Man is not only social, but a political animal as well. In the modern power dynamics of the democratic framework in India ‘Electoral Process’ plays a big role. The Right to Vote has been considered as the supreme legal right in India as it not only enables a citizen to vote for a candidate of his choice but also allows for active participation in the political process of the greatest democratic machinery in the world. However, the Electoral process in India has also been marred by corruption and nepotism. It seems people are still not able to grasp the true meaning and value of ‘Voting’.
Value of Voting
“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt
A vote is a formal expression of an individual’s choice for or against some motion (for example, a proposed resolution); for or against some ballot question; or for a certain candidate, selection of candidates, or political party. Right to Vote has been considered a legal right in India that enables an individual citizen to participate in the democratic process as well as the political affairs of the nation.
JOHN F.KENNEDY, says; “The ignorance of one vote in a democracy impairs the security of all”. One of the greatest responsibilities of citizens is voting. Voting is a very important part of democracy. How many of us (citizens)have realized that by participating in the voting system we are indirectly involved in the democratic process and how many are participating in it with honesty and playing a fair game, for the welfare and progress of the society not thinking for oneself.
As we know that the general elections to the first Lok Sabha since India’s Independence were held in between 25th October and 21st February 1952, where the Indian National Congress (INC) stormed into power, winning 364 of the 489 seats under the presidentship of JAWAHARLAL NEHRU who became the first democratically elected prime minister of the country. Here, I would like to request all the readers to take a moment to ponder upon a fact that since 1951, the time when the election process began we came a long way, however, the journey was indeed full of thorns hence we really cannot assure ourselves that the electoral process that the nation witnessed was fair and free from guilt consciousness.
India has seen political corruption for decades which has evidently been weakening it’s democratic fabric and has led to the erosion of people’s trust in the political system. As it’s a well-known fact that, a good amount of money is required in elections; which is impossible to procure unless there is a strong nexus between politicians and industrialists. In a book titled “Edge of Chaos: why democracy fails to deliver economic growth”, the writer Dambisa Moyo has dilated on this subject and is worth reading. She concludes by saying that “endless elections, unqualified leaders, uninformed voters, and short-term thinking are impending the economic growth. When democracy works, it delivers economic growth and fundamental freedom in a way that no other systems can. And when it fails, it rarely, if even replaced by a system that can do a better job of delivering for its population”.
The political representatives must be chosen with proper care and caution as they will be the one who not only represents our political interests but also will be instrumental in the nation-building process. It has been seen that in the Northeast region in general and the Nagaland in particular people do understand how to vote, but they do not understand why they should vote. Somewhere, the principle of One Man, One Vote, One Value has not percolated down to the socio-political fabric of our society. It is important to understand and appreciate the spirit of Right to Vote. Vote must be given only to those candidates who will bring peace and progress in the society and not disharmony and corruption. One must always know that your one vote makes all the difference in changing the mindset and behaviour of the world. Don’t ever take your right for granted, which will bring failure and destruction in the society.
Nepotism policy is clearly prevailing in the election process through the voting system. By definition, Nepotism is the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. The evil practice of Nepotism has become instrumental in the political affairs of Nagaland. Job prospect has ‘unfortunately’ become a major influencing as well as encouraging factor to vote in Nagaland politics.
The value of vote has been understood in our society by considering the possibility of getting government job. This mind-set will not be healthy to the system and therefore we should see that we do not cast our vote basing on who is the candidate with the mind-set of nepotism, but rather we should vote for him by thinking, whether he is worth our vote and whether will he be the right candidate who can bring great prosperity and changes in our state, our country. The practice of nepotism should be stopped at any cost; it has also been criticized since the ancient times by several philosophers, including Aristotle, Valluvar and Confucius. For instance the Indian philosopher Valluvar condemned nepotism as both evil and unwise.
Therefore, every citizen should know the value of their vote and cast their vote with proper mindset. A simple reminder to the entire voter’s- ‘Always vote for principle though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost’.
Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr Hewasa Lorin, Dr. Aniruddha Babar, Dr. Pfokrelo Kapesa, Rinsit B Sareo, Meren Lemtur and Kvulo Lorin.
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