Nothing but the s(h)ame!

Dhiyanesh Ravichandran.

The political scenario and the election cloud is the same as the outside world, as Loyola goes to the polls today to elect their next students' union.

     When I was checking out notifications in Facebook, I found several posters of the Loyola Students' Union 2012-2013 presidential candidates being shared by my friends. They contained the candidates photos which were highly modest and appealing, with some of the best inspirational and revolutionary quotations said by great people. I wondered if this is just for a students union election. Social networking sites are used in wide prevalence to develop a cult of personality to lure the voter friends. Some of them even started such a movement well ahead of the elections. And not to forget, group messages remains to be the popular mode of election canvass for the candidates. Somehow they get the mobile numbers of the students, our cell phones are flooded with SMS, sent via internet.

  Politics remains to be the same everywhere, wherever it exists. Elections comes up with a glut of discrepancies, failing to meet the real ideals of it. They have fool-proof strategies to reach to different groups of students to win their votes, a sign of vote bank politics. And the disheartening fact is that, money plays decisive roles in working out these strategies. Every presidential aspirants make out plans well ahead (a year before) and executes them cunningly. They reachout to acclaimed and influencial students of every classes who assure a hefty number of votes, win their support and do everything to keep them engaged till the time of elections. Modes of incentives for those vote organisers ranges from cash to festive treats. And especially for the hostel voters, it is specifically Briyani - they usually lease out some restraurants in the locality on the day when hostel mess remains closed! Sometimes, the list extends further to include alcoholic drinks as well. It is very interesting yet shocking for me to see how the scene is quite consistent to the politics and elections outside.

     In Loyola, the students' union remains to be something that has nothing to do for the betterment of the students. For most of the students, the students union is of no importance on their academic and personality development arena. It is widely criticised that the union is active only for two projects every year - the 'Ovations', the cultural extravaganza of the college while the other is fund raising dance mela, the 'Ignite'. There is very less transparancy and accountability with regard to these two projects, which often on the move with lakhs of money. They lavishly spend on stage decorations and designs, and in bringing famed celebrities who claims to be 'celebrities' themselves and the union takes pride in it. When a body of students is elected for students and by students, don't they have the responsibility of serving the students by taking part in their development? The college currently faces a trend of declining pass-percentage of the students in every departments and classes unlike ever in its history. When union takes ultimate pride on the success of cultural extravaganzas, they equally have to shoulder the students failure in academics as well.

     The candidates themselves are not clear and sure of what their policies and ideologies are and what they are going to do for their student community once they come to power. Their real motives and expectations are of totally different side, defying principles many times. When I addressed a question to all the candidates about what novel ideas, projects, and initiatives do they propose to improve the students' academic and personality development, their response simply baffled me. The most famous presidential candidate ( a claim according to the noise that their supporters made) responded that the college provides everything for students development and it would be fine if they utilise that properly. He was of the idea that there is no necessity for the union to undertake such initiatives.

     The election process in Loyola is full of falacies too. The mechanism is serious biased, infected with hidden agendas and gratifications of certain people. It looks like the college management wants the students representation for namesake, since UGC insists on it. The election process is not at all taken seriously, which is considered as a monotonous ritual. Even at the manifesto talk, the election commission of Loyola was so eager to finish off the programme, with very minimal time for the students to get to know about the candidates. If we seriously analyse the recent students union elections and their results, some trends are obvious. Firstly, most of the presidential elect are from one single department. Secondly, every presidential elect is from elite family backgrounds. Thirdly, it is widely accepted that the one who is successful in the presidential race has lavishly spent ( or invested??) on elections. Fourthly, it seems like a student from poor economic and social backgrounds cannot be successful. There is no mechanism either to make them enter the office. Fifthly, physically challenged students are not included even in the cabinet.

     "The manifesto talk at Bertram hall a day before elections must be abolished and must be given atleast a full day for the students to get to know about the candidates", said a senior professor. It remains to be a great mockery to the whole concept of the campus election. The students are supposed to know about the contestants only at the talk, but the management is not aware of the fact that we know at least months back. The poor attendance of students to the talk program is a testimony to the fact that they scorn it. The hall had only the supporters of well-to-do candidates, for which they are paid I heard! They applaud, shout, ridicule and poke fun at other candidates when they speak. Instead, the candidates must be allowed to canvass at least three days earlier of the elections. It is the duty of the college management to publish full details of the candidates including their academic performances, attendance and disciplinary records, family background and income details, etc.

