NATIONAL ELECTIONS – A CONTRARY PERSPECTIVE

During the last few months the subject matter has been projected, discussed, debated, written about ad nausea. The print and visual media had gone hammer and tongs in analyzing, pontificating and interviewing experts and sundry on the matter. The fatigue level has been going up. Can we look at the subject from a differing perspective:

1. It would not make much difference to the citizens, various institutions, to the management of the economy or foreign policy, whether it is Congress or BJP led coalition comes to power. Over a period of time emphasis on governance is focused on detail, rather than on substance. The manifestos and rhetoric leading to election is in essence for the votes and not so much for governance. The country is in essence on auto pilot in the management of economy. The style of functioning a new Government, i.e., if an alliance other that led by Congress comes to power, may differ and so also the faces who would be in charge from the existing one.

2. Allies of BJP would not allow BJP to focus on Hindutva agenda in governance and hence BJP may have to do a balancing act. For example, BJP may, largely to satisfy its own constituents, make hesitant moves on Uniform Civil Code, largesse given to Muslim community by Government for pilgrimage to Mecca, building a new Ram Temple at the Babri Masjid cite, take some initiative on getting to India Black money stashed by Indians in other countries and give a new look at the Nuclear agreement to suggest minor alterations, so that the party keeps up its election promise. BJP will be on tenterhooks on acceding to the demands of RSS in backseat driving.

3. Communists will oppose any move of the new Government for allowing higher equity level to foreign investors or to further liberalise the economic management or privatizing Government controlled bodies. They will also push for abrogation of the Nuclear Treaty, though they know that nothing would come out of such objection.

4. Other parties aligning with either Congress or BJP would ask for their pound of flesh in terms of portfolios for their Ministers in the Union Government and seek more projects and funding for the States they essentially represent.

5. Need for alliance with other parties and pressure groups within the two major parties could result in some of the major Government Ministries being manned either by obscurantist persons ( as was the position in the last two Governments in the Human Resource Development Ministry ) or inefficient people ( as was the case in respect of Home Ministry in nHo Home H Home Ministry for a long time in the outgoing Government ) or corrupt persons.

6. Viewed in the above perspective, the antics of fourth estate, both print and visual, during the last few months on the subject matter is laughable and shows considerable immaturity. They have made the election a ‘do or die’ issue. To page 3 celebrities and cine artists, who thought that their exhortation to citizens to vote would fructify, the public gave a resounding reply ‘ you mind your business, we will do ours.’

7. 40 or 45% voting is equated with calamity. Convert this 40 or 45% in terms of numbers and compare the same with the number of votes cast in elections in many other countries. We have a huge population. 70 crore eligible voters for electing over 500 MPs. There are countries with 5 to 10 crore population. Even if the voting in those countries is 70% or 80%, in respect of numbers the same would be very small compared to the number of votes cast in India.

8. In some countries it is mandatory to vote. There are yet other countries where fine is imposed for not voting. So some wise guys have suggested that we should emulate such fine examples (!) without realizing that it is impractical and there is no need to consider such suggestions, whether the same have emanated from the Prime Minister in waiting or not.

9. Then there is the ludicrous suggestion that the leaders of the two major parties should debate publicly the stand of his party on various major issues – a la Americano. For quite some time both visual and print media ( English ) and page 3 people, have become unabashed admirers of American systems and suggestions are made to copy the same, with amnesia covering up their Indian-ness and also the ground level position in India.

10. The visual and print media ( English ) are out of tune with the realities of the country-side. Issues which the media thinks are of paramount importance to the country, are not the ones that agitate the village folk. To quote one example, for city fellows caste is skin deep only, whereas for villagers caste is a 24 hour reality in all aspects of their lives.

11. Ultimately, the point is not whether BJP has assured rice/wheat at Rs. 2 per kilo as against Congress’s promise of Rs. 3 per kilo to poor, but how far the party coming to power would really be able to implement at ground level programmes meant for eradicating poverty, assured number of days of employment, drinking water, schooling and medical attention to needy and that too actually at the ground level and not in paper.

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