The focus on winning has shifted the narrative from serving the public to political opportunism, party switching, and outsmarting the opponents.
Saji P Mathew OFM
In 2024 democracy will be tested
like never before. More than half the world’s
population is going into their national elections, which includes, India, the
United States of America, European Union, and many other countries in Africa
and Asia. The remaining half of the population of the world, like the people of
China, Russia, and others, pretty much have no power to exercise free and
fair elections.
Going by the political commentaries that we hear so loud and clear, the far
right is making progress and might claim victory in major elections, we
would
have national leaderships spanning
from majoritarian populists to fascist
dictatorships, and many of our freedoms and institutions would be
compromised; the world as we know would change; it will not be the same
post 2024. The order of the world as we know since the end of World War II,
or in the case of India, from the time of our independence might take a
dangerous turn.
Will democracy survive 2024 bumper elections? In spite of having free and
fair elections, people still choose candidates with dubious democratic
credentials? Perhaps people have other priorities than the priorities laid down
by the founding fathers of our nation and constitution.
India, world’s most populous democracy, is electing its 18th Lok Sabha in
April or in May. Election times are the most vulnerable times of Indian
democracy. In the cutthroat unsparing practices of Indian politics, winning
elections
is often prioritised over everything else. The
fierce competition and
the high stakes involved have led politicians to adopt questionable campaign
strategies and tactics. Parties resort to manipulation, misinformation, and
sometimes even use force to secure victory. The focus on winning has shifted
the narrative from serving the public to political opportunism, party switching,
and outsmarting the opponents by wooing the voters with money, power, and
communal and caste politics.
Disinformation and misinformation are used to polarise communities, sway
public opinion, and affect voting patterns. Political polarisation and fueling of
religious ideologies and popular emotions can cause division and undermine
the inclusive and diverse spirit of the election process. In the recent case of
Chandigarh mayoral election presiding officer tampered with the ballot papers;
made the BJP candidate ‘first past the post’, declared the BJP candidate as
winner, and he, who is suppose to be neutral and unbiased, shamelessly
joined the victory celebrations right there in the election hall with the winners.
Thanks to the Supreme Court for doing the needful to restore the sanctity of
the election.
‘Politics of distraction’ is the order of
the day. In a country of mass illiteracy
and unemployment, farmers’ suicide, and farmers’ protest, politicians and
other key people divert public attention by discussing worship place
destructions and temple constructions, cow protection and mythology,
women’s dressing and girls wearing hijab to college. Noam Chomsky, an
American social commentator says, “The key element of social control is the
strategy of distraction that is to divert public attention from important issues
and changes decided by political and economic elites, through the technique
of flood or flooding with continuous distractions and insignificant information.”
Animal Farm is a short novel by George Orwell. It is an allegory of Russia in
the early 20th century (the USSR), and the leaders on Animal Farm are the
leaders of Russia in the beginning of twentieth century. The storyline
is
simple. The animals stage a rebellion against the farm owner. The animals
win power. The pigs position themselves as more powerful than the rest of the
animals. The most powerful pigs are Snowball and Napoleon. No one with
power likes another having power. Napoleon sees to it that Snowball is taken
off the farm by force, so by the time the farm needs to have an elected leader,
the animals are left with only one choice.
Animal Farm is an allegory for any society. The easiest people to control are
those who think they are free. Napoleon, the leader, brings out several
commandments for people of the republic to live by, like, “all are equal, and
some are more equal than others.” People live in
the illusion of equality. Big
democratic terms are used. People are served with the illusion
of freedom.
Leaders call them comrades and friends; the supreme leader lets them elect
their president but gives only one choice. Napoleon (acting as a large-hearted
democratic man) declares election; but also declares himself
as the only
choice (these were days before we had the NOTA option). Napoleon was
elected ‘unanimously’. Democracy is an asset only among people with free
and informed minds.
