Editor
In her article “Election 2013:Emotion packed punches and political bitching” (ST 8th Feb 2013) Patricia Mukhim commented that the Election Commission of India has failed the electorate of India and become more of a self serving organisation since the Commission is not concerned about what sort of candidates contest or win elections and is also not concerned with the quality of elections but only in terms of quantity of voters. I beg to differ with her on this. The ECI is carrying out its mandate to conduct elections and has its limits. After more than 60 years of independence of a healthy democracy where supposedly all are equal and rights protected and through the implementation of different policies framed by successive governments under successive plan periods, it would be expected that the people of this country would have reach a stage of progression where they should have a better quality of life. The ECI would also expect that the benefits accrued from these policies would bring out citizens with a better independent state of mind to define things that will shape their life now and in the future. However, if these policies failed to address issues of concern of the people and if the system of governance does not live up to the expectations then definitely the quality of life of the people will deteriorate because of deprivation and economic disparity. These failures adversely influence the mindset of the majority of the electorates who feels that that it is preferable to grasp at what is available now for their existence rather than being over dependent on flawed policies and poor governance which does not seem to them to bring any qualitative change to their lives now or in the near future The election candidates all over, capitalise on these failures. Incidentally, the reduction of the voting age is again a policy decision passed by Parliament with the expectation that young voters would play a decisive role in influencing the shape of things to come. However the maturity and the analytical qualities of the mind of the youths rest on the quality of the exposure that they are subjected to which unfortunately is not universal for all . An urban youth who is more exposed is therefore expected to be in a much better frame of mind than a deprived rural youth because of lopsided policies and educational attainments. Therefore, while the ECI has the mandate to exhort young voters to come out in strength, it is beyond its limits to redress the shortcomings of the the majority of the youth. Consequently, I feel that it is more the cumulative failure down the years of our planners and our executives and not the ECI who should be blamed for poor candidates, poor voters and election outcomes . So far, the ECI is doing a terrific job in managing elections and if those in charge of elections in Meghalaya carry home the trophy, they deserve it. After all they are earnestly carrying out the mandate entrusted to them.
Yours etc.,
KL Tariang,
Via email
Mortgaging our future
Editor,
With elections barely a week away, the headlines are getting spicier and skeletons are tumbling out of politicians’ closets. The latest scam to hit us is the one concerning SPTS buses which were literally run to the ground, cannibalized and rendered non-functional within a record time of 12 months in a conspiracy hatched by MTC, MUDA and local NGOs. The public is calling for heads to roll from the top downwards. They want accountability to be fixed and the thieves to be sent to prison. The credibility of the Meghalaya Govt. has been badly hit at a crucial time by yet another corruption scandal. One can draw parallels with the Agusta-Westland Chopper deal which is promising to be the final nail in the coffin of the UPA govt at the Centre. The fall-out of that deal, where Rs 4000 crore was paid as kickbacks by an Italian firm for securing the contract, has already implicated a former Chief of Air Staff and now threatens to engulf high-ranking officials in the Defence Ministry and prominent Congress politicians. Parallels have been drawn with the Bofors scam which has left the UPA Govt red-faced with no answers. Large-scale corruption and mis-governance seem to have become the trademark of all Congress-led Govts.
Things are much worse in Meghalaya where corruption is only winked at and exposes are rewarded with lip service. Since the state is not on the radar of mainstream TV Channels, it becomes easier to sweep things under the carpet. Had it been otherwise, I have no doubt we would have seen “Times Now” or “Headlines Today” flashing one expose per week on Meghalaya alone! After all, where did 113 Crorepati politicians contesting in the 2013 Assembly Elections spring from? As per the report from Meghalaya Election Watch which is the state-chapter of the non-profit Nations Election Watch (NEW), all candidates who contested the 2008 elections were “Lakhpatis” and in 5 years times they became “Crore-patis”. Even more astonishing is the fact that assets of these 113 candidates showed an average increase of 252%, while Meghalaya’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) showed average growth of only 15% in the last 5 years!
Let us look at a few names as an example. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma’s assets grew from Rs 3 crore in 2008 to Rs 13 crore in 2013, an increase of 323%. Compare this to a Manik Sarkar (Tripura CM) who is the poorest chief minister in the country, washes his clothes every morning, has just over Rs 10,000 in his name, owns neither house, mobile phone nor car, and has yet managed to stay in power since 1998. Tripura has seen a period of peace and sustainable development under his stewardship which is unmatched by any other state in the country. Even his detractors in the Congress party confess they are unable to raise any questions on his honesty and integrity. This is a man any citizen would be proud to call his Chief Minister!
Now let’s talk about some other names. Ampareen Lyngdoh’s assets grew an astounding 9196% from Rs 23,515 to Rs 21.86 lakh, Comingone Ymbon’s from Rs 1 crore to Rs 25 crore, Sniawbhalang Dhar’s from Rs 75,000 to Rs 2.96 crores while the big daddy of them all is Ngaitlang Dhar with Rs. 235 crores in the kitty. And mind you, so far we have only talked about “declared assets” of these candidates!
How much are they really worth? What means were adopted to acquire this astronomical wealth? These are questions that the Election Commission and the State’s judiciary should be asking. State and Central agencies which are supposed to act as watchdogs prefer to remain with their heads firmly buried in the sand rather than take pre-emptive measures to stem the rot. Everyone it seems, has his or her hand in the candy jar and are conspiring to bankrupt the state! Is this what we are voting for? Let us take a moment to introspect before we cast that all-important vote. Let us demand stricter filters in the election rules to stop corrupt candidates in their tracks. Let us ostracize people who sell their votes. Let us demand better policing in such matters. Let us demand a strong Lokayukta Bill. Above all, let us not vote for corrupt candidates. The future of our children is in our hands. We should not be selling them out in this shameful manner.
Yours etc.,
Daisy Kharkongor
Shillong