A view on Indian Politics

Democracy. A word thrown about often. What does it mean? Well it is essentially a form of government run by elected representatives and views of the population at large, and not just of the ruling elite, are reflected in the actions of the government. Though 123 of the world’s 193 countries are considered democratic, the promise of a democracy has been far from achieved, anywhere in the world.

The great advantage of democratic form of government is the accountability of the elected representatives, particularly at the time of elections. Unfortunately, in India, while elections may be viewed as free and fair, they have not been able to get men in power to live for the public rather than off the public. The countless incidents of violation with regard to campaigning laws and ECI instructions as well as widespread corruption in the political arena substantiate this. The ‘Cash for Questions’ scam, ‘Bofors Scam’ and more recently the ‘Cash for Votes’ scam are but few examples.What is disturbing about the current political scenario in India is the virtual disappearance of inner-party democracy. The tendency in political parties towards concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top and the tradition of dynastic succession are two major challenges faced by us today. Since most parties are not transparent in their functioning, there is no way ordinary workers can rise to the top. In Indian politics, the family name invariably seems to play an important and often crucial role. The Nehru-Gandhi family in the national front, M Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu, Bal Thackeray in Maharashtra, Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar and Farooq Abdullah in Jammu and Kashmir…the list is endless. These political families have earned the support of the masses over the years; hence their qualification and legitimacy often goes unquestioned and widely accepted. Top positions in political parties are controlled by members of one family (like in the INC, DMK, RJD) and people with inadequate experience come to occupy positions of power.

The Nehru- Gandhi family has been dominant in the Indian National Congress since India's independence. While Sonia Gandhi is the current Congress President, her son Rahul Gandhi, despite inexperience, has been made the General Secretary of the party and is viewed by many as the future party head and Prime Ministerial candidate.M. Karunanidhi, founder and chief of the DMK, has often been accused of trying to promote nepotism and start a political dynasty. Observers say that Vaiko, formerly seen as the ideological protege of Karunanidhi, was sidelined as he was seen as a threat to M.K. Stalin (son of Karunanidhi) and other family members. Bal Thackeray, founder and chief of the Shiv Sena, has also been in the news for practicing dynastic politics. Increased rivalry between his son Uddhav Thackeray and his nephew Raj Thackeray led to divisions within the Shiv Sena. What we need is complete transparency in the functioning of political parties and party positions must be based on qualification and merit. Ordinary workers not belonging to political families or having a political background must be given the opportunity to show their skills and talent and must be allowed to rise to the top and occupy positions of power, especially if deserving and suitably qualified.

During elections, campaigning by parties focuses more on achievements of those at the top rather than the contestants. The 2004 general elections saw the UPA government led by Sonia Gandhi come to power, largely due to her Gandhi credentials rather than personal achievements.

Favoritism, concentration and misuse of power and hero-worship by the masses are plaguing our democracy. Declaration of emergency in 1975 by PM Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi’s enormous political influence, and more recently, the disregard of constitutional procedures in the ‘office-of-profit’ issue are few instances. Some regional parties (like the TRS) have lifetime party presidents, which is completely against the spirit and tenor of democracy. Celebrities and film stars are often mobilized by political parties for appearances in political rallies and meetings to garner support from the masses. Some go on to enter mainstream politics. Hema Malini, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Govinda, Smriti Irani,…the names are plenty. For a healthy, progressive and resurgent India, and the establishment of a democracy in its true sense, there is an urgent need to draw an agenda for reforms in politics, especially with regard to elections and inner-party democracy. Transparency and effective anti-corruption remedies are the need of the hour. Media, that plays a critical role in public perception of political activities and occurrences must also report and conduct itself responsibly.Young politicians need to be encouraged and given the opportunity to express their viewpoints and opinions, and have a say in party decisions. Tony Blair became PM of Britain at the age of 44, while Barack Obama, the charismatic new President of the USA, is all but 47! India does have young politicians like Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindhia, Naveen Jindal, but all had an easy entry into politics due to their political background. They too, however, do not have a major say in the important issues of the country. Nevertheless, there is hope, with Omar Abdullah being elected as Chief Minister of J&K in the recently concluded state elections. When seen with the Rahul Gandhi’s swift ascension within the INC, it looks like India is moving towards a political process that increasingly involves younger politicians. Those ancient patriarchs that as of now seem unable to actively reprise their role at the helm of affairs should aid and abet this move, for in this lies the chance for not only the evolution of our political process, but in all likelihood of the entire nation.

Source: Live Mint