FREEDOM FROM PRESENT DAYS’ POLITICIANS UTMOST NECESSARY

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

Of course country needs freedom from many evils which include corruption, social evils, red-tapism, crimes, fundamentalism, pseudo-secularism and many such other aspects which have deep-rooted in our system. But talking elimination of all or any of these is just hypothetical in present-days political system.

What we actually need freedom from present breed of politicians who instead of taking politics as weapon to serve people, rather run politics as business-shops for minting money by befooling public. It is evident from politicians like Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Yadav who while talking against Women Reservation Bill openly said that the bill would bring unemployment for male politicians, and that it would tend to close their political shops! Freedom from such politicians will automatically provide freedom from many such evils like corruption and crime because present-days’ politicians incorporate in themselves all such evils!

We want freedom from a system which keeps away talented and public-spirited personalities like Aruna Roy, Arvind Kejriwal etc from even dreaming to enter it for public-good. Even Dr Manmohan Singh, who is taken as an icon of honesty, could not win direct election to Lok Sabha only because present system is tailor-stitched for money-tycoons having corrupt money to spend like freebies in elections.

Since being a Parliamentarian or state-legislator is in itself a quite busy task, holding of any post either in government, party or even in private bodies should not be allowed. Politics and governance should be distinctly different with only such persons being appointed at ministerial posts who might not have contested any elections in last six years giving Parliamentarians and state-legislators a higher stature of king-makers rather than themselves lobbying for lucrative ministerial berths. This will bring talent rather than political opportunists on ministerial postsby separating genernance from politics.

Much has been talked about ‘Fixed Term Legislatures’ and for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state-assemblies. But this can only be made possible by electing Prime Minister/ Chief Ministers by secret and compulsory vote of MPs/MLAs through EVMs on nominations signed by at least one-third members. Such an elected PM/CM may be removed by same process but with compulsion of naming alternate leader in the same motion. Even Speakers and Deputy Speakers should be elected simultaneously with Chief Ministers in the same manner. Arm-twisting in co-alition governments like done by smaller parties may not then be possible.

Since a person cannot represent two constituencies or become member of both Parliament and state-Assembly, no person should be allowed to contest from more than one constituency or for both Parliament and State-Assembly. A sitting MP/MLA should resign first from his earlier post before filing nomination for the other seat. Parliamentarians on being appointed Ministers in states should automatically lose their Parliament seat and vice versa. Security-losing persons should be barred from contesting elections for next six years. Till Women Reservation Bill is made a dream come true, all political parties must give at least one-third party tickets separately in each state to women as per ice-breaking formula from Election Commission.

Writer is an RTI Activist and Guinness Record holder for most letters in newspapers. this article was written in the eve of Independence day but because of other necessary post, 'We' delayed its publishing and feels sorry for this.