Colonising India through the ballot

Arun Jaitley calling the promise of Rahul Gandhi, of minimum income of Rs 72,000 per annum for the poor, a bluff announcement; allegations of Rs 1,800 crores given by Yeddyurappa to his party and party leaders; the Supreme Court questioning the reluctance of the Election Commission to introduce VVPAT in every assembly segment, etc., which are in the news, raise several questions about the functioning of our democracy. The singular answer to all of them seems to be the neo-colonialism that has besieged our country.

After the initial jostling and rivalries, the Europeans had settled down; Portuguese, French and Dutch in small pockets and the British colonising the rest of India to plunder its rich resources. In the wake of the industrial revolution, the British economy prospered at the expense of the Indian economy. India leading British industries by supplying raw materials and buying manufactured goods, surplus funds were cleverly syphoned off to Britain. They exploited differences and divisions in our society, our ignorance and superstitions, with their divide and rule policy; used police and institutions to subjugate us. Even laws like 'Conspiracy to overthrow the King', which are still show-cased in India, were employed to suppress our freedom movement.

They finally left our shores, leaving us simply agrarian and poor, with their legacy of a colonial mindset – of subservience of the ruled to the whims and arrogance of the ruler; allowing the ruler to exploit the divisions of caste, religion, etc., as well as the country's wealth and administrative machinery to his advantage. We, the common people, did not even know what freedom, self-governance and democracy meant. There was no technological and communication explosion, nor even enough literacy, at that time, for us to understand. It was at this stage that our elaborate Constitution came into being. A representative form of democracy was designed to enforce the ideals encapsulated in the Preamble.

Initially, it was the influential people – zamindars, princely families, intellectuals like lawyers from wealthy families, etc., who could contest elections. Although the term political party was not defined in the Constitution, Congress – a popular organisation – entered the fray. That was the beginning. Now we have more than 2300 power-seeking political parties. How correctly our first President Dr, Rajendra Prasad predicted that 'Now that we have achieved freedom, there would be a scramble for the crumbs of power'!

It is in this rush for the crumbs that the design of our democracy has been deformed; into another colonial rule, albeit with the use of the ballot. All the fight between national Parties, sometimes along with allies from regional Parties, is like the rivalry between the British and French or the others allied with regional factions to capture and expand their colonies. Unabashed scheming and unethical means have become the new order, like in Chanakya Niti.

Rigging and electoral malpractices have long been known. Missing of voters' names, booth-capturing, intimidating voters, enticing them with money, liquor and gifts, etc., have become so common. Issues of caste, community, religion, and region are exploited. Reservations, introduced for 10 years initially, have been made perpetual and expansive only to harness their votes. Money is the biggest decider - from purchasing party tickets, hiring of crowds for rallies to paying slush money to news and social media and advertising. The seizure of Rs 77 crores during the Telangana elections, the allegation of Yeddyurappa paying Rs 1,800 crores to BJP leaders and party, strong rumours of Rs 5000 per vote in the coming elections in Andhra Pradesh, etc., are only indicators of this culture. Also, Parties enjoy several exemptions like taxes and details of sources. Audaciously, they far exceed the limits of expenditure prescribed by the Election Commission. Further, expectations of free and fair elections with the use of EVMs are also belied with the allegations of hacking; Anil Ambani's role in the 2014 elections is one such example. Furthermore, the reluctance of the Election Commission in acceding to the demand of a score of Opposition parties to conduct the Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in at least 50 per cent of polled votes in a polling station is intriguing.

And, once so elected, they enjoy the pelf and power; immunity from charges of corruption even if they vote in a no-confidence motion, etc., after taking bribes; and can hop parties, manipulating the anti-defection law, their loyalties being on sale. It is the voter that is befooled in every respect, including in the matter of the promises made.

