Mahesh Chander Sudan
We, the people of India, have earlier been witnessing election campaigning carried out by various political parties to turn public mandate in their favour by promising voters good governance, development, employment opportunities, sound education system, good health care and many social welfare schemes for underprivileged strata of society, safe and secure environment for all men and women. In the recent past, the election campaigning has taken different shape where in leaders criticize their opponents both ideologically and personally rather than explaining their manifestoes for general welfare of the state. This shift of strategy mainly helps leaders to camouflage their low performance and tactically derive immediate gains in the impending elections. It is a healthy feature of the democratic electoral process that allows contestants to face voters and interact with them for earning their electoral mandate rather than turning mandate through other techniques. The constitution of India lays strong basis for nurturing democratic processes to provide equal opportunity and participation of people of India in the governance of Indian Republic leaving no scope for dynastic rule.
It is quite evident that leaders of political parties raise issue of dynastic rule merely to hide their failures and to create a sense of bitterness against their opponents amongst voters for strengthening a false ideology not only against the targeted political entity but in turn hurt the spirit of constitutional provisions so established to attain rule of law. Most of the leaders involved in crying over the issue of dynastic rule are themselves directly related to sitting members of the ruling political party. It is strange to notice that the double standards adopted by these born leaders unlike leaders growing from the masses are actually trying to misguide the voters. The ongoing District Development Council elections of Jammu and Kashmir clearly shows that a couple of siting ministers of the Union Government are involved in using issue of dynastic rule while campaigning for BJP where as they themselves fall in said category. The constitution of India provides equal opportunity to each and every citizen for adopting profession of one’s choice and ability without any discrimination on account of family lineage, caste, creed or sex. Hence, Son of a Prime Minister, Chief Minister or of any citizen of India is constitutionally allowed to adopt profession of his choice and ability. The constitution of India has been adopted by the people of India and it is not so fragile to worry about dynastic rule. It is the same constitution of India that enabled formation of India by merging hundreds and hundreds of small states ruled by such dynasts and a false cry by these novice leaders merely to camouflage the failure of their political party will prove fatal for them. We the people of India are aware of the fact that a good leader will never count the weaknesses of his opponent to raise his own height but would definitely feel the pulse of the people to work for their welfare that would ultimately pay him political dividends. We are really shocked to find media full of such statements made by leaders who have been assigned the task of achieving healthy results for their party in Jammu and Kashmir by their central leadership not at the cost of creating false fear of dynastic rule but by educating people about government welfare schemes and development activities to create job for unemployed youth of the Union Territory, minimum health care infrastructure, free education for people living in far flung mountainous areas and border towns of the Jammu and Kashmir. This falsely created monster of dynasty has neither any place in the Constitution of India nor it impacts on the mind of people of Union Territory to yield to frustrated turning of mandate in their favour. We are also aware that most of siting senior leaders of the ruling dispensation has their sons and daughters either member of state legislatures or on board with national or state level institutes like BCCI and state sports boards. Elections are held to know the voice of the people of the country for ensuring multi-tier governance for general welfare of the state and not for turning voters’ hostage of any political entity.
It may also be noted that all these campaigners are sitting ministers, Chief Ministers or members of Parliament/Legislatures who represent their constituencies irrespective of political affiliation and are under oath to discharge their duties as laid down in the constitution of India and are expected to refrain from creating any such false fear of Dynastic Rule in the mind of poor citizens contrary to the spirit of the highest law of land. Workers of the political parties are entitled to propagate ideology of their outfit during campaigns and highlight the achievements of their party for wooing voters in their favour in a healthy manner and be rest assured that Indian constitution has no place for dynasty. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.
(The author is Wg Cdr (Retd)
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