June 25, Emergency Never Again.

 June 25, Emergency Never Again. Appeal to our Parliamentarians for Democratic Integrity and Constructive Governance

June 25 marks an aberration day in the history of our democracy, reminding us of the resilience and strength of the Indian democracy notwithstanding the onslaught that it faced on this day in 1975. Today, we enter the fiftieth year of the declaration of the Emergency in India. It was on this day in 1975, that India experienced one of its darkest hours in our cherished democracy, when the then then-prime minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, imposed an Emergency on the nation. As we reflect on this period, it becomes imperative to reassess and renew our commitment to the democratic values and principles of our nation and ensure that June 25, 1975, happens never again.

 Unfortunately, the happening unfolding - a saga of parliament disruptions and slogan shouting with the holy book of the constitution of India in the hands of the parliamentarians - even before the swearing-in of the newly elected members to the 18th Parliament is completed, does not augur well for the Indian democracy. What is so embarrassing is the very party that imposed the Emergency on this nation is unabashedly using slogans like the death of Democracy to instigate the ruling party, which would create a crevice unbridgeable between the ruling and the opposition parties, which does not augur well for Indian democracy.

 The 18th Parliamentary elections, the greatest of the global spectacle that heralded the democratic traditions of independent India, will soon be completed with the newly elected members of the Parliament completing their constitutional obligations of taking their oath and expressing their allegiance to the Constitution of India.  The acrimonious debate, allegations, and counter allegations, the exit polls and the heat and dust that they generated and so also a narrative of unsafe EVMs are all past. It is time for everyone to let bygones be bygones believe in the great Indian democracy and respect and uphold the will of the 640 million plus people who have endeared the scorching heat to go out and vote for the government they wish to govern them.

 The people of India have spoken their minds and whether one likes it or not, NDA has been given the mandate to govern the nation with vastly reduced numbers for the ruling party. The united opposition under an innovatively crafted acronym INDIA, which was led among others by Rahul Gandhi and his Congress party, has made impressive gains and Congress has just missed the three-figure mark while the INDIA block has managed to win a creditable 235 seats including a landmark victory in Ayodhya. This mandate by the people mandates the opposition – INDIA block - to play a responsible role of the opposition, which must be respected and played constructively.

 

In recent times, with Prime Minister Modi in power, there has been growing rhetoric, particularly from the opposition, suggesting that India under the current government led by Mr. Narendra Modi, is experiencing an "unwritten emergency." This narrative persists despite the clear mandate given by the electorate for the third consecutive term. The elections are over, the results are and it is now time for both the ruling party and the opposition to transition from campaign mode to governance mode, focusing on serving the people of India.

 The role of the opposition is crucial in a democracy. A healthy, functioning democracy relies on a responsible opposition that holds the government accountable while respecting the electorate's verdict. However, the current behaviour of boycotting sessions and creating disruptions even before the first session of the new government begins undermines this responsibility. This not only insults the mandate given by the people but also weakens the democratic fabric of our nation.

 Similarly, the ruling party must show magnanimity and respect towards the opposition. Effective governance requires collaboration and constructive dialogue. Ignoring or dismissing the opposition leads to a polarized political environment, hindering progress and innovation. This adversarial behaviour serves no good to the people of India and distracts from the real issues at hand. Today, India stands at a pivotal moment on the global stage. As a rising power with a promising future, any internal political discord can have far-reaching consequences. Disruptive behaviours by both the ruling and opposition parties can deter foreign investments and weaken global confidence in our stability and governance. This is a critical time for India to project unity and a commitment to democratic principles.

 As we mark the beginning of the fiftieth year of Emergency in India, I join my fellow countrymen (women included) to plead with both the ruling party and the opposition to make amends and prioritize the nation's welfare above partisan politics. It is time to end the rhetoric and work together for the greater good. The people of India deserve a government that respects their mandate, upholds democratic values, and works tirelessly for their prosperity and progress.

 As custodians of democracy, all politicians must honour the trust placed in them by the electorate and perform the responsibility they are vested with by the people of India, admirably so that the slogan for “Emergency Never Again” reverberates in the hearts and minds of everyone.  

 Let us learn from our past, respect the present mandate, and work towards a future that strengthens our democracy and promotes the well-being of all Indians. Unity, respect, and constructive engagement are the pillars that will support India’s journey to becoming a global leader.

 

The Great Indian Democracy : Judgment Day of the 18th Parliamentary Elections.

 

The 18th Parliamentary elections, the greatest of Global spectacle that herald the democratic traditions of independent India, are over and the vituperative debate, allegations and counter allegations and the so called exit polls and the heat and dust that they generated including making the coalition that was predicted to be a big timer loser becoming hyperactive to ridicule and rubbish the exit polls and have their own convictions of coming back to power by winning 295 seats are all now done and dusted and are past as we now headed towards the D day of counting 4 June, 2024, which will commence in 8 hours hours from now. It is time that everyone one of us let bygones be bygones and believe in the great Indian democracy and the will of the 640 million plus people who have endeared the scorching heat to go out and vote for the government they wish to govern them. 

