EC WINS, J&K DELIVERS, PAKISTAN LOSES
Let me congratulate our Election Commission ( which to my mind, is one of the few institutions left in India which is corruption free ), for conducting free and fair elections in Jammu & Kashmir.
I personally congratulated T.S. Krishnamurthy, former Chief Election Commissioner Of India in Chennai, today morning on his cell. I met him at FRNV summit in october in New Delhi. He was too humble by saying that he is no longer in the EC but he promised that my message of congratulations will be sent by him to the current Chief Election Commissioner. For your information, he has written a book published by Harper & Collins " Miracles Of Democracy-- India's Amazing Journey ". The book is not available at the local bookshop, but i have requested a copy of it.
I shared my views with him about my blog, the copy of which goes to him regularly. I admitted that some people say, i use harsh language and i am aggressive in my writing to which he replied " This is the miracle of democracy. I should express my views without any fear and as i wish to ". These words coming from him reassured me that i am on right track.
The Election Commission ( EC ) left no stone unturned to ensure that poll in J & K was as free and fair, free of any rigging and there was no coercion whatsoever of the voter by the army or other security forces. It is beleived that the EC had even spoken to the military brass in Jammu & Kashmir in this regard. The 3 member EC mostly worked from behind the scenes, leaving the deputy election commissioners to interact with the chief electrol officer on the conduct of poll. By deploying micro-observers, the EC ensured that each and every act of the poll-related officials and police personnel was subject to close scrutiny, leaving little scope for any poll irregularities of mischief.
The state administration and security forces fully cooperated with the EC is obvious from the conducive atmosphere in which the campaigning took place. Due to the secure environment provided by security forces and police, as many as 4,277 election meetings were held by various political parties across the state, up from a total of 2,031 poll rallies held during the 2002 election.
The 2002 assembly poll was held in the background of fairly serious militancy, leading to the killing of 220 civilians and 148 security personnel during the poll period. The comparative casualty figures for 2008 polls are 12 civilian and 5 security personnel. The impressive 86% fall in militancy-related incidents between the assembly polls in 2002 and 2008 may never have been anticipated in the pre-poll scenario, which was marred by the Amarnath agitation and its apparent fallout in the Kashmir region. The agitation was milked by the separatist forces to renew their " azadi " rhetoric. So much so, at one point of time, all the parties in J & K including PDP and NC were doubtful of holding assembly in the first place. But the EC stood its ground and decided to call the separatists bluff by going ahead with the poll, even at the risk of logging a low turnout, Ofcourse,in the end, the people rejected the separatists call for a poll boycott with an overwhelming response during polling spread over an unprecedented 7 phases.
Also, the high voter interest in these J&K polls is seen to be linked with the low levels of militancy and infiltration seen over the last couple of years, thanks to Pakistan's pre-occupation with other domestic matters--- be it restoration of democracy or dealing with the Taliban on its western borders--- and fencing of border stretches in J&K. The reduced interest of Pakistan-backed terror groups like Hizbul Mujahadeen ensured that no candidate was killed this time compared to 2002 when 50 political activists, including 2 candidates, were killed.
Since i have my trade links with Srinagar, i am getting a feedback, that since the bus service has started to Muzzarafabad, in POK, the Indian Kashmiris have gone there and have seen the poverty and misery in POK, they feel they are much richer and better off in India as their co-brothers in POK.
I personally congratulated T.S. Krishnamurthy, former Chief Election Commissioner Of India in Chennai, today morning on his cell. I met him at FRNV summit in october in New Delhi. He was too humble by saying that he is no longer in the EC but he promised that my message of congratulations will be sent by him to the current Chief Election Commissioner. For your information, he has written a book published by Harper & Collins " Miracles Of Democracy-- India's Amazing Journey ". The book is not available at the local bookshop, but i have requested a copy of it.
I shared my views with him about my blog, the copy of which goes to him regularly. I admitted that some people say, i use harsh language and i am aggressive in my writing to which he replied " This is the miracle of democracy. I should express my views without any fear and as i wish to ". These words coming from him reassured me that i am on right track.
The Election Commission ( EC ) left no stone unturned to ensure that poll in J & K was as free and fair, free of any rigging and there was no coercion whatsoever of the voter by the army or other security forces. It is beleived that the EC had even spoken to the military brass in Jammu & Kashmir in this regard. The 3 member EC mostly worked from behind the scenes, leaving the deputy election commissioners to interact with the chief electrol officer on the conduct of poll. By deploying micro-observers, the EC ensured that each and every act of the poll-related officials and police personnel was subject to close scrutiny, leaving little scope for any poll irregularities of mischief.
The state administration and security forces fully cooperated with the EC is obvious from the conducive atmosphere in which the campaigning took place. Due to the secure environment provided by security forces and police, as many as 4,277 election meetings were held by various political parties across the state, up from a total of 2,031 poll rallies held during the 2002 election.
The 2002 assembly poll was held in the background of fairly serious militancy, leading to the killing of 220 civilians and 148 security personnel during the poll period. The comparative casualty figures for 2008 polls are 12 civilian and 5 security personnel. The impressive 86% fall in militancy-related incidents between the assembly polls in 2002 and 2008 may never have been anticipated in the pre-poll scenario, which was marred by the Amarnath agitation and its apparent fallout in the Kashmir region. The agitation was milked by the separatist forces to renew their " azadi " rhetoric. So much so, at one point of time, all the parties in J & K including PDP and NC were doubtful of holding assembly in the first place. But the EC stood its ground and decided to call the separatists bluff by going ahead with the poll, even at the risk of logging a low turnout, Ofcourse,in the end, the people rejected the separatists call for a poll boycott with an overwhelming response during polling spread over an unprecedented 7 phases.
