Tarnishing Democracy...........!!!

Money played a major role during the trust vote of July 22 as is evident from various news reports. If people with a criminal background continue to be given power as MPs or ministers, I fear that democracy in India will soon breathe its last breath. Such people should not be allowed to Vote, leave aside the idea of contesting the elections.

‘Cash for vote’ is a new chapter in Indian Parliament’s history, following the ‘cash for questions’ section. Of course, in politics, as everywhere else, only winning matters.

Money and politics are inextricably linked, and not just in India but everywhere in the world. Despite loud protests against the use of money to buy votes and remain in power, the truth is that this is not new to us. In our country the quickest and surest way to become rich has always been to join politics. A lot of noise was made in the Parliament over the alleged inducements offered to some MPs to abstain or switch sides during the voting. But we all know that the protesting parties are no better than the ones in power.

The more you read and observe politics, the more you are convinced that each party is worse than the other. It’s just that the party that is out of power seems better. Truth is strictly optional in politics.

One by-product of this episode has been that most parties have gone on an expulsion spree. All MPs who did not toe the official line, including the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, have been expelled. We would all welcome the day when these parties show the same level of concern when allegations of corruption are made against their MPs by the common man.

If the ‘vote for cash’ case can lead to attempts at cleaning the system, it would all be worth it. But as matters stand, people have very low expectations about the integrity and commitment of politicians. And most believe that all political parties, if put in a similar situation, would resort to the same tactics. This is truly tragic for our country. Our Parliamentarians should remember that a nation derives its the strength from the integrity of its leaders and government. And integrity is not conditional. It does not change with the changing political conditions.

Even when our Parliamentarians do take some action and frame laws, they do so without consulting those who are affected or those charged with the duty of enforcing the law, i.e. the judiciary and the police.

"The present criminal justice system has totally collapsed and is not acting as a deterrent for criminals... With the rate of conviction on criminal offences being low, there is very less risk factor for a person committing an offence. A national survey shows the conviction rate around seven per cent. Ninety-three per cent of people get acquitted, resulting in criminals moving in the society without any stigma."

Transparency International has ranked India at 72nd position among 180 countries in corruption. The report states: "Maximum corruption takes place during government procurements. For example, when the government buys wheat or arms, or when Public Sector Units (PSUs) procure material."