How to reform politicians at least to some extent?
Our politicians are really bad. Most of them are very corrupt, and a huge number of them have assets far beyond their known sources of income. A vast majority of them only care for themselves and, the moment they are elected, completely forget the very same people to whom they went to, a short while ago, literally begging for votes.
Yet, the vital question is: can we not reform our politicians to at least some extent? Do not we have at least a few very honest politicians, from whom we can take inspiration, and to whom we can refer to as role models?
The only answer to the aforesaid questions is: yes. We have any number of ways in which we can reform our politicians. We do have superb role models, even from among those dead, not so long ago.
One politician who was a class by himself, was the true communist, true patriot and true nationalist, the late Mr Jyothi Basu, the Chief Minister for so many years in West Bengal. Many would say that he did not industrialize his State, But when asked about the agricultural reforms and the massive work that he had got done in the villages were quoted, the very same people would simply nod their head and applaud his efforts in admiration.
That said,let us come back to the first question. Let us ask ourselves a very good question, that we positively need to ask: are we not to blame, at least to some extent? Why should we not look inward and ask our conscience as to whether we were right in allowing our politicians to do whatever they did and get away with it?
The truth is, we are ourselves to blame. There are any number of us, who would happily use any politician to get our work done. For instance, we would take his help to get our son or daughter an admission under the Management quota in a very good engineering college. Yes, we would be very happy to give him his "consideration" as well. Now, are we not as corrupt as the politician himself? Why should we try to hide the fact that we are corrupt, and then blame him?
We might justify our action as saying that we are just one of the persons doing it. But like us, there would be many, and the politician has now got a big bagful of money, only because of us. Where can we hide our face?
Why not just avoid him at all, and still wait for some college to give our son or daughter an admission, purely according to the marks secured, as in now common in Tamil Nadu. Chances are, our son or daughter would still study, without corruption, in a good B class college. The extra bit of coaching for the skills required to make him or her, employable, can be easily imparted through finishing schools, or even some good internship in some good company. This is exactly what many honest parents do. They just do not turn their heads towards corruption and the politician at all.
So, it is very much within us, to not become 'givers". If there are no givers, there will be no takers. This is a fact of life.
If some public official demands a bribe, we might as well complain to the anti corruption cell and ensure that the person is arrested. But do we do it, for example, in ration shops, in the regional transport offices, in the trains, and so on?
We are the first persons to adopt the short cut. And then blame the "System". Let us take this first step, that we will never give any money to get things done.
What is the alternative? Very simple. As I have argued in other articles as well, the only solution is social action. A single voice cannot be heard, but collective voices of several hundred people cannot be unnoticed. And if the current phase of computerization continues, the scope of corruption will get even further reduced.
Social action is indeed needed to reform our politicians. In the Southern States, for instance, this is becoming a daily routine. The people simply sit right in the middle of the road and block traffic. The police cannot lathi charge them. They need to first convince the people. If the Assembly session is not on, the MLA comes running. So do the collector and other officials.
This is the only method to bring the politicians that we, the common people, also mean business. No more cheating. No more running around the offices, trying to get our way through.
We need a very fresh perspective of everything, big or small. For instance, if social action were to become an everyday occurrence, should we not go one step further, and file a public interest litigation? When the courts also intervene, the politician cannot but redeem himself.
The politician --- man or woman, needs to be on the streets, trying to help the people who have grievances. At least to some extent, there will be change. Democratic methods of protest can also make some difference.
In the heat of the Lok Sabha election, in Tamil Nadu, literally every person who had a valid vote was sort of bargaining with each political party to give them some money. So, each household was richer by at least two thousand rupees, assuming that they had five voters in the family.
If people are so corrupt, why blame the political class? Should we, the people, not desist from taking any sort of money, from any political party?
However, the exact opposite also happened in Tamil Nadu. For example, when the political parties that had done nothing for some villages, tried to enter such villages, they were stopped by the villagers who literally pushed them back and did not allow them to enter the village at all. Similarly, when some politicians tried to bribe them, they were literally chased away and their vehicles needed police protection.
It is not enough if the boycott is put into operation. The villagers need to jump into social action of a severe kind from some mean minded politicians. We should not allow them to get away with whatever they do.
Reforming politicians is thus possible, if we try to change ourselves, and then also take to social action of a big kind, to fight for our rights.
These are two possible ways in which we can reform politicians to at least some extent.
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