Therefore, let us raise in attention to salute the Indian electorate and respect the people’s mandate when results are announced and not play politics and blame and tarnish the Election Commission and its paraphernalia that include the EVMs and the faceless hundreds of thousands of foot soldiers of the Election Commission who have tirelessly worked towards making this Himalayan task a grand success time after time and election after elections. Let us remind ourselves of the scorching heat during which the electioneering happened when the leaders and the people who went to listen to them endeared this heat and went out to exercise their franchise true to the great democratic traditions of our nation. Democracy in India has gained from strength to strength and has made much progress over the decades. When we attained independence and declared ourselves Republic in 1950, our erstwhile rulers, the British and the rest of the world, were highly cynical about our survival, let alone the survival of our democracy. From the first elections in 1951-52 to the current 18th  election in 2024, we have come a long way and our democracy has grown from strength and the world now treats Indian democracy as a triumphant role model, which is studied by many democratic countries. Let us cherish our democratic traditions and let us not demean the institutions which make this happen by making false and baseless allegations, which can serve as an ammunition to those who want India to fail.

Notwithstanding the naysayers and losers allegations regarding the so called rigging of EVMs, or such other blames, we the electorates must trust the Election Commission, and its unprecedented machinery comprising of tens hundreds of thousands of workers, who work as an the Institution to serve the nation incredibly for the success of our democracy. This is borne out from the recent Supreme Court Judgment that found no substance in the allegations levelled against the Election Commission. Speaking of the elections and the EC, I am reminded of the statement made by our former President, Dr Pranab Mukherjee, who had praised the Election Commission for conducting the 17th Lok Sabha polls in a “perfect” manner. He had gone on to say “If we want to strengthen institutions, we have to keep in mind that institutions are serving well in this country, and if democracy has succeeded, it’s largely due to the perfect conduct of elections by all Election Commissioners starting from Sukumar Sen to the present Election Commissioners”. So irrespective of who wins the 18th Parliamentary elections, the NDA as predicted by most exit polls, or the INDI Alliance, or the results throw out a hung parliament, we must all collectively respect the results as a true mandate of the people and not play politics over the results and blame the Election Commission (EC) or any other institutions and the EVMs. 

Ever since the era of TN Seshan, in the early 1990s, the EC, like the Indian Army, has arguably become our respected institution, barring a few aberrations. The respectability of the EC can further be appreciated when we realise that the EC has helped several other nations run their elections better. EVMs have played a significant role in this transition, which has seen a drastic reduction in voting malpractices. Therefore, all those who either blame the EC or the EVMs and demand a rollback to paper ballots, I strongly feel are grossly wrong. I do agree that the Murphy’s Law has its own standing and no technology is infallible and therefore credible allegations of EVM tampering or any other malpractices must be taken seriously and we must also appreciate that the EC does take all such allegations seriously and therefore believe in their conduct. Demand for rollback to ballot box or dumping the EVMs is like forcing us to go back to horse drawn carriages. Can any of us even imagine doing so. Despite the real risks of road accidents, we don’t abandon motor vehicles, do we? Instead, we implement safety measures like speed limits, seat belts and helmets and so should it be for the EVMs and introduction of the VVPAT is a step in that direction. 

Central to the beauty and vibrancy of the Indian democracy are the Indian electorates - the rich and mighty, the powerful and powerless, the poor and the insignificant, the lettered and unlettered, sheltered and unsheltered, the males, females and the transgender’s, the believers and non believers, Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, religious and non religious, young, middle aged, old and the very old - all standing as equals, each rubbing shoulders with one another, in the true spirit of equality and humanity first, who make our democracy thrive. They have all voted in scorching heat conditions and rightfully deserve to get the government that they have voted, so let there not be any politics over the results and let us not believe or encourage the losers who are likely to blame and shame the EVMs and the conduct of the Election Commission. Have we all not heard this idiom  “bad workman blames his tools”.

Incidentally, allegations of vote fraud through tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) is not new to the parties or the candidates or only to this election. This tradition began right from the very first instance of the use of EVMs, when the Election Commission tried out a pilot project of use of EVMs in Indian elections during the Kerala assembly elections way back in 1982. The case went right up to the Supreme Court, which in 1984 had ruled against the EVMs. However the ruling of the Supreme Court was based on the legal technicality, and not about the functionality or the fundamental suitability of the EVMs. This technical flaw was corrected by a 1988 amendment to the RoP Act, which provided  the legal framework for the use of EVMs in Indian elections. Ever since the EVMs have served us very well.

Let us earnestly hope that the will of the people, as expressed through their ballots, is known when the results are announced tomorrow there will be no more politicking on this issue. Let naysayers continue to crib, which the losers will, but let us all rejoice the Indian democracy that the world acclaims and accept the will of the people and let the party or coalition voted to power govern us and let us hold them accountable to their election manifesto.

Jai Hind and Jai Indian Democracy.