From last many days this has been an issue of debate on Times Now news channel. This young, brave and ‘effectively’ honest IAS officer has exposed the politician and sand mafia network in UP. There has been a blatant use of government machinery by the state government to remove this officer who stood against the thriving sand mafia network to which government’s MLA were partners. I want to point out by this case that how our democracy which stands on its four pillars, viz. Law making (politics), Law implementation (Bureaucracy), Law interpretation(Judiciary) & media.
Politics:
This case highlights the manner in which our political leaders are serving self interest in the names of communalism. It exposes the mentality of this political goons who think that they are kings and answerable to none. For them ‘Sarkar’ means what they think and they say is correct and legal. There is no law or constitution. It also shows how unconcerned and ignorant the people of India are in understanding democracy and electing the right leaders. All are blaming SP but lets not forget that there have been many cases in past which has raised similar issues during government of the same parties which are opposing today. Ashok Khemka's transfer, Killing of IPS in MP, Killing of Zia– ul– Haq IPS in UP, Satyendra dubey case etc.
Bureaucracy :
It shows how bureaucracy is ‘hand in glove’ with political masters barring very few effectively honest officers like Durga shakti. Without senior bureaucrats signing the suspension order, this case couldn’t arise. In Current scenario it is much inclined towards serving politicians rather than citizens. India needs a bureaucracy which is oriented towards implementation of law, in letter and in spirit. To do this, the system needs to protect and nurture the officers and their spirits who serve the law and not their political masters. There are handful of officers in today's time also who fight against the all odds and have saved the system from its moral bankruptcy.
Judiciary :
If all these is happening, can we assume that higher courts are not aware of this ? can’t they take the case on suo-moto (without any motion or request by other party) basis and pull up the government and senior bureaucrats for their malafide action. Why can’t supreme court defend the person who has put her career on stake while following its order of demolition of illegal religious structure ? What is it waiting for ?
Courts off-late has been observed to be very active in intervening the government policies and most of the times it has provided the required sanity & justice in the given case. But the same judiciary is also being now accused trespassing in the territory of policy making and execution. Probably it is the precise accusation which it wants to avoid.
Media:
Role of Media has been exemplary. Because of so many news channels around, there is a good competition to get TRP. Sometimes it seems that they make every issue a breaking news but fortunately our government has given them ample cases to garner TRP and relevant breaking news. Private participation in this field had created a good pressure among the public offices and bureaucrats.
The above four, Law makers (politicians), Bureaucracy, Law interpreters and media are four pillar of effective democracy. Without all four being independent, strong , and effective the dream of, government of the people, by the people and for the people, will remain a distant dream. Politics has hit an all time low in last couple of years. Bureaucracy has at best helped to keep India above water level with help of some extra ordinary committed individuals like Durga shakti / Khemka / Uma shankar etc. Media and Courts are doing their duties fairly well in highlighting the fallacies in implementation of law. This means that our feedback system is working well than why there is no visible change in the system?
In India we have huge population of more than 1.2 Billion as of last census in 2011. At the time of independence we had around 489 loksabha seats against population of 35 crores (ratio per constituency around 7.15 lakh people per seat). Now we have around 543 seats for 120 crore + people (22 lakh people per seat). The ratio has seen three fold increase. Are we trying to say that the representatives we elect and send to the loksabha are still truly representatives of the voters? How many of us have met MP of our area? How many of us have seen them except during the election?
When you have such a huge number of people voting for single seat, with average literacy rate of 74 % and voting participation of around 60% (in USA literacy rate is 99% UK also 99 %), how can you expect people who are not fully literate (forget about aware), who don’t have any prior information about the candidate, to vote and select him/her for representing his concerns in country’s supreme institution. If we dig deeper many states which contributes major seats in loksabha, they have literacy rates much below national average (Bihar – 63 % 40 seats, AP 67 % 42 seats, UP 80 seats 71 %).
If this system was not effective then why was it introduced in the first place when we got a very hard earned independence from British Raj ?I think, at that time the leadership of country was beyond doubt, extremely capable and had direct connect with people. Because of mass movement of millions of people and their political non violent fight, it gave confidence to the leaders to implement democracy despite literacy rates being very low. The leadership was totally committed with absolute integrity to the social and political life devoid of any economic interest. The leaders at that time raised from struggle and from within common people. They had a direct connect with the pulse and people.Today it is very hard to find any “Garib who is Neta” and any “Neta who is Garib”. Neta and Garib are impossible combination in today scenario yet they all claim them to be leaders and wellwishers of poor.
In democracy majority rules. But this becomes a major concern for effective democracy when the concerned and aware citizens are in minority. Our times are marked with Ignorance and unconcernedness on the part of the most voters and still their votes carrying equal right. ‘We’ are the biggest enemies of democracy. Are ‘We’ ? or it is the electoral system which has failed to adapt itself with the changing times ?
It is a time when there is definite need of electoral reforms. We can’t still have the 67 year old system of representation. Leaders need to be true representatives. There needs to be smaller constituencies so that there can be better connect and understanding between people and leader. There is need to introduce meaning of real meaning of democracy in our higher schools and colleges so that our future citizens are aware that how their country is governed and almost 30 % of their income which they give to something called ‘government’, is utilized and managed. There is need to encourage good people to join politics rather than it becoming a monopoly of goons, communals , self serving so called leaders.
