The fifteenth parliamentary election has started. In the first phase ~60% voting was observed. In last 14 parliamentary elections the highest voting percentage was observed in 1984 and that was only 63.56%. In the last election, held on 2004 only 53% citizen casted their vote. Does it mean something? It simply means that Indian people are not actually integrated with the parliamentary system leaving almost half of Indian outside of it.
We have shown in our previous posts how the parliamentary parties manage their funds—mostly from the big companies and how many facilities a Member of Parliament enjoys. At the same time, we are fully aware that keeping people in dark the government very often takes decision, which are harmful to common people. Sometimes it does not even care to sick approval from parliament. The Indian parliament does not work in favour of people, does not keen to protect the national interest.
In the daily life, people feel that there is not a single parliamentary party which can bring change in the lives of common people. The election is just a matter of putting some individuals in power, who will enjoy bonanza for the next five years and then rest of their lives—even the wealth they accumulate in five years could be sufficient to maintain their next generations. So, form their experiences, the people feel reluctant to visit the polling booths.
Then what will be the task of progressive-democratic people of India? Should they take part in propaganda to inspire people to cast their vote? Or, to expose the character of Indian parliament which in turn increase apathy towards parliament among people?
Let us discuss this issue. Many people in the progressive-democratic camp, who do not believe that any fundamental change could be brought through election, believe that people should take part in election as it makes them politically conscious. The fallacy of this argument actually lies in the hidden proposition that only through the electoral campaign political consciousness comes. In contrast, political conscious actually comes only through the exposure of character of political economy of the society, character of state and through the understanding of the socio-economic foundation of the society. It is important to grasp conceptually that pressing a button in electronic voting machine (EVM) is actually not the democracy at all. Democracy means a system which serves the interest of majority. While government, irrespective of the parties it constitute, always takes decision in favour of MNCs-Big companies and feudal lords, pressing bottom in EVM actually mockery to democracy. The important decisions like petroleum price hiking, tax exemption to big companies, acquisition of land from farmers, opening of the national market to MNCs are not taken with the consent of people. Rather, the electoral victory of a particular party is used to make the people understand that the majority of people gave their consent towards these policies. Interestingly, it has been found that in the last parliamentary election, the Congress, the big brother of UPA government, secured a meager 26.53 % of casted vote. It shows that the government actually represents only a small fraction of people. Moreover, just to secure that support it has to spend huge amount of money.
Therefore, the task of the progressive-democratic-conscious people of India is to expose the reactionary, anti-people character of Indian parliament; how it has been used by the MNCs-big companies and feudal forces to make people fool—serving for minority in the name of majority.
Actually the bourgeoisie parliament is the political superstructure of independent capitalist system. In India, the parliamentary superstructure has been imposed while keeping its neo-colonial-semi-colonial-semi-feudal foundation intact. Therefore, there is a mismatch and this mismatch is being reflected in the apathy of Indian people towards parliamentary election. Under the circumstances, the task of progressive-democratic camp of India is not to raise the flag of Indian parliament, not to encourage people for the parliamentary election, but to expose its true character and to support the efforts of Indian people to abolish feudalist and imperialist exploitation. Only through the accomplishment of the victory of new-democratic revolution, which is anti-feudal and anti-imperialist in character, democracy in true sense can be established in India.
There is no short-cut rode to it.
We have shown in our previous posts how the parliamentary parties manage their funds—mostly from the big companies and how many facilities a Member of Parliament enjoys. At the same time, we are fully aware that keeping people in dark the government very often takes decision, which are harmful to common people. Sometimes it does not even care to sick approval from parliament. The Indian parliament does not work in favour of people, does not keen to protect the national interest.
In the daily life, people feel that there is not a single parliamentary party which can bring change in the lives of common people. The election is just a matter of putting some individuals in power, who will enjoy bonanza for the next five years and then rest of their lives—even the wealth they accumulate in five years could be sufficient to maintain their next generations. So, form their experiences, the people feel reluctant to visit the polling booths.
Then what will be the task of progressive-democratic people of India? Should they take part in propaganda to inspire people to cast their vote? Or, to expose the character of Indian parliament which in turn increase apathy towards parliament among people?
Let us discuss this issue. Many people in the progressive-democratic camp, who do not believe that any fundamental change could be brought through election, believe that people should take part in election as it makes them politically conscious. The fallacy of this argument actually lies in the hidden proposition that only through the electoral campaign political consciousness comes. In contrast, political conscious actually comes only through the exposure of character of political economy of the society, character of state and through the understanding of the socio-economic foundation of the society. It is important to grasp conceptually that pressing a button in electronic voting machine (EVM) is actually not the democracy at all. Democracy means a system which serves the interest of majority. While government, irrespective of the parties it constitute, always takes decision in favour of MNCs-Big companies and feudal lords, pressing bottom in EVM actually mockery to democracy. The important decisions like petroleum price hiking, tax exemption to big companies, acquisition of land from farmers, opening of the national market to MNCs are not taken with the consent of people. Rather, the electoral victory of a particular party is used to make the people understand that the majority of people gave their consent towards these policies. Interestingly, it has been found that in the last parliamentary election, the Congress, the big brother of UPA government, secured a meager 26.53 % of casted vote. It shows that the government actually represents only a small fraction of people. Moreover, just to secure that support it has to spend huge amount of money.
Therefore, the task of the progressive-democratic-conscious people of India is to expose the reactionary, anti-people character of Indian parliament; how it has been used by the MNCs-big companies and feudal forces to make people fool—serving for minority in the name of majority.
Actually the bourgeoisie parliament is the political superstructure of independent capitalist system. In India, the parliamentary superstructure has been imposed while keeping its neo-colonial-semi-colonial-semi-feudal foundation intact. Therefore, there is a mismatch and this mismatch is being reflected in the apathy of Indian people towards parliamentary election. Under the circumstances, the task of progressive-democratic camp of India is not to raise the flag of Indian parliament, not to encourage people for the parliamentary election, but to expose its true character and to support the efforts of Indian people to abolish feudalist and imperialist exploitation. Only through the accomplishment of the victory of new-democratic revolution, which is anti-feudal and anti-imperialist in character, democracy in true sense can be established in India.
There is no short-cut rode to it.
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