Also, the high voter interest in these J&K polls is seen to be linked with the low levels of militancy and infiltration seen over the last couple of years, thanks to Pakistan's pre-occupation with other domestic matters--- be it restoration of democracy or dealing with the Taliban on its western borders--- and fencing of border stretches in J&K. The reduced interest of Pakistan-backed terror groups like Hizbul Mujahadeen ensured that no candidate was killed this time compared to 2002 when 50 political activists, including 2 candidates, were killed.
Since i have my trade links with Srinagar, i am getting a feedback, that since the bus service has started to Muzzarafabad, in POK, the Indian Kashmiris have gone there and have seen the poverty and misery in POK, they feel they are much richer and better off in India as their co-brothers in POK.
posted by vaneet kundra at
Monday, December 29, 2008
5 Comments:
Kudos to EC. Even in the Karnataka Assembly elections in May 08, they did a marvellous job. I'm not sure about their roll in the recently conducted by-polls to eight assembly seats. But, they need to organise themselves much more to ensure mis-use of money pwer and buying of votes, though liquor, biryani, saaries, money and other goodies, which was openly praciced in may 2008. Some candidates are known to have spent around 50 crores as against the allowed limit of 10 Lakhs per candidate, despite very strict vigil by EC staff as known in the last 60 years! With the implementation of photo appended voter lists in the coming elections, the extent of bogus voting is likely to reduce enormously. EC should now concentrate on how to reduce mainly the money power menace, and to an extent mustle power, booth capturing and rigging etc.
Dear Cdr Khilari,
I agree with you in toto. EC has not been able to curtail money power, muscle power, liqour and all these goodies offered by candidates during elections. You correctly put it that crores of rupees are spent by each candidate, against the stipulated amount set by EC. If you remember, before T.N. Sheshan took the control of the EC, it used by a tool in the hands of the govt. running the country. But after that and the subsequent Election Commissoners are tightening the noose on the candidates with coming every election, be it assembly and Parliament. Here the role of judiciary becomes very important. Judiciary should direct the EC that no candidates with criminal track record should be allowed to contest the election. Any candidate spending more than the stipulated amount, should be barred to contest election. After so much of darkness all around around us, i see a ray of hope in the future. Could anybody ever imagine that J&K will come out with more than 60% voting ? It has happened after almost 20 years. Judicial activism is the requirement of the day to check malpractices adopted by the executive and other elected bodies. I think, we may see this soon when judges salary is going to be increased manifold. Things have started rolling, but the speed is very slow. We can send a Chandrayan to the Moon, but how about our own Moon, India ?
India/Bharatvarsh/Hindustan is a paradise to Aryayans, Egyptians, Africans, Hindus, Mughals, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Jews, Sindhis, Zeorastrians, Portuguese, Dutch, Scheduled castes, the un-touchables, the Achuts, the Dalits, the Harijans, the Scheduled tribes, the Nomadic tribes, the backwards, the illiterates, the Capitalists, the Democrats, the Securilists, the psudo-Secularists, the Communists and above all, the Human beings; God loves them all, because God loves India; But, not the Terrorists, the Fundamentalists, the Decoits, the Naxalites, the Maoists, the Jihaadis, the ISI, the Pakistanis and the dirty and corrupt Politicians and Bureacrats! They shall all perish soon. Amen. Yatha Yathya Hi Dharmasya, Glanirbhavati Bharataha, ........................
I have recd. an email from former Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamuthy which is put below :
Dear Mr Vaneet Kundra:
Thanks.
So long as one is within the State Laws,one can express one's views
fearlessly.The only caution I would add is that in expressing one's
views,one neednt hurt any body.Injury caused by fire or any other mode
can be cured but injury caused by words cannot be erased/cured.That
makes Democracy meaningful.
The book has already gone for Second edition.You can contact Ms Lipika
Delhi (Harper Collins) on phone:9810503543
Happy New Year.
Best wishes
Sincerely
TSK
Dear Mr T.S Krishnamurthy,
Let me thank you for sharing your views with me. I certainly agree with you, that words spoken and written shouls be within limits, which should not harm anyone or any other community. This is the miracle of democracy. Thanks for giving the contact no. for where i can get your book. But sir, i would request you to throw some light on one issue, which haunts many. Why does majority community gets bashed up all the time, by all politicians, irrespective of the party. Dont you think, that the time has come when majority community needs some kind of reservation on the lines given to all kinds of castes and community ? Why all the time, this appeasement policy of the politicians gets all kind of attention in the media at the cost of majority community ? This divisive politics must be stopped at all costs before it becomes too late to handle. There is no party which in true sense speakes for majority. They are always exploited. They have a sense of alienation, which should be addressed to. Right wing parties are too aggressive but i think some rationale voices must come to maintain the balance. Kashmiri pandits for the last 20 years are refugees in their own country. Have you seen or heard of any country like this ? There is something definately gone wrong with our system, which EC or judiciary should address to. I dont expect anything concrete from the Executive.
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