC or NSO (social service, army or sports) to be eligible

4.      Only state funding of elections to be permitted.

5.      Elected members must be recalled if they indulge in corrupt practices and criminal deeds.

6.      Last but not the least, accountability of each one of the elected members should be done by a  Committee of Supreme Court retired judges and eminent members of society. This should be an annual exercise as is being done to government and private employees by  writing their annual Confidential reports. The Committee’s findings should be made public through newspapers and other media.

Will any of our political party have the courage to press for the above amendments. If they do so  democracy Lip(Live in Peace); if not let us regretfully say,”democracy RIP”. And speaking for myself, can I hope to have my forefinger inked for the 14^th time.?