Democracy and its working.

The Election Commission in its attempts to bring transparency and accountability into the election process has ensured that all candidates declare their assets as part of the filing of nomination process.

The recent elections in Karnataka were a case in point; one could say that prospective candidates washed their linen in public or they had skeletons walking out of their closets. It was a veritable ‘get-into-your-candidates-coffers’ offer. Newspapers detailed the amount of gold, cars, houses, fixed deposits, companies, loans, bank accounts that each candidate had. I bet it would have made any Income Tax officer salivate, helplessly – helplessly because the poor officer won’t be able to do much right now as any action would be termed as politically motivated and later would be nigh impossible.

It is such brazen honesty that permits one to stand for election, such brazen honesty gets votes, and it is such brazen honesty that guarantees adulation and even emulation. It is because of this brazen honesty that the last will and testament usually translates into a party ticket for the next generation.

But this form of honesty is not the only indications of an election process of a vibrant democracy. Things get shut down for elections, things like schools, things like government offices and even liquor shops.

Things are shut for a purpose – schools are shut down because that’s where the polling booths are set up and government teachers also become polling officers, government offices are shut down so that employees can fulfil their constitutional duties. Liquor shops are shut down quite a few days before the polling day – no not to ensure that everyone is sober enough to vote but to ensure that the common person does not vote according to the number of pegs he gets.

Because India is also a vibrant economy many things can be bought and sold, there is also a very lively barter system. Candidates not only sell esoteric things like promises - common to all candidates, they also buy voters, and sometimes they barter commodities for votes. One could look at it like this - political candidates have not only taken it on themselves to improve on the current fundamental rights but they also try to ensure that these rights reach people – even if for a few days. So we have politicians providing food and drink to people (right to good food and alcohol), some go further and even distribute silk saris (right to fine clothes).

And so we once again creep closer to another General Election – the great bizarre bazaar of democracy where not only will aspirants pick winning and loosing parties but the electorate will get all the attention it needs to choose winning and loosing candidates. The bazaar where the ‘consumer’ is like the emperor with no clothes, where there is no guarantee on the products chosen, where the products on display do not come with statutory warnings, where there is no chance of returning defective goods.

But this bazaar has been undergoing transformations over the years. People now know what one needs to be done for free and fair elections. Bangalore newspapers were full of photos of saris meant to clothe the electorate and food meant to feed the hungry being snatched away from the hands of well meaning candidates. There were photos of police being deputed to various polling stations. There were even public messages asking people to vote. It may take many more elections before one gets to revel in a democracy and a democratic process that stands on achievements but we are getting there.