May Day!

WARNING: CONTENTS MAY BE IRRITATING

May Day!

Ganga Prasad G. Rao
http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar


Some time back, I broached a deep question in a silly context. Should we pay to vote, or more appropriately, Shouldn't we pay to vote? A question that smacks of disrespect to the framers of our constitution who vested in us the 'right' to vote. The right to vote is supposed to be sacrosanct part of our democratic traditions. Sad to say, it has turned in to a tool manipulated by politicians and their hackneys with impunity. Yes, it is still a right to vote. But to what avail? Whom do we vote for? With what information? And what expectations?

In the majoritarian system that our democracy is, the entire Parliament, indeed the nation, runs on a minority vote. The largest fraction of the our voting population has voted against those in power (including those sitting in the opposition). The government is run by a party that won on a minority vote and is opposed by a party that too won on a minority vote. Is this what we call representative democracy? In this system, it suffices to adopt a 'divide and rule' policy, split the opponent's vote and get away by promising goodies to a fifth of the voting population, hopefully localized in a certain part of the constituency! Or, adopt vote bloc politics by entering in to alliances with parties floated by or with local movie stars? And if that doesn't do it, it ain't that difficult to hire a few strongmen, have them congregate around the election booth and effectively turn it inaccessible after the first few hours of voting? Been there, seen that!

Talk about candidates. You don't see or hear them for all of 4 years and 364 days. And then they show up at your door and you shake hands and timidly nod your head like a 'boom boom maadu' (a bull that shakes its head in agreement) to their requests for votes. Issues? Candidates background, experience and qualifications? Party platform? 'Unholy' alliances? Wake up! This is the 20th century! No questions entertained! Jus' vote; better yet, stay away! The deals have already been made prior to elections – between parties, between parties and businesses, between candidates and between parties and unions. Your vote is merely another unnecessary signature to that deal! So what do you gain by the right to vote? A day off work? The satisfaction of voting against a government that did not raise the PF rates? Or, the ire of being in the majority that did not find its voice in the government? What are we waiting for? For a government that is all but democratically elected? For this democracy to crumble on its own? Do we even care one way or the other? I fear the overwhelming majority does not.

Shall we continue with this monstrosity that can only lead the nation to anarchy? Why? Is there an alternative? The answer: No, not all-in-one answer to all these ills. But a start can be made with open, ranked list-based proportional representation election system, perhaps with the 'vote points'-Borda Count suggestion I made in an earlier blog. To spice it up, we could turn voting in to a privilege that requires citizens to pay a-not-insignificant sum (in some proportion to their income) that can be earned back in proportion to the 'vote points' they obtain from the computer by answering a 'voter's issues quiz'. Think about it. It'd be voluntary; those not up to it, essentially uninformed voters, could vote traditionally and be counted as a single vote point. Those who care about issues, elections, democracy and nations will pay up, vote and make their vote points count (and earn their money back). The majority will no longer steamroll the minority. The Parliament will be more equitably represent diversity of this nation. Not a panacea for all our electoral and democratic ills, but a start. The beginning of a long journey toward true emancipation and a truly representative government.

Now let us all say 'Jai Hind' in unison and retire.

Tomorrow is May Day.......Get It?