Democracy was seen as a positive substitute for power, personified in the body of unelected monarchs and tyrants. Our nation was born with a good Constitution, Judiciary, Legislature, Executive and the Press as the fourth estate, institutions all functioning with checks and balances in public interest. This held for a few decades after Independence when the deterioration started due to increasing power wielded by the elected representatives, their greed coloured by corruption, nepotism, caste, religion and criminality. The elected elevated themselves as VIPs to rule rather than serve. The highest authorities now arrogantly breach election code of conduct with impunity! People have hard choices to make.
Civil debate is vitiated, campaigns are turned into self promotion and political ambition, whilst lobbying, money, power, caste and creed influences government. People are brainwashed into false pride, manipulated data, double speak, unsustainable largesse and fake promises. Once elected, people are rendered powerless, their voices and Media kept muted! Like many cities in India, Mumbai City Corporation has vast funds for running its affairs and maintenance but every monsoon sees pot holed roads and uncontrolled flooding. Bridges and buildings keep falling down, people are killed and maimed due to no fault of theirs, corruption rampant, no one in the government is held responsible and guilty rarely brought to justice.
Modi became PM after India already reached as one of the top 9 economies of the world with GSLV, ISRO, DRDO, Mangalyaan, Metro rail, national airports, missiles, digital revolution (of which Sam Pitroda was a driving force), IITs, IIMs, electric/nuclear power, strong RBI, RTI Act, Consumer Protection, etc, not to mention help separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan and so on! Today Pitroda is viciously trolled for asking intelligent questions.
“When politicians fail to look beyond the next election or even the latest tweet, they are neglecting the rights of the future generation” said Roman Krzanaric.
The Balakot strike information was high on visual effect and low on facts which loudmouths differently filled in! Congress keeps shooting itself in the foot whilst there is fatigue over propaganda, changing goalposts, secrecy and aggressive hyper nationalism detracting from genuine issues for political mileage. Whilst decrying nepotism, BJP fields Francis D’Souza’s son for Mapusa and wants Parrikar’s sons to join politics. Government uses unfettered discretion in most financial matters like political funding through electoral bonds. Though these bonds are routed through banking channels, funding is made opaque, caps removed, donor identity is kept secret and not disclosed in their financial statements for public. This gives an unfair advantage to the party in power and is a great boost to crony capitalism. FCRA was amended to open the door for foreign political funding jeopardising national security. Political corruption has to stop first!
A very seriously ailing valiant Parrikar, at great costs was kept holding the fort till the bitter end as CM, and on his demise our BJP-appointed Governor swore in a “fait accompli” cobbled government of a CM and two deputy CMs after midnight! The Governor found no need to stall BJP from strong arming and stitching a majority that must be done on the floor of the house with transparency and accountability to the electorate! Once again at around wee hours of 1.45 a.m, MLA Pauskar and Tourism Minister Ajgaonkar of the MGP defected to BJP. One Deputy CM/PWD Minister is sacked from cabinet, Pawaskar quickly sworn in his place as PWD minister and Ajgaonkar as Deputy CM. Doors are open for rewarding defectors/ poaching from any party or even those switching back!
Are “we the people” so laid back that we will quietly accept/suffer anything and everything done in our name? The world has changed drastically with globalisation and digitisation. Online communities are active, both for good and bad. Pollution, climate change, fake news, population migration and jobs creation is not localised anymore. There are vast disparities in economic and personal freedom worldwide. Today refugees have no place to call their own, people live in lands having no rights or limited freedom persecuted for race or religion. People are unhappy in their jobs, badly paid and compelled to work in harsh conditions. Many are friendless, lonely and sad in hospitals or in mental homes and so on. The expectations of democracy are not being realised.
To rectify matters, millions of human rights activists and citizens around the world will have to strive to effectively exert pressure on their governments. Slovakia has elected a non political lady as their President, whose party has no seats in Parliament! Man cannot live in justice like a caged parrot. Government must not trespass on citizen’s privacy. The citizens have a chance to vote for what kind of new India we become. Do we profess compassionate love or prejudiced hate? Will we live tolerantly, peacefully, fearlessly and democratically with unity in our great diversity espousing the wisdom of the Mahatma, Tagore and our founding fathers by electing unbiased people of maturity and political sagacity to dispel the darkness with truth, enlightenment and moral courage into a symphony of nationalism that does not require being forcefully proved/propped up? Can we behave decently and ethically? Asking dumb questions are better than making dumb mistakes. If our vote has any meaning, citizens after elections have to proactively be able to control their MLAs? The day people cannot ask questions of the government or the armed forces will be the day democracy dies!
(The author is a retired naval officer, freelance writer resident in Porvorim)