Arun Jaitley attacking Rahul Gandhi's minimum income promise of Rs 72000 per annum for the poor a 'bluff announcement' lacks conviction in the light of the fact that BJP itself came to power based on illusions created on false promises, like creation of millions of jobs, Rs 15 lakhs in every citizen's account, cooperative federalism, etc. Even his defence of demonetisation, in which the entire black money has gone to the banks and millions of jobs have been lost, and the economy has been shattered, turned out to be shallow rhetoric. In the absence of enforceability and accountability of electoral promises, parties compete with each other in taking people for a ride. And, the subjugated citizens have no choice but to accept them with a pinch of salt as a way of life, like how they have reconciled to the pro-rich economy.

Oxfam survey in 2018 showed that richest 1 per cent Indians cornered Rs 20.9 lakh crores, which is equivalent to total budget of the Central government 2017-18, and thus, 73 per cent of wealth generated in 2017, while the poorest half of 67 crore Indians saw their wealth rise only by 1 per cent, highlighting the striking income disparity. As per the previous year's survey, the richest 1 per cent held 58 per cent of the country's total wealth – higher than the global figure of about 50 per cent. And government mostly toils for them, while small farmers are given a negligible Rs 500 per month; distressed landless and tenant farmers and workers in the unorganised sector are offered nothing. Thus, it is the rich who rule the nation through a proxy and reap the benefits. A ballot is only a medium in this colonisation.

But, by definition, a ballot is the democratic path to serve the voter. Whether it was the Congress of Gandhi-Nehru-Patel or Socialist Party of Jai Prakash Narayan or even the Jan Sangh of Shyam Prasad Mukherjee in the 40s, 50s, and even to the 60s to some extent, all political parties intent on service to voters. Today, to put it bluntly, the ballot is the key to power and self-aggrandisement, the hegemony of the self-seeking rich and power-and-money-hungry politicians and Parties. Even NOTA is not found to be the solution, although BJP was ousted in 2018 Assembly elections because of it; the entire NOTA in MP equals the number of voters; so deep and wide is the spread of the new avatar of colonialism.

Not like the efforts to keep the neo-colonisers at bay have not been made. There was tumultuous support of voters when DMK under Periyar Anndurai in then Madras, AGP in Assam, and later TDP in Andhra, TMC in Bengal came up to take them on. Yet, all have ended up succumbing to their culture and got integrated into it. Of late, Kejriwal-Anna Movement and the resultant promising concept of AAP renewed hopes of the country for real democracy. But, in spite of their efforts to bring about a change – easy accessibility and service by every MLA, honesty and innovation in administration, Centre, which is making every effort to saffronise the country, has ensured that AAP is holed up only in Delhi, by engaging them with several hurdles. When communalism and capitalism have a meeting point in colonialism, change across the nation is again a far cry.

The expression 'Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty' is more than a saying. Our voters who are rightful partners in running democracy successfully have the responsibility in demanding a place in deciding the party nominee by the party, in questioning civic (mohalla) watch, in seeking their right to recall based on non-performance. However, since we, the people, are not assertive, the elected representative sees this as an opportunity to turn self-aspirational and treats himself as the ruler of the area from where he has been voted. Alas! Colonial mindset coming into play, the voter is content to see him as the ruler; and the party in power as the supreme authority.

Matters have drifted to such an extent that now, in the present dispensation, questioning the elected one is frowned down upon. Treason is the charge if the defence establishment acting on orders of political authority is even remotely looked askance. Institutions: RBI, CAG, EC, CBI, ED, IT – are no longer independent to follow their mandate.

All this is happening simply because, through sheer inertia, we have allowed the state to creep upon us. Over 1000 years of colonisation sitting heavily on this country, unfortunately, we are even trying to see merit in colonialism and attendant authoritarianism. Democracy in governance is losing out. It is time; voter must wake up and become wise; conscious of their responsibilities in running our democracy- a struggle will have to continue until real freedom becomes the singular goal.

(Dr N Dilip Kumar is a retired IPS officer and a former member of Public Grievances Commission, Delhi. The views expressed are strictly personal)