What are our thoughts?
Freedom of the press and the freedom of the citizens and the future of Indian democracy!
These are all the basic issues of how Indian democracy functions in the country. The General Election, 2019 has thrown up many unprecedented other issues that have caused many ripples verging on the very frontiers of the limits of the Indian Constitution.
Elections this time has become desperate for the obvious reason that for the first time a party other than the Congress had succeeded in 2014 to upturn the apple cart, so to say by winning an absolute majority and this had changed the very perspectives of the tradition one-part dominated Indian democracy. But then times change. And many politicians of the old school, were upset and there is also the desperations on the BJP for retaining power.
So, this election sees fierce competition and the outcomes are the flow of funds into the system.Crores have been seized and the funds outside the EC ambit are many time more. So, there is demand for cash for all the voters. The has changed the whole game of playing fair in the electoral process. There are various private NGOs who are coming out with the many fault lines.
There are more crorepathis, more criminals and more dynasts in the grabbing process. The causalty is the fall in all norms of democratic standards. Some of the election rhetoric, of course, many caused in the heat of the platform frenzy with the mass of audience cheering wildly at the prospects of their favourite candidates promising victory have led to the orators to utter words and promises and even threatening the opponents, why even perceived enemies at the gate so to say, keeping our neighbour country in mind are all creating a new type of fear and uncertainty.
The Prime Minister himself had uttered words and phrases that amount to much uncertainty. To talk of nuclear weapons at such a time is clearly unprecedented. Also, the world over the terror attacks are happening almost uninterrupted, the UN seems to be almost defucnt, we are sorry to note and the USA in its own ways functioning as a sole authority to ensure peace. Is this the right time to talk of other lesser issues? Where is a sense of some security in the international sphere?
The West is now very divided. The UK is in its own way caught up with Brexit. The European Union seems unconcerned about issues outside its Union. The Middle East in great deal of turmoil. The civil wars have not abated. There is a long list of terrorist attacks in some of the Middle East and African countries. There is also a food crisis looming in some of these hot spots. The USA as the biggest power is not in a good position to play the leader of the world but it is also causing unilateral role in blocking for instance, Iranian oil to countries including India. As for China, with all its admirable achievements in the economic development sphere, its political arena is an anathema to liberal parts of the world. People have to live in a sense of peace and open society.
Open Society? Ah, how many in India today might have read of Karl Poppar’s “Open Society and Its Enemies”. Also, we haven’t heard of one word about liberalism!
Why, the election rhetoric of both Mr.Modi and Rahul Gandhi have been completely new and the standard of exchanges, to borrow a word from an editorial, “nasty”. What is the history of the world? It is a process of evolution from monarchy, to imperialism of all sorts towards Republic (Rome and Democracy (Athens).
Are there not lessons for all the people of the world to learn some wisdom and restraint from wars and war threats?
How can one leader threaten his own people and people in the other countries with a nuclear threat?
Now, the world is more fragile and more unsettled and more dangerous. Also, inside India, our mentality seems to have degenerated faster into one of name calling by each one of the politicians.
The very many institutions, Parliament, Judiciary and bureaucracy, why, the media, the Election Commission and the various other agencies like Income Tax and CBI and Ed are unusually active. Even the CJI, the top court is not spared. There are various undercurrents. What has so far appeared in the press gives cause for dismay.
It requires enormous wisdom of the Indian people, the various classes, upper, middle and lower classes irrespective of their educational and social distinctions to rise up as one man and vote out the undesirables, vote in the upright and morally strong leaders.
To save democracy and sustain it is our bounden duty.