Baiting Voters
Wednesday 10 July 2013
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Exemplary display of money and
muscle power is the chief characteristic of elections in India, however free
and fair they may be. While some electorate stoop to undignified levels to
exploit the cult of ethnicity and incite communal passions, many others tend to
woo the voters by offering them freebies prior to the elections. It is a common
perception among some politicians that voters can be encouraged to vote in
their favour on the basis of material gratification rather than larger political
and ideological issues. The Election Commission has often issued guidelines
asking the political parties to limit the expenditure on their election
propaganda; it has often failed to crack the whip on the offenders. As a
result, distribution of largesse in the form of colour TVs, laptops,
mixer-grinders, gold, liquor and even cash to the ‘eligible’ and ‘deserving’
voters has become a rampant practice in India. It is a scathing attack on the
true spirit of democracy because these offerings induce the voters to vote in
favour of the candidate of a particular political party, thereby affecting the
level-playing field between the candidates, which in turn disrupts a free and
fair election. It is an attack on the dignity of voters who are seen merely as
votes and who can be tamed to dance to the tune of a particular electorate by
offering such baits. A sharp change in the electoral dynamics of several states
bear a testimony to the effect strategic distribution of money has had on
election results.
It is imperative for the citizens
to realise that such strategic distribution of freebies is a sheer wastage of
the taxpayer’s money. Large sums of public money is spent on purchasing these
freebies that are ‘gifted’ to individuals belonging to certain castes or
sections of society and have their names on the electoral roll. It is indeed a
corrupt practice that is leading to widespread resentment among the educated
middle class. On the other hand, the beneficiaries feel too overwhelmed at the
generosity of these politicians that they hail them as the true well-wishers,
their supreme saviours and even incarnation of God! They, however, fail to see
through the nefarious designs behind such unscrupulous practice. They fail to
realise the fact that wastage of public money to provide short term monetary
benefits will adversely affect the economic growth in the long run. They fail
to understand that why their elected representatives often complain of dearth
of funds for public welfare and development in the aftermath of elections even
when a huge budget is sanctioned to their governments from the Centre. Perhaps
they are hardly left with any money when a chunk of it is spent to appease the
disgruntled voters and even a greater chunk of it is siphoned off!
The need of the hour is to shun
obnoxious notions that voters have a legitimate share in the booty that has
been garnered by burning a hole in their own pockets. As observed by the
Supreme Court, freebies shake the root of free and fair elections; therefore,
it is incumbent on the Election Commission to play a proactive role in
strengthening the provisions of Section 123 of the Representation of the People
Act. It should formulate guidelines for manifesto to be included in the Moral
Code of Conduct in order to ensure sound and effective future governance. The
media should assist in discouraging this corrupt practice and enlighten the
citizens of the benefits they stand to lose in the long run by accepting
largesse at the time of elections. Voters ought to think prudently and rely on
their own wisdom and be aware of their fundamental rights before succumbing to
these baits.
Categories:
common man,
corruption,
elections,
freebies,
India,
political,
vote
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