Yet Another Democracy Crisis

2018 Karnataka State Elections saga has delivered a blow to already dwindling democracy, it was neither the first and certainly not the last.

More than 70 years of Indian democracy and it feels like it is getting old. The sluggishness is visible and it is writhing in pain. The medicine is due for some time now, and the illness is now making a firm control over it.

Some self acclaimed doctors try to inject medicine, cure it but seems like it is not working as expected. It sometimes eases the pain a bit but not permanent cure. The illness is of a new kind and the old treatments may not work altogether.

But isn’t every problem we face difficult to gauge and fix initially until a day comes where everything seems so simple and clear that we start cursing the stupidity in ourself? The past soon becomes illogical, and we proudly laugh on our predecessors. The constant fight with the present makes way for future realizations. This is how humans survived and thrived, and this is how democracy survived disastrous laws, governments in the past.

Unquestionability: The new illness

Democracy is nothing but people’s voice, so any illness of the democracy is an illness of people voice.

Unquestionability: Absence of ability to question

Technology has smashed the communication barriers which existed among masses. In a sense social media has made the world smaller where ideas that took days or even months to reach majorities, can now be delivered in seconds. This has enabled leaders to reach people much more effectively, thereby making leaders directly accessible and much more powerful than ever before. Although Indian elections were designed to choose representatives locally which leads to choosing a leader be it CM/PM. But in today’s time this doesn’t work even remotely as expected, as clearly evident from 2014 National election and 2015 Delhi elections. Notably Narendra Modi has won states after states for BJP using his own image. In these circumstances it is natural for people to refrain from questioning and following their leader somewhat blindly. Event dissent within party is curbed with this magnitude of success.

Symptom

An illness is the cause behind the symptoms. We observe the symptoms and reach to conclusions on the illness.

A crisis is nothing but a symptom.

Symptom: Politicization of supposedly independent government institutions

The way Karnataka elections have boiled down to money and power. There is not an iota of doubt that the institution of governor has been compromised in the hunger for power.

A quick oath ceremony and 15 days to prove majority(112 seats) for a party with 104 seats might not seem unfair but on a closer look at other two parties Congress and JDS which made a post poll alliance holding 116 seats, the procedure sanctity begins to crumble. The only way BJP could get numbers is through picking/buying MLA from Congress and JDS, and giving 15 days for this operation is like an icing on cake for BJP. If you believe MLA’s change their minds and suddenly realize the bad in their respective parties and switch to other side, on a closer self inspection you will discover you are lying to your teeths.

Not amused by the fact that the governor was closely associated with BJP before he was appointed a governor, and now he is paying back to the party. Sweet deal.

Relationship between symptom and illness

The illness doesn’t have a single symptoms but a whole other symptoms(Intentionally skipping other symptoms to mantain focus on current crisis). If we don’t question, a person is bound to become blind with power and greed which will result in situations where he feels invincible and does whatever he feels right.

If we had taken steps while these governors were being appointed by questioning the govt. for their credibility for such posts, we probably would not have to see such unfateful days.

What’s the cure

Half of the problem is solved when we acknowledge and understand the problem. Like a Doctor who engages in Q&A before reaching a conclusion. We shall also try to do the same.

Q & A

Q. The same symptom was observed in the past 20 years but it turned out to be fine. Was it less severe then?
Read: Even congress was misusing their power.

A. The symptom you observed previously was localised, although dangerous. You should have been worried then also. However the good thing about that is you took a treatment then. Similarly you would need a treatment now.

Congress surely had used the same abuse of power but it is history now. It was really bad even then and I am happy they are paying the price for it. That’s why people chose Modi, not to do the same but to fix the wrong. Justifying wrong doings by this logic, is like moving in a circle. We will impose emergency because Indira Gandhi did it. We will be corrupt because Congress was corrupt too.

Q. This is not a symptom but a small pain because I am building my muscles.
Read: BJP is doing because it wants to save the nation from Congress.

A. It might have been, but I would rather say be careful about it, as you might permanently damage your muscle even before you build it.

You can say that BJP is doing this because they want to save the nation from the Congress, but using dirty means is not the way forward. By the same logic you would be able to justify dictatorship, cutting of the arm to stop the pain in a finger, bomb an entire nation to kill one person, killing all humans because over population is causing problems, etc.

The Cure

There is no magic. In the end it all works with the incentive of a person to be truthful/moral/fair/clean. On an unfateful day, if the leader has no incentive to be truthful, they will stop being truthful. Simple.

Ask more and more questions, do criticism of ruling parties whoever it is.

Speak up and democracy will roar back.

In this particular case, I would like to ask a couple of questions to the government.

1. Why has the government not yet come up with a law, clearly stating the process to take in specific situations so that no governor in future should be able to invite on its own discretion?

2. What is the govt planning to do to prevent biased people to reach in supposedly unbiased constitutional posts?

I know its like asking a thief to protect and this is what we have got, and if congress could be forced to bring Right To Information Act, why not expect some strong moral laws from BJP. I have hope.

Will they do something on this, I am not sure but one thing for sure is if nobody does any thing we are stuck in an infinite loop

I hope the treatment will work effectively to kill illness and its symptoms in a short period of time.