|
|
Why not form voter's
council? Sunil Dang continues with the story of an amazing Indian
journal IN the June 1988 issue of The DayAfter, when I had already
taken over as the editor of the journal, I pleaded for the for-mation
of Voter’s Council as an institution to further strengthen the
democratic system of the country and bring about an element of
transparency and accountability for the elected representatives of
the people who are never clear what is their exact mandate. Often it
is seen that party manifestoes and declarations before the elections
say one thing and after the voters have decided about the victory
and defeat of the parties and set the tone for the electoral
mathematics, the dumped and the defeated would go to any length to
even violate the provisions of the Constittution to vent their
frustration at having being rejected by the electorate. Strangely
enough, the results of the Lok Sabha poll for 2004 have once again
brought the same issue into focus. Can the defefated take to the
streets on emotional non-issue to disturb the law and order of the
country and create destructive acrimony, clash and climate of
violence? Has the electorate ever given a mandate for this kind of
extra-constitutional, extra legal and extra moral political
misbehaviour to any party or individual? And could not such a
political adventurism and politics of frustration lead to disastrous
consequences for democracy? And if the electorate feels that a
particular elected representative is misrepresenting and misusing
the mandate given by the electors, do not they have the right to ask
him to explain and if they so feel withdraw their mandate and recall
such political misbehaviourist? These were fundamental issues raised
for a national debate by The Day After in a situation, almost 16
years ago, when the country was still emerging from the political
violence which had traumatised Punjab and the rest of the country.
The situation today or tomorrow might be similar because of
different emotional exploiters and elements of frustrated politics,
but the basic issue would remain the same. Just to refresh the
memory of our readers, I would like to reproduce four paragraphs
from my June 1988 editorial I had written. The elected
representatives of the people, whether you elect them to a civic
body, a state assembly or the Lok Sabha, once elected, generally
neglect those who elected them, till the next election. There might
be honourable exceptions but the rule of the neglect holds good for
the majority. There have been cases like a MLA or MP having never
shown his face to his electorate for a full term. Of course such a
representative is guilty of violating the mandate of the people.
Then there are MLAs and MPs who are elected by the people because
they represent a particular ideology and party and are bound by the
election manifestoes or promises to the people on the basis of which
they ask for their votes. Once elected, they indulge in their
favourite pastime pursuing power for the power’s sake and often
rebel against the party on whose ticket they were elected. They
sidetrack the election laws to continue in the elected bodies
despite the fact that they no longer represent the basis on which
they were elected. The law does not give the voters any power over
the representatives who betrayed them. But should one wait for the
great day when the politicians will voluntarily pass legislation
giving the voters a strong and unassailable right to recall the
betrayers? It is suggested that voters in each constituency at the
civic, state and the Lok Sabha constituency levels should form
themselves into voters’ councils which should constantly seek
explanation from the elected representatives about what they have
done for the people who elected them. Those who have not done their
duty to the people should be publicly chastised and complaints
should be recorded against them from public platform. The leaders of
the elected houses and the political parties on whose tickets they
are elected should also be notified in writing about the displeasure
of the voters. Why not take up the work voluntarily and exercise
your moral public pressure on the wayward representatives? If one
looks at the post poll situation in India today, one would see the
point in enacting electoral reform to check the electoral system
degenerating into street-politics and acts of criminal violence and
conflict being given the sanctity of accepted political behaviour.
The anger of the defeated being channelised into explosion of
frustration and violence is a new threat which politics of
irresponsibility and hatred can spout. The storm warning should not
be overlooked. I call once again for a debate and action on these
issues, specially the necessity of the constant voters’ control on
the public conduct and behaviour of the elected representative who
might cross the limits in false and furious interpretation of the
mandate given by the electors. The June 1988 issue of The DayAfter
had also fearlessly carried out investigatory reports on the Punjab
situation in the wake of the Operation Thunder in the story "What
Awaits Punjab"? The story also included a documentation of 11
traumatic days between May 9 and May 20 when Punjab was in the grip
of a grim battle against terrorism under the command of J.J.Rebeiro,
Advisor to Punjab Governor Siddhartha Shankar Ray. That cover story
also carried an outspoken interview on the Punjab situation given by
AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad. There were a bold bunch of
stories on national and international issues, including the
"American Idea of a Nation", "Chakmas Still at Bay", "Chemical
Weapons:Invisible Killers", "Philippines in Turmoil", "GHLF’s Call
to Gorkha Soldiers", "Will Mathur’s Ministry Survive", "By-elections
Test of Strength", "Dor a More Effective Democracy", "Good Morning
Sam Pitorda" And an in-depth interview with Union Minister of
Tourism then, Mohsina Kidwai". There were other investigatory
stories like "Ahemdabad under drug menace", "Civil aviation in
India", "Serving mentally retarded", "Modern art: A bleak concept",
"Summer Days, Netting Days", "Oscars 1988:The Last Emperor comes
first", "Dwarka: From known to unknown", "Defeding teeth from caries
attack". That June issue was also a Tourism Special which
concentrated on some of the most popular tourism destinations in the
country, the adventure tourism visions and concentrating on the
message ‘India is unique country for tourism". The eminent writers
and journalists who contributed to that issue included Everett Carll
Ladd, R.Singh, M.P.Jain, Indu, Shamsuddin, Sanjay Bhattacharjee,
Shahid Akhtar Makhfi, Uma Joshi, K.N.Ninan, Rupin Dang, Rajen Bali,
Onkar Chawhan, Dr. H.S.Chawla, Kumar Bhartendu, Poornottam Dikshit
and Vijay Dutt Bali. It was one of the best contemporary teams in
the country.
|