     The aristocratic trend of the presidency of union is unhealthy to a setup that tries to bring out and execute the democratic ideals at the college level. Family income ceilling must be determined for the office bearers of the union. I would be happy even more if the management reserves the president and other key portfolio for students hailing from weaker economic and social sections of our society. For an institution that claims to uplift the less-privileged, such measures cannot create discomfort, unless until its true motives or the agendas of the people in power remains different from what they say. A provision like the 49-O of the in our Indian Conduct of Elections Rules is also a necessity.

     I am an ardent admirer of my college, the Loyola. For a person who hails from several hundred kilometers to study here, just for the fame and glory the college once had, the existence of such fallacies and mockery is disheartening. Being one of the top colleges of the nation, the management must recognise its responsibility to be perfect in all areas. Our teaching community must understand their responsibility to propagate the conscience and moral values to their students.They must eliminate the politics existing between themselves and put an end to their insensitivity to immorality that abound in the campus.

BY-ELECTIONS - THE RULING PARTY'S PARTY DAYS

Sabari Girisan. 

   

       I woke up after a nap at 3pm yesterday and I saw my grandma having three sarees and a dhoti with her. Asking her about that, she said that three persons gave those to her and conveyed that they would meet my parents afternoon. Puzzled what had happened, I unfolded the dhoti and saw a black-white-red border in it. Recognizing the border, I was appalled by the fact that we were bribed for votes by the AIADMK's members. They wisely used the list of voters in each house to reckon the number of persons eligible for vote present in the family and their respective genders. Those three saris are for my mother, grand mother and sister and the dhoti is for my father!!

        This is a perfect execution of corruption done with a meticulous planning. Sad that such a kind of planning is missing in the execution of various activities and schemes of national importance. The DMK member's laissez-faire atrocities in Thirumangalam by-election 2008-09 conjured up to my mind. The ruling party has the upper hand in the by-election, not only in having majority of votes after the election but also in doing malpractices to woo voters before it. In other words, even though the ruling party is sure of winning the by-election (as happened in previous by-elections) they sincerely perform this stealthy electoral mission of buying votes. These events mark the harbinger of by-election in Pudukkottai that is to be held on June 12th due to the demise of former MLA Muthukumaran.

   

        I am fascinated when I know about the well-structured framework and the activities of the party members which are done a month or two before the election. Usually, houses are bought or hired in different  areas of every city, town and village which are exclusively used by the party members for their sojourn in constituencies. These representatives, sent by the party head to look after the elections, are usually representatives elected by the people i.e., MLAs, Ministers, Mayors etc... They feel more dignified to be the former than the latter. The houses get whitewashed, cleaned, air-conditioned and become immaculate before their arrival.

      

     Then the emissaries bestow people by giving some thousand rupees to assist and support them all through their rallies. Besides the money, they are catered freely for that month.Thanks to the Election Commission's order, feasts in Mahals are banned. The by-election tornado even generates electricity to the particular constituency. Power cut abstained Pudukkottai two months before the election. People rushed to buy the freebies which were given hastily within two days just before the announcement of election date. But after the announcement date freebies such as dhotis, saris etc.  are delivered to the people at the doorstep!!

     The rallies cause immense traffic jam in towns such as Pudukkottai where the roads are usually narrow. The loudspeakers they use in such rallies sing songs and make rhetoric speeches in a sound that exceeds the limit prescribed by the commission. One can see a sudden outburst of luxury white cars and white clothed persons all around the streets where the rally is conducted. The armed soldiers of the para-military forces who accompany them are perplexed about their purpose. Whether to safeguard the politicians or the people?

       These party members become great philanthropists during the time of elections. They are ready to give any amount of money requested  by the people for any temple, small associations etc.., in hot cash, if they are assured of getting their votes. Rupee notes are brought in somehow despite stringent restrictions placed by the Election Commission to carry amount exceeding 2.5 lacs without proper documents.

       Though these acts of seducing people with the lure of money are done in all elections stealthily, they are done blatantly in by-elections. Election Commission finds it difficult to control the flow of money and materials during by-elections as the restrictions imposed are confined to the particular constituency.

       The bouts of these atrocities make people to oppose the idea of by-election. Though well addressed as "the representative of the people", an MLA or MP represents a political party in a particular constituency. Many people even do not know the name of the candidate they are going to vote. They vote on looking at the symbol of the party (or) its affiliated party. In other words, we are electing parties, not individuals. So, when a representative of a party in a constituency died (or) resigned (or) disqualified, the party can make a simple replacement.

