ELECTORAL REFORMS
RIGHT TO VOTE – YES!
BUT WHOM TO VOTE?
& WHOM TO REJECT?
ELECTION COMMISSION MUST ACT FAST
It is Panchayat Elections time in Tamilnadu. All Political Parties are fighting the Elections individually and independently – it seems. There are also some Independent candidates – not currently affiliated to any Political Party.
There is a saying – as are the leaders, so are the people. Yathaa raja, thathaa prajaa.
So, how are the leaders? And, Who are our leaders? And what are they doing? Let us forget the central level and state level scams, land grabbings and so on – by our great leaders.
What about my municipal councilor, Panchayat President and councilors and so on ? Who are they? I don’t know. The Great Election Commission of India – does not feel it fit to tell me, the Voter, – any thing about them.
I don’t understand why some one residing outside my ward should at all be contesting elections for selection as my Ward councilor / member. It seems meaningless. The Panchayat Raj system is simply not that. We call it as LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT. Let him be LOCAL – for my ward. Not from some other ward. So is the case with Panchayat President and so on. It can be different for Assemblies and Parliament – but not for a system of Local Self Governance – at the Panchayat level. He must exclusively be Local. Not from outside.
Second – Who is he and What is he? This is the simplest information, I want. I need it to vote. Some one authentic like Election Commission should tell me – whether the contesting candidate is a murderer, thief, rapist or what else and what else not? What are the cases against him? What is his Education? What does he do for a living? Does he brew liquor, or sell marijuana – what else does he do in his life? And his immediate family members – spouse and children? Who are they? How much Income and Property does he have today – so that I will know, what is his income and Property are at the end of his tenure. Why are there no such details at all for the Voter? Am I voting for the Panchayat’s worst Criminal and Rowdy sheeter, or, for a devoted social activist? Whom am I voting for? I must know that. The person I am voting for, will in due course, become the Panchayat President, an MLA, a Minister, and MP – and, at any rate, a Crore-pati, for sure. And the country will go to dogs. That is – if I continue to vote for the wrong people.
The Election Commission – especially after T.N.Seshan, has been doing a Good Job in conducting Elections. But, Sir, if I don’t have these details about the candidates in the fray – there is JUST NO POINT IN MY VOTING AT ALL. By voting for the wrong man, I may be putting the country at a Big risk. Until and unless the Government and Election commission – tell me the important details about each Candidate – and this info must be contained on the back of every leaflet published by the candidate – my vote is putting the country at a Big Risk.
Will the Governments and the Election Commission wake up to this BASIC NECESSITY – for my exercising the sacred right of VOTE.
And, only if I have this Info about each candidate, the RIGHT TO REJECT, advocated by Anna Hazare, which I also support ardently – will make any sense.
I do want to VOTE – but more importantly, I do want to Vote for the RIGHT PERSON – irrespective of the party system.
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