The most workable and vibrant form of democracy currently is governance through representatives of the public, and elections are the most transparent way of electing them. The year 2024 is crucial for both the dynamism and the dynamics of democracy as more than 50 countries, encompassing nearly half of the world’s population will have an opportunity to exercise their franchise for electing representatives and governments in an unprecedented manner. This year, therefore, is very important for setting the tenor of civilisational discourse and for the inclusive development discourse in all aspects of worldly affairs—be it growth and economies, sustainable development, quality education, skill development, health services, communication, climate change, technology integration, human rights, territorial integrity, international relations and peace, etc., in a highly volatile world.
Bharat is considered the mother of democracy and is one of the largest democracies on the planet. As such, we owe it to the world to set ideals to emulate and sustain democracy in all its manifestations. The Election Commission of India has already announced the schedule for the parliamentary elections, bringing a hundred crore plus electorates into the election mode. The national and regional political parties are engrossed in declaring election manifestos and in selecting candidates for the parliamentary seats. This is the right time to think about how we can avail ourselves of this opportunity to create an ecosystem conducive to strengthening political as well as socio-economic democracy and thereby enriching civilisational discourse.
Bharat is considered the mother of democracy and is one of the largest democracies on the planet. As such, we owe it to the world to set ideals to emulate and sustain democracy in all its manifestations
The moot questions at this juncture that should occupy centre-stage in our thought process may be two-fold: first, whether winnability should be the sole criteria for the political parties in the selection of the candidates, and second, whether electorates will franchise their votes merely for electing or rejecting candidates or ponder beyond this.
It seems judicious to argue that the mandate of the elections for selecting and electing representatives is much beyond the winnability factor and also beyond election or rejection. Experience in public life, popularity amongst masses for good cause, honesty, integrity, transparency, commitment to public good and nation-building attributes, etc, should be uppermost while selecting and electing candidates for becoming public representatives, instead of the mere winnability factor. The elected representatives should be competent enough to set agendas and advocate for the development of the constituency. They should be in a position to articulate the aspirations of the public in development discourse to be pursued for inclusive and sustainable development.
Elections offer many choices for the electorates, for instance, which political party can make better laws for good governance on various issues, which party can make better decisions for the public good, which party can frame better policies and programmes for inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth, which party can ensure the execution of such policies and programmes in the most effective manner, and which party can influence the world-view on sustainable development and narratives for a peaceful world. Further, which political party is in a position to articulate the aspirations of the public in the best possible manner in the parliament and state assemblies? Elections are also occasions for the public to endorse the historical, cultural, defence, and environmental preferences amongst the various models proposed by the political parties in their election manifestos. The best model concerning such factors offered by political outfits should get preference in the selection or rejection of public representatives. This will encourage healthy competition amongst political outfits in terms of policy formulation and programmes for public welfare. More importantly, elections are also the occasion for the expression of choices for the social, emotional, environmental, intellectual, spiritual, historical, cultural, patriotic and pluralistic quotients in a real sense and appreciation of diversities of all kinds. All these points should be the guiding principles in the selection or rejection of candidates, both by the political parties and the electorates. A widely perceived phrase in the context of election is that ‘we elect the representatives and, thereby, the government we deserve’. Therefore, candidates should be thoroughly screened and assessed in respect of such attributes during campaigns. A sound character, zeal to do public good, ability to govern most fairly, and a capacity to think and innovate new policies at national and international platforms should prominently figure in the thought process of political parties and electorates for the selection of candidates and for exercising the franchise.
‘Right to Abstain’
The provision of NOTA, has not served the purpose for which it was created. NOTA has not helped political parties to choose better criteria for the selection of candidates. This implies that political parties and candidates have not learnt lessons from this provision. One of the best pieces of voting advice has come from Paul Tambyah, who said, “Voting is not a marriage. It is a public transport. You are not waiting for “the one”. You are getting on the bus. And if there is not one going exactly to your destination, you do not stay home and sulk. You take the one that is going closest to where you want to be”. The message is loud and clear that the best option during elections is not to abstain but to elect the candidate with a policy orientation most closely aligned to your own. The political parties, in the past, selected candidates based on caste, community, language, influence and financial resources—all euphemistically known as the ‘winnability factor’. However, the selection of candidates and voting patterns based on such considerations would be a dangerous proposition. Democracy is all about exercising choices in the most unbiased manner. As such, restrictions of any sort should not be imposed on the ability of voters to make the best choice.
Elections are also occasions for the public to endorse the historical, cultural, defence, and environmental preferences amongst the various models proposed by the political parties in their election manifestos
The role of media
Media’s role in educating voters becomes very crucial in this context. The quality of debates on news channels, social media, and print media have a huge impact on the psyche of voters. Elections are opportunities for the media as well to refrain from misinformation and disinformation, fake and paid news, even if lured by candidates and political parties. The media should portray actual ground realities on various issues that the electorates are confronted with and help them select the best candidates amongst the available options. Those in public life seeking renomination ought to educate the public about the healthy traits of democracy and elections. They ought to present an alternate model of development and governance during the election campaign and offer themselves for the review of their performance.
Many of our national heroes struggled and sacrificed to make Bharat the mother of democracy. Casting a vote, therefore, is an important way to honour the values and high morals they strived for. These considerations may lead to an increase in voting percentage and people’s participation in government formation
Some people develop disengagement from the electoral process and refrain from voting on the belief that “my vote does not matter,” and often say that “politicians are all the same.” They discourage others also from voting. The pertinent question is how to overcome this self-withdrawal and positively lure electorates to cast their votes to uphold democratic values and ideals. One way would be to consider that voting is not merely a right to encash but also a bounden duty to perform. Inaction on the part of the electorate may lead to severe consequences in terms of the election outcome and governance, and the responsibility of electing an unfit candidate and government will also have to be equally shared by even those who did not cast their votes. Complacency on the part of the rich, as popular belief, is that the poor vote and the rich do not, in this context, is liable to get our democratic system derailed and may cost dearly the future of citizens, nation and humanity at large. Additionally, many of our national heroes struggled and sacrificed to make Bharat the mother of democracy. Casting a vote, therefore, is an important way to honour the values and high morals they strived for. These considerations may lead to an increase in voting percentage and people’s participation in government formation. First-time voters should especially ponder this issue. Another burning issue is the soaring cost of elections, which needs to be curtailed. The government should devise effective mechanisms in this regard, which may mean elections becoming state-sponsored.
The upcoming parliamentary elections are, in fact, an occasion for Bharat, to set the highest ideals of the democratic process for the world to emulate and also a time for us to prove once more that we deserve the tag
of mother of democracy.
Leave a Comment