       So by-elections are needed, after the death (or) resignation (or) disqualification of an MLA (or) MP, only in two circumstances :

              i)If the MLA/MP was an independent candidate.(here, the people would have voted looking at the  individual, for his/her personality, talent, caliber etc..,)

              ii)If an affiliated party (parties) had withdrawn its(their) support from the main party and may or may not join another party during the term of the Government.

      If we find an alternative to by-elections, we can not only stop the money game played by politicians, but we can also curb the expenses met by the Government for the sake of election which could be turned for the development of that constituency.  Today the Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Ms.J.Jayalalitha comes here to do her campaign. Many main roads of Pudukkottai turned into parking areas for Innovas, Xylos and Scorpios.Commutation becomes very difficult. The pity policemen,since yesterday night, stand  all along the route in which the CM is going to traverse . Ape vans rush towards the spot carrying herds of people. Money plays its part here. Again, it is the poor who are targeted and exploited by the local politicians to show their strength before the CM.

     Nearly hundred cases are registered so far and two to four people are arrested daily.But they are not the real persons to be arrested.We still do not know what to do with those clothes given to us. It is difficult to instigate a protest as many people even started wearing the clothes. They argue that it is their money that the politicians plunder and now they are getting their dividend. How to handle this issue? Suggestions are welcome.       

RELIGION – A BLACK MARK IN THE HANDS OF VOTERS

     














               The world is full of diversity and it makes the world beautiful. The problem starts when one starts stratifying the diversity, rather than enjoying and accommodating it. When I was assigned to enumerate the disadvantages of a Republican nation, the first issue that came into my mind was caste. Castes outnumber districts in India and each district has many castes within it. So, when a representative has to be elected from a district, politicians start playing the caste game to infatuate the voters by instigating their herd instincts.

               Politicians, like the British, follow the “Divide and Rule” policy in this multi-cultural nation, for their gain. The people, while electing their representative, should bear broader perspectives and long term benefits in their mind rather being subjective to their caste and religion.  The matter discussed here is the influence of religion, caste and cash on Indian Election and ultimately on Indian Politics.

                To start with, I present you the inference of a survey that was conducted in Uttar Pradesh (UP) - the hotbed for caste gambling - about the ongoing Assembly Election there (written on the Op-Ed page of The Hindu dated 28/11/2011 URL : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article2665895.ece).

                There, the Jatav community people are supporting Mayawati’s Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) as she hails from that community and raised the social position of the community in the state. Mulayam Singh ‘Yadav’ is supported by Yadav community.  Though Rashtriya Lok Dal’s (RLD) Ajit singh is a Jat Community leader, he and his ally Congress depends on the support of Muslims. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as anticipated, takes the issue of Ayodhya and is backed by some Hindus.

              After reading this, I wonder what for the election in India is meant for. Is that used for electing a political leader or a religious (or) community leader? We want to keep in mind that election is the main institution in India to implement democracy and vote is the main power vested with the people to decide the fate of the country. If we misuse this power the whole national integrity of the country gets pulverized.

            In an article written to The Hindu titled “Umpiring a Gigantic exercise” dated 4/1/2012 ( URL : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article2772437.ece), former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Navin Chawla mentioned that during the May 2009 General Elections, a polling station was set up deep inside the Gir Forest for a single person to cast his single vote. This is the value given to the vote by the Constitution of India. If we adulterate this value, it would be the pinnacle of disrespect given to the Constitution and to our freedom fighters.

           Moreover, when people look for a person’s religion or caste, they will sure forget his/her intellect, social responsibility and caliber. People believe that when a person of our religion or caste gets elected, he/she will do beneficiaries in favour of them. Automatically when got elected, they will give incentives and frame policies in a manner that the people of majority community is benefited, leaving behind the minority community in despair. In this way, religion has become a tool in the hands of politicians to deceive the people and to reduce the value of the vote.

          At last, the influence of money on Indian elections. These are regular features of elections held in South India. Thanks to the meticulous work done by the Election Commission, crores of rupees were seized in 2011 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections that were to be distributed to the people to buy their vote. People want to realize that if a person is ready to give money or anything else to woo their votes before the election, he/she will never turn to them after they got elected. Because, their aim is to go to the House and to accumulate wealth. Not even a single percent to serve the people.

         So, do take the election process serious and do not ever underestimate the value given to your vote. Do some analysis before electing your representative.

                           "Cast your Vote……Don’t Vote your Caste”