The then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the British had called India such a society which would not be able to digest democracy, nor would it be able to take it forward and in a short time it would automatically be destroyed by dividing it into fragments. The reason behind this was told the incompetence and inexperience of the politicians here and it was said that they would not be able to handle the power. India’s 17,32,12,343 voters were registered for 497 seats in the Lok Sabha and 3,283 in the state legislatures. Out of these, 10.59 crore people, of which about 85 percent were illiterate, took the whole world by surprise by electing their public representatives. From October 25, 1951 to February 21, 1952, that is, the election process that lasted for about four months brought India to a new level. It was a poor country, plundered by the British, made illiterate, but in spite of this it has put itself in the line of the declared democratic countries of the world.
In the year 1950, the responsibility of conducting such a big election was entrusted in the hands of an administrative officer named Sukumar Sen. It was a miracle for the world that despite having so little resources in such a big country, he conducted the first election of the country. As an award, Sukumar Sen, the then Chief Election Commissioner, was honored with the Padma Vibhushan. There is no dearth of resources, nor is there any paucity of funds in the five states where assembly elections are being held today. Perhaps Churchill and those so called British would have thought of dying in shame seeing this developed form of developed India if they were alive.
Now assembly elections are going on in five states in 2022, they have been voted in two phases on February 10 and 14, while the last phase of voting will be held on March 7. In between, the third phase of polling will be held on February 20, the fourth on February 23, the fifth on February 27 and the sixth on March 3. The results of the assembly elections of all the states will be out on March 10. Uttar Pradesh has a total of 403, while Punjab has 117, Uttarakhand has 70, Manipur has 60 and Goa has 40 assembly seats.
The first voting for five states was held on February 10. Counting of votes will take place in all the states on March 10. Polling will be held in only one phase in Punjab on February 20, while Goa and Uttarakhand went to polls simultaneously on February 14. Manipur will go to polls in two phases on February 28 and March 5. Elections were held on February 21 for a total of 135 seats in western Uttar Pradesh, along with Uttarakhand and Goa. While Goa and Uttarakhand went to polls on a single day, Uttar Pradesh has five phases left.
Now if you compare the election being held today with the time which has been mentioned, you will be amazed. Is this type of language used in any country today to win elections? Sitting face to face in every country, and especially in western countries, people ask this thing that if you win the election, what will you do for the development of the society and the country. Journalists also ask him questions for the public interest, their question is also how many public undertakings were set up to give employment to the youth, how many youths were given employment. People vote in favor of those who correctly answer the questions of the public in that debate. But, has this ever happened in a vast country like India? If this had started happening, by now the body of the country would have changed and we would have been giving competition to Britain and America. In western countries, candidates are also asked, what did you do when you were in power?
This never happens in any country where elections are fought on the basis of castes and on asking questions it is said that new laws have been made to remove this caste or a citizen of this country – this is because they have this. There is no caste system. No one would have ever heard that the President or leader of any country has been heard saying that if our government is formed, then our government will drive the citizens of this caste out of the country. It is known to all that if we talk about expelling someone from our country, why don’t we think that our people also go abroad to earn their living and send foreign capital to their country for the country and if its gates are closed then Indian How will the foreign exchange reserves of the treasury be filled?
Where is the justice to keep intimidating each other community by spreading unnecessary discrimination in the country! While assuring the Muslims, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had said, ‘Muslims should understand that this fight is not to establish a Hindu state, but to break the shackles of slavery’. He criticized the British for creating the misconception that he could divide even a community, even among Hindus he could cut between the upper castes and the scheduled castes. Our ancestors did not fight for freedom because India would be made a Hindu nation after independence from the British.
But yes, in our country, the rules made by the framers of our constitution to give tickets in the elections on the basis of castes, to win elections on the basis of caste, are harmful for the country today. In fact, during that period, the framers of the Constitution had given the right to elect representatives on the basis of caste so that the weak and backward castes of this country could open the way to reach their voice to the government, so that they could sit on the next chair of the society. But, even after 75 years of independence, we could not unite the society and did justice to those backward castes. Why this happened and why this social distance could not be bridged, it is a matter of serious and intensive research, but it must be reviewed. The framers of the constitution had given us the constitution in the form of a book after thinking very far. If we had followed him, we would certainly have been far ahead.
Today, even after 75 years of independence, our leaders have trapped us in the entanglement of caste war for their selfishness and hence lag behind in walking step by step with the world. His thinking was also that gradually the effect of education in the society would increase and a day would come when he would stand on his feet, but where did he think that only the mischievous elements of the society would get representation and Bahubali Due to this, the prestige of the Supreme House of the country will continue to be tarnished. Seeing the way there is a ruckus in the Parliament and the Vidhan Sabha, sometimes it seems, why so many uneducated, people of such criminal nature were selected and sent to the highest institution of the country. The truth is that such people are not elected by the public, but on the strength of their muscle power, they force the voters to vote for them because of the fear spread in the society due to their aggressive character.
Whatever it is – now the society will have to be aware, because if it lags behind in meeting with the world, then the country will be shattered and the words of the British that India will end after dividing it into pieces, will prove to be true. Therefore, whoever you are going to choose as your representative, keep complete information about them. Yes, it is true that you do not have any right to choose the representatives to contest the election, they are selected by the party, you only have the right to give your consent to the person whom you are choosing.
It is your responsibility to see that she is not a tainted or a mafia. Take a look and listen to your heart and vote for the one who has the passion to do something good for your society. This discussion is in full swing today that in many states BJP is not coming to power again, then the question arises whether the government will be allowed to run in these states and especially in Uttar Pradesh? Elections will keep on coming, but if you make any mistake in representative selection, then there will be no way but to repent for five years. Keep in mind that the hunter will come and lay the trap… But you should not be deceived by greed.
This is the history of the election of independent India. The blueprint of the change that has taken place in the elections since 1950 till now is in front of you and you also know the condition of the country. Therefore, under the illusion, your elected representative, who represents your area by reaching the highest panchayat, may not prove to be a ‘stigma’ and it may not be true of Winston Churchill that this clause is due to the incompetence of the politicians of India. Divided into fragments and destroyed.
(Note: The author is a senior journalist and political analyst. Views expressed here are personal)