There are good reasons for being concerned about two problems. One relates to the national level involving the entire polity and the other to the State panchayat elections.
There is a lot of discussion and criticism regarding criminality, politics and the Parliament (also State legislatures). In 2004, 24 per cent of the MPs were facing ongoing criminal cases and another 12 per cent stood accused of serious crimes. These figures have gone up in 2014 to 34 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively. It is apparent that the political parties find the activists with criminal records useful to the parties. Increasingly, a larger number of them get elected to the legislatures. In fact, they do well in the polls. There is a growing trend of clean candidates being pushed to the exit door while those with alleged criminal records become focal points within the party itself. Availability of muscle and money power has a telling effect on the electoral process. Parties have been increasingly sponsoring rich persons as candidates. Very often, it is expected that candidates will look after their own election expenses and contribute to the party funds. The networking in the party organisational structure finds the persons with alleged criminal backgrounds to be of immense use.
It is naïve on our part to think that the voter does not make a conscious and informed choice. The Supreme Court has compelled disclosure of information in many respects, including pending criminal cases. Disclosure of information is thus available to the voter. Despite being informed of the allegations regarding criminality, the voter grants the majority to such a candidate. This may look inexplicable and incongruous. While voting for such persons, the voter finds some quality in their leadership so as to make them useful and credible as candidates. Such persons are styled as “go getters”. They patronise the voter by enabling the voter to get certain things done to favour themselves. On their own, the voters would not have been able to achieve that. The utility of persons with alleged criminal backgrounds and networks finds favour in an atmosphere of poor governance. It is not the ignorance on the part of the voter that results in the voting pattern. It is his deliberate choice with adequate information at his command. We are caught in a vicious circle. Inadequacy in and lack of good governance makes certain element relevant and useful as they are capable of serving certain basic needs of a large section of the community. It is expected that the State, as an entity, would ensure security of persons, ensure delivery of essential public services and provide a system of administration, which is just and fair. When there is a serious deficiency in this regard, the physically and monetarily strong men become relevant. In this background, it is not easy to reverse the gear.
Parties are not averse to giving tickets to persons of this category. Ability to win becomes the dominant factor. In a scenario of poor governance, it is not easy to reduce the importance and impact of such persons on the political structure. As things stand, it would take generations to minimise the number of such persons to be successful elements in the body polity. It is also a matter of concern that political parties are not very enthusiastic towards electoral reforms or reforms of their own parties’ structures. Apart from the official donation by corporate houses, it is common knowledge that there is an informal cash flow from the corporate lobby to different parties. Such contributions are very often conditioned by the fact as to whether the party is in power or in the opposition.
There has been a lot of noise from different corners and in the media over the fact that large numbers of politicians are allegedly involved with criminality. Alongside, setting up criminal cases against rival politicians is a matter of common experience. But all the cases are not set up. In other words, the system welcomes persons with alleged criminal record to be of value to the political party. It is the youths who have to think of breaking the chain and releasing themselves along with others from the stranglehold of these classes of persons. There is cause to be concerned because it is eating into the vitals of our polity.
Nearer home in Odisha, the electoral process for the panchayat elections is already in progress. Bad governance and neglect of developmental works and lack of basic civil amenities breed discontentment and disenchantment amongst the populace. In different areas, the resentment has resulted in abstaining from the Panchayati Raj electoral process. Somewhere, it may be lack of road facilities; somewhere else it may be lack of elementary infrastructure and yet in some other places it may be gross neglect by administration. Rejection of an election does attract attention but may not always solve the problem. But as a measure of protest, it ought to be deriving some beneficial results. Unfortunately, the response of the authorities to the public resentment of this nature is not adequately sensitive and meaningful.
In Malkangiri distric,t around 15,000 persons spread over about seven panchayats are likely to refrain from exercising their franchise in the panchayat elections. This is stated to be out of fear of Maoists. Continuous neglect has made these areas a fertile ground for the Maoists. There is lack of communication facilities, lack of safe drinking water and lack of basic healthcare. The education system is nonfunctional. Most of Government officials are absent from their posts. Schools are without teachers and, often, without suitable buildings or other facilities. lack of communication facilities add to the sufferings further. Very often, to sell the farm produce a tribal has to travel about 75 km of forest area to reach a nearby market. Farm produce is carried as head-loads. In this scenario, there is lack of governance and apathy in general attracting the Maoists to make it their breeding ground.
This is yet another vicious circle, which is to be penetrated, and the trend has to be reversed. The youth power in these areas is not yet capable enough to assert their right and put forth their grievances in an appropriate manner so as to have beneficial results. But the authorities must necessarily respond or else the lack of proper attention and due diligence would bring up many such instances of abstaining from the electoral process. Abstention from the democratic process, more so at the grassroots level, is not a desirable trend. This must be opposed and reversed. For enabling that, governance has to reach the remote areas with a caring and affectionate hand. There has to be a healing touch because exploitation has been rampant and bad governance has been the order of the day. Immediate attention needs to be given to this aspect and the youth power must involve itself as a catalyst to remedy the factors leading to such aberrations.
Both at the national and the local levels, the two problems, posed above, require a resolute action on the part of the people at large. There has to be a mass awakening and resurgence. In that upsurge, all of us have to be involved, for otherwise the cancers would not be eradicated. No particular section of the society can by itself arrest and alter the situation. This requires a concerted effort on the part of all of us. And surely this concerns us all!
(The writer, a Senior Advocate, is a former All India Service officer, a former diplomat, a former editor, a former President of Orissa High Court Bar Association and a former Advocate General of Odisha. jayantdas@hotmail.com)