Freebies culture has transformed relation of‘Voter-Representative’ to that of ‘Give & Take’

Mahadeep Singh Jamwal

We are hysterically orchestrated to vocify on the top of our voice that we are the world’s largest democracy and assume that it is also the best but have ever we evaluated whether the system warranted in Democratic set up satisfies the definition of franchise? Straightforwardly expressing it is nay! Every decision and action we take to elect our representative affects what our life will be tomorrow. The freebies culture has eroded the sanctity of electing our representatives by consideration of their qualification, quality and enthusiasm of serving the people and country in actuality but we have been transformed to the culture of self interest. What observed is that those in power set their happy trips to those states where Elections fall due to unveil their ‘Bundle of Gifts’ and ‘Financial Announcements’ like Santa Clause on Happy Christmas Day and those in queue for power come with announcements of freebies such as free electricity, free water, cash incentives, Lap Top, Bi-Cycles, free ration and what not. So under such situations do we elect our representatives in a fair way and elected representatives really reflect what the people want? Simple answer is ‘No’. The franchise has been transformed by these politicians to assume power by developing a new culture of obtaining votes as a deal of give and take. Moreover the lack of education and awareness, coupled with abject poverty, often forces the voters to elect someone within the narrow limits of caste-ism and party base to be called as their representative, who seem to offer them solutions for a better life but instead end up buying or coercing them to vote. So do they really represent the people? Is the vast majority really capable of understanding and judging the leaders they choose? All answers to such types of queries end up in the negative. The political parties often use caste sentiments to get a caste vote and it is the main thing in politics and elections. Don’t we see vote bank politics being practiced in its worst form, or votes being garnered on the basis of freebies, caste or religion? The process of politics that goes into the run up to elections, and thereafter, is what is questionable. And that’s what is wrong with Indian politics. We must recognize the facts that somewhere 64% population means majority of the Indian people still live in rural India, in poverty and poor living conditions, and with little education or awareness of matters outside their areas of residence fall prey to the freebies like free electricity, free ration, cash installments and what not (The most powerful weapon in political parties in their quiver to woe the voters.) The common man has to keep in mind the comments of the Honorable Supreme Court of India: “Freebies may create a situation where the State Government cannot provide basic amenities due to lack of funds and the State is pushed towards imminent bankruptcy. In the same breath, we should remember that such freebies are extended utilizing taxpayers’ money only for increasing the popularity of the party and electoral prospects” as such words fall to deaf ears to the politicians. 98% of the people who take freebies as their bounden right are responsible for choosing a government that legislates over the future of the country. Randomized field survey points out that the vote seekers end up buying or coercing voters to vote for them and the root cause of vote buying is socioeconomic factors such as income levels and illiteracy. This way the relation of ‘voter and representative’ subsides with the new relation of ‘Seller’ & ‘Buyer’ coming into forefront. So the answer to the query ‘Whether these elected representatives really represent the people’ is a big no!
As the Lok Sabha elections and important elections in five states are round the corner and the way politics is practiced to garner the voters, it is time to sit up and question the ‘quality’ of politics that is practiced by all the political parties. We have to keep four aspects in mind before deciding to cast our vote. 1. Why do the ‘Santa Clause’ type of politicians emerge with their gift deeds only when elections are round the corner? 2. Why freebies rather than efforts to raise the living standards of people? 3. What is the fun of creating castles by increasing External debt (Load on every individual of country) that at present is USD 629.1 billion sensational increases from 409.4 billion at end-March 2013? 4. Why vote for the tainted candidates? The culture of giving mandate by political parties to tainted and those facing serious charges of murder, rape and but not should be shown exit doors from parties and put to Jails, the right place for such element in the refined society. We shudder to find that the Indian democracy to a large extent has accommodated criminals to rule us. Nowhere in the world are rapists and convicts given the right to contest elections and get a chance to make laws except India. Almost all parties in India had been fielding tainted candidates. Criminalization of politics is one of the considerable dilemmas in India and every political party is responsible for it.
To curb the criminalization of politics, Legislative changes could be introduced, Media should play a more honest and conscious role in bringing out the naked faces of criminals involved in the political system, the Judiciary should play a more vibrant role and civil societies, NGO’s, etc. should play an active role. Last but not the least if voters stop voting for the criminals contesting elections, the system will automatically change. We should work for eradication of three Cs i.e. Cash, Corruption and Criminality only then our country can precede for criminal free politics. In order to explain the current position of our country’s political system and attitude of our politicians it can be well said that “Jeet Gaye to Minister, Haar Gaye to Governor, Retire Ho Gaya to Vice Chancellor, as heads of hundreds of corporations, commissions, boards, aur Kuch Nahi to Sarvodaya Sansthan Hai Hi”.