Years back, when elections were around the corner, I asked an elderly person, “Uncle, this time whom are you going to vote for?” “I have stopped voting in elections since long. What use is it? Everybody is the same,” was his reply. This type of answer we often get from people. If an educated person would reply like this, what do we expect from the illiterate people who constitute a bulk of our population? It is not surprising that reports of sixty percent, seventy percent, or even less voting do come during elections, implying that in a democracy the sixty or seventy percent of people who do not vote go unrepresented.
This type of behavior not favoring a democracy, which has been considered to be the best form of government, reminds me of one incident when an old man narrated his story of the pre-independence era. At that time, there were small royal kingdoms or princely states called ‘Gadajata.’ During holidays, he had been to his uncle’s house in one such kingdom. In the evening, when he did not return from play, his uncle went to the street and called loudly, “Raja, Raja, where are you?” The king was having an evening stroll on the roof of his palace and got angry with uncle calling ‘Raja.’ He asked uncle to present Raja in his court the next day when he came to know that Raja was his nephew who had come from a nearby kingdom. Uncle sent him back overnight and the next day said before the king that the boy had gone back on urgent work. The name of the old man was Rajaram, and he was very handsome and fair-complexioned. The king could not bear the very word ‘Raja’ and might have even beheaded him. It is said that the king was so intolerant and oppressive that the people of his kingdom used to give a layer of mud on their concrete cement walls out of fear lest the king should destroy it or punish them. The old man further narrated how people were afraid under the rule of the kings. Democracy, being the best form of government as of today, has done away with all the evils of monarchy, and we are enjoying the best of freedom under it.
The story of Rajaram appears to be relevant when people hesitate to vote in a democracy. The right to vote is at the center of democracy, which has come as a relief from other forms of government like monarchy, aristocracy, and dictatorship. Let us now see democracy in the context of our country. When India became independent after hundreds of years of bondage, our national leaders and framers of the constitution had preached for a parliamentary democracy. Accordingly, parliamentary democracy was founded on the soil of India, and after so many years of independence, it has been functioning successfully, if not wholly, at least to a considerable extent with obstacles on its way. Rapid population growth, poverty, and illiteracy have put stumbling blocks in the way of democracy in India. Another problem is the prevalence of multi-party democracy. It is seen that in most countries around the globe, one or two political parties strive for power. But in our country, both at the national and regional levels, political parties are formed and given recognition. Even a minimum of people can form a political party. In a parliamentary democracy where the government is run through elected representatives, the political parties obviously play a key role. But at times, the multi-party system seems to create a crisis. Instead of setting healthy democratic traditions, it is leading to evils like horse trading or ‘Ghoda Bepar.’ After independence, certain national leaders had acquired a good deal of popularity. The reason is that these national leaders had done a great deal of work during the independence movement, and the personality of these leaders had impressed the people. Both at the national and regional levels, such leaders, by dint of their popularity, had come closer to the people. But time is subject to change. Those leaders who could be voted for blindly by the people gradually disappeared from the scene. Their parties also no longer remained the same after they were gone. Still, then, Indian democracy moved on. Voting for one party at the center and another party in the state is indicative of the intelligence and ripe mentality of the Indian voter who has grown over the years. Though not completely, the practice of voting for somebody under pressure and temptation is definitely on the wane. The Indian voter today has started casting his valuable vote keeping in view the candidate, the party, and the progress of the country. So the time has come for political parties to discard the very idea of coming to absolute power all the time. If it is possible, the political parties should concentrate on the all-round development of the country accordingly. The time has come to place words like ‘hung parliament’ and ‘hung assembly’ in the dictionary of Indian politics and democracy. This does not imply the defeat of democracy. It will not be incorrect if we call it another stepping stone to democracy. So the time has come for forming a coalition government when required, standing above petty party interests. Neither any political party nor any political leader is above and over the national interests. Trends in election results in recent times have shown that the voters may or may not choose the same political party both at the center and in the state. In such a case, both governments have to coordinate with each other so that the interests of the nation and the spirit of the Indian federation do not suffer. Another trend is anti-incumbency or a change in government. Political parties must always be ready for a coalition or alliance government instead of expecting simple or absolute majority single-handedly at a time when trends like wave or popularity of a single charismatic leader, voters taking into consideration issues and interests of the nation or a particular area, or at times even rejecting a particular leader or party for an issue, have appeared on the scene. Preferably pre-poll and, if the situation so demands, post-poll alliances have become the order of the day. If the political parties compromise with their ideology in the interest of the nation, democracy will be the winner. In the event of a political party not having the required majority in the house, the allied parties extending support from inside and the other parties doing so from outside should make it issue-based, keeping in view national interests and staying away from any kind of pressure, blackmailing, or horse trading. On the other hand, the political parties sitting in the opposition should play a constructive role in checking the excesses of the government in the interest of the nation instead of dealing in mudslinging and putting stumbling blocks on the way of the government for mere political gain. The success of Indian democracy and the national interests lie in such an understanding by the politicians of today.
“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” as it has been rightly said. Unless and until we are aware of our rights and duties, the success of democracy can hardly be ensured. We must not forget that we rule ourselves through our representatives in a democracy. “It is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” We are the boatsmen in our own boat. The constitution of India has conferred the right to vote on us, and it is our duty to exercise it. We just cannot afford to say that what use is it when everybody is the same. No, everybody is not the same. We have so many options before us. We can consider the candidate, the party, and its ideology and above all the progress and interests of the nation. We should not fall prey to any kind of pressure and temptation while casting our votes. If we are not happy with a candidate, we should go in for the candidate of the party which we think can do something for the interests of the country. Democracy is, as of today, the best form of government, though it is already under attack for being unrepresentative for people who have voted for the losing candidates. We should not add another slur to it for being unrepresentative for those who have not cast their votes. Let us all vote in the elections for parliament, legislative assembly, and other democratic bodies for the success of Indian democracy.
(The views expressed are the writer’s own)
Mr. Prafulla Kumar Majhi,
Retired Asst. Director, A. I. R, is an eminent Scholar and freelance writer in English & Odia. His areas of interests are sociocultural, economic, literary, historical and analytical studies and writings.
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