An election is a festival of democracy in which public opinion is celebrated. Ideally, the public opinion should be sacrosanct, without any prejudice, by both the ruling party and the opposition.
Post-election, what the ‘rulers’ do or how much they think of public interest depends on their intention. Still, in a democracy, people hold the role of the kingmaker.
Does a democracy is a democracy where innocent voters have to bear the brunt of victory or defeat?
Incidents of violence during elections have been in vogue since pre-independence, but post-poll violence and orgy of the item of power has become a trend these days, whether it is the Amethi incident of 2019 or the Bengal violence of 2021.
Just as the intolerance trend increased, there is a new trend of violence post-elections. The reports of violence that came after the results of the Bengal elections, whether the allegations and counter-allegations prove anything else or not, one thing is clear that on this side or the other, it is the people who are suffering.
The election slogan of ‘Khela Hobe’ itself says a lot that elections are a game, and democracy is a joke, that after the results, Holi (the festival of colour) of blood will be played, that the blood of innocents will be shed, and there will be no guarantee to the dignity of women. Both the ruling party and the opposition will be seen doing politics of revenge. The colour of religion had dissolved in selfish politics, and now violence is also becoming a right.
In Bengal, even if the results have come in favour of the ruling party, the situation is looking like a gloomy cat if the problem is analysed.
Malfunctioning of EVMs, blaming the Election Commission for losing elections are all common things, but the government’s interference against the cognizance of PILs is probably new.
In the matter of election results, the state’s Chief Minister is seen appealing to outright reject the public interest litigations in the matter of election results.
To be called we are the world’s largest democracy, but is the basic mantra of democracy “of the people, for the people, and by the people” is at stake.
The question is: Have the ‘people’ not been subordinated?
Do the post-poll alliances, horse-trading of MLAs, day-to-day defection exercises in direct denial of public opinion, do not serve to defy the Constitution and the high standards of democracy blatantly?
Haven’t these 74 years been deceived into making the people of this country the real leader of the country, while the truth is that no matter what the party, no matter what the ideology, the goal seems to be everyone’s selfishness.
All the parties are engaged in pulling each other’s legs. Who cares about the public?
The public has been swayed by the whip of ‘Saam, Daam, Dand Bhed’ (persuade, purchase, punish, and divide), and political parties are busy playing the musical chair of power.
The third and fourth pillars of democracy are stunned, tying their hands, that if they go, where should they go? And the public? It takes time for the people to recover from the violence, but they are not sure how much price they have to pay to get a ‘for the people’ democracy.
Instead of following a party and showing loyalty, they should stick to vote for the right person in elections. The choice should be there for the right person. Any right person would take the right call for the country for sure.
Sufferings from violence, black marketing, epidemic, unemployment, illiteracy, poverty, inflation, lack of basic amenities are too much for a country like India, which aspire to join the ‘Global club of developed countries’ and become a hub of ‘Make in India’.
If things are not bridged at the right time, there is no surprise that ‘People’ would be wiped out from the definition of democracy in India. Post-poll violence would become one silencing factor for this phenomenon.