But Ironically who will bring this changes ? the current elected representative ? Ultimately , people get the leaders that they deserve. India, It’s a time to install democracy 2.0 or else time is not far when we might need to format the system.
Politics:
This case highlights the manner in which our political leaders are serving self interest in the names of communalism. It exposes the mentality of this political goons who think that they are kings and answerable to none. For them ‘Sarkar’ means what they think and they say is correct and legal. There is no law or constitution. It also shows how unconcerned and ignorant the people of India are in understanding democracy and electing the right leaders. All are blaming SP but lets not forget that there have been many cases in past which has raised similar issues during government of the same parties which are opposing today. Ashok Khemka's transfer, Killing of IPS in MP, Killing of Zia– ul– Haq IPS in UP, Satyendra dubey case etc.
Bureaucracy :
It shows how bureaucracy is ‘hand in glove’ with political masters barring very few effectively honest officers like Durga shakti. Without senior bureaucrats signing the suspension order, this case couldn’t arise. In Current scenario it is much inclined towards serving politicians rather than citizens. India needs a bureaucracy which is oriented towards implementation of law, in letter and in spirit. To do this, the system needs to protect and nurture the officers and their spirits who serve the law and not their political masters. There are handful of officers in today's time also who fight against the all odds and have saved the system from its moral bankruptcy.
Judiciary :
If all these is happening, can we assume that higher courts are not aware of this ? can’t they take the case on suo-moto (without any motion or request by other party) basis and pull up the government and senior bureaucrats for their malafide action. Why can’t supreme court defend the person who has put her career on stake while following its order of demolition of illegal religious structure ? What is it waiting for ?
Courts off-late has been observed to be very active in intervening the government policies and most of the times it has provided the required sanity & justice in the given case. But the same judiciary is also being now accused trespassing in the territory of policy making and execution. Probably it is the precise accusation which it wants to avoid.
Media:
Role of Media has been exemplary. Because of so many news channels around, there is a good competition to get TRP. Sometimes it seems that they make every issue a breaking news but fortunately our government has given them ample cases to garner TRP and relevant breaking news. Private participation in this field had created a good pressure among the public offices and bureaucrats.
The above four, Law makers (politicians), Bureaucracy, Law interpreters and media are four pillar of effective democracy. Without all four being independent, strong , and effective the dream of, government of the people, by the people and for the people, will remain a distant dream. Politics has hit an all time low in last couple of years. Bureaucracy has at best helped to keep India above water level with help of some extra ordinary committed individuals like Durga shakti / Khemka / Uma shankar etc. Media and Courts are doing their duties fairly well in highlighting the fallacies in implementation of law. This means that our feedback system is working well than why there is no visible change in the system?
In India we have huge population of more than 1.2 Billion as of last census in 2011. At the time of independence we had around 489 loksabha seats against population of 35 crores (ratio per constituency around 7.15 lakh people per seat). Now we have around 543 seats for 120 crore + people (22 lakh people per seat). The ratio has seen three fold increase. Are we trying to say that the representatives we elect and send to the loksabha are still truly representatives of the voters? How many of us have met MP of our area? How many of us have seen them except during the election?
When you have such a huge number of people voting for single seat, with average literacy rate of 74 % and voting participation of around 60% (in USA literacy rate is 99% UK also 99 %), how can you expect people who are not fully literate (forget about aware), who don’t have any prior information about the candidate, to vote and select him/her for representing his concerns in country’s supreme institution. If we dig deeper many states which contributes major seats in loksabha, they have literacy rates much below national average (Bihar – 63 % 40 seats, AP 67 % 42 seats, UP 80 seats 71 %).
If this system was not effective then why was it introduced in the first place when we got a very hard earned independence from British Raj ?I think, at that time the leadership of country was beyond doubt, extremely capable and had direct connect with people. Because of mass movement of millions of people and their political non violent fight, it gave confidence to the leaders to implement democracy despite literacy rates being very low. The leadership was totally committed with absolute integrity to the social and political life devoid of any economic interest. The leaders at that time raised from struggle and from within common people. They had a direct connect with the pulse and people.Today it is very hard to find any “Garib who is Neta” and any “Neta who is Garib”. Neta and Garib are impossible combination in today scenario yet they all claim them to be leaders and wellwishers of poor.
In democracy majority rules. But this becomes a major concern for effective democracy when the concerned and aware citizens are in minority. Our times are marked with Ignorance and unconcernedness on the part of the most voters and still their votes carrying equal right. ‘We’ are the biggest enemies of democracy. Are ‘We’ ? or it is the electoral system which has failed to adapt itself with the changing times ?
It is a time when there is definite need of electoral reforms. We can’t still have the 67 year old system of representation. Leaders need to be true representatives. There needs to be smaller constituencies so that there can be better connect and understanding between people and leader. There is need to introduce meaning of real meaning of democracy in our higher schools and colleges so that our future citizens are aware that how their country is governed and almost 30 % of their income which they give to something called ‘government’, is utilized and managed. There is need to encourage good people to join politics rather than it becoming a monopoly of goons, communals , self serving so called leaders.
But Ironically who will bring this changes ? the current elected representative ? Ultimately , people get the leaders that they deserve. India, It’s a time to install democracy 2.0 or else time is not far when we might need to format the system.