https://t.
me/TheHindu_Zone_official
08 OPINION
Beyond manufactured identities
THE TRIBUNE established in 1881
Communal consolidation is a two-way street which often leads to majoritarianism
One nation, one election
Govt should build consensus before pushing partisan agenda
NOUS INDICA
P
M Modi’s ‘one nation, one election’ proposal is being viewed
with scepticism by most opposition parties, even as President
RAJESH RAMACHANDRAN
Ram Nath Kovind endorsed it during his address to both Hous-
W
es of Parliament on Thursday. The CPM has dubbed the plan ‘anti- HEN everybody blames
democratic and anti-federal’ and ‘an attempt to replace the parliamen- Rahul Gandhi for the
tary system with the presidential one’, while the Congress has termed dismal performance of
it a ploy to divert people’s attention from key issues such as unemploy- his party and seeks his
ment and farmer suicides. The idea, which does make sense if imple- scalp, there is no real attempt to analyse
mented in national interest, has unfortunately acquired a partisan hue. or understand what went wrong with
Elections are a humongous exercise — costly as well as time-con- the Opposition strategy or what went
suming — in the world’s largest democracy. A country/state that right with the BJP propaganda. Inter-
estingly, the Indian commentariat has
remains in the poll mode more often than not suffers on the devel-
for long confused analysis with abuse.
opment front due to the repeated imposition of the model code of
conduct. Considerable savings in terms of money and manpower
This election underscores with a
great amount of finality the ineffective-
are likely if the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are held togeth- ness of identity politics. The SP, BSP,
er. Such was the practice in the 1950s and 1960s, when the Congress Congress, TMC and even the Left
ruled the roost. However, the dissolution of some Legislative banked on a sharply divided polity that
Assemblies in 1968-69 and the Lok Sabha in late 1970 led to separate would vote according to communal
elections to Assemblies and Parliament. and caste divisions and thereby defeat
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has claimed that ‘one nation, one the BJP. Sure, the minorities voted en
election’ is the country’s agenda, not the government’s, but there masse for those parties and candidates
are few takers for his argument. The onus is on the NDA government who appeared capable of defeating the
to allay fears that the BJP is making a pitch for simultaneous polls BJP. The Dalits, and in certain cases
with an ulterior motive. There is a perception that the saffron party Yadavs, too, voted against the BJP, but
wants to cash in on its stupendous victory in the 2019 General Elec- that was a suicidal strategy for the
tion to wrest control of a majority of the states and union territories. Opposition. Such a minority consolida-
tion can only work if the minority com-
For the record, regional parties upstaged the BJP in Odisha as well
munities in a given constituency
as Andhra Pradesh, where parallel Lok Sabha and Assembly polls
account for over 50% of voters, as in the
were conducted this year. Routed in the parliamentary poll battle, case of Rahul’s Wayanad in Kerala.
opposition parties presume that all is not lost as long as they can slug The strangest phenomenon in an
it out in the Assembly electoral arena. Amid the trust deficit, there is Indian constituency is that there is
a dire need to build political consensus on the contentious issue. always simmering discontent against
the dominant community. Dominance
is largely of two varieties: social and
numerical. The Mandal and the Bahu-
Nightmare on street jan politics has, for decades, attempted
to replace social dominance of the
upper castes with the numerical dom-
Stalking on rise as goons rule the roads inance of the OBCs and Dalits. This
had succeeded all across the Hindi
I
T may as well be official now. Despite copious laws, no place is heartland, bringing in a revolution of
deemed safe for a woman — ironically enough, not home, not the sorts in terms of their empowerment
workplace, not public transport, certainly not a busy road. No time and representation. After all these
is safe either. She is as vulnerable in daylight as when darkness falls. decades of social churning, we are now
There is no comfort in place, nor solace in numbers. It may be a mod- looking at a changed scenario.
ern metropolis teeming with millions or the intimate confines of a vil- If earlier the upper-caste hegemony
lage, there is no safe zone. Police presence, too, fails to reassure. If not was replaced with the hegemony of
the nagging fear of rape, stalking on road and assault is another real
threat. In the latest such reprehensible violation, a Kolkata model-actor
was chased and harried by over a dozen motorcycle-borne hooligans
while returning home from work with a colleague around midnight.
Their cab driver was pulled out and thrashed. Terrified, the victim
stepped out, and exhibiting presence of mind, called up the police while
A colourful burst of fragrance
Lily Swarn
also recording the incident, leading to the arrest of seven persons.
T
There was all possibility of the incident ending in pure horror. No HREE creepers in her mother’s
matter which state, the inertia of our police is legendary. The near- garden had entwined their
est police station did not come to their rescue despite requests, cit- clinging branches in a warm
ing jurisdiction. When finally some poorly equipped cops did appear embrace around Mrignayani’s exis-
on the scene, they were pushed by the group before fleeing. The dri- tence. They were like a leitmotif,
ver’s complaint was also not entertained. In an expected damage always making their presence felt — on
control, the Kolkata Police triumphantly announced on Twitter that certain days with an all-pervasive scent
an inquiry had been marked into the non-registration of an FIR. and on others with a shower of petals.
One was jasmine that climbed up to
In 2017, a DJ, Varnika Kundu, was stalked on Chandigarh roads
the cantilever in an obscure corner of
by two men in a car at night. The accused, who tried to force her car
the lawn. When in bloom, it flowered
door open, were arrested. Stalking cases are surfacing with horrific in profusion. Bunches of pearly white
regularity — in Punjab too — but laggard action incites perpetrators. flowers blossomed along its serpen-
The Kundu case is proceeding at a lazy pace. In the Kolkata incident, tine body. It was a daily ritual to pluck
a senior officer hinted that the accused were locals and had been vio- some flowers and float them in a crys-
lating traffic rules for ‘quite some time’. CCTV footage will be stud- tal dish. The scent was a mood eleva-
ied to nab the others. Why was this not done earlier? tor, a cloud of divine incense. The
flowers made Mrignayani heavy-
hearted despite their musky fra-
❝ ❞
thought for the day
The only thing we learn from new election is we Water conservation
learned nothing from the old. — Proverb Apropos the editorial ‘Don’t waste
water’ (June 20), it is a matter of
grave concern that we have
reached a point where soon the
on this day...50 years ago paucity of water will hamper our
peaceful lifestyle. The depleting
water resources will surely lead to
catastrophic results. However, it is
commendable that some states
have taken steps such as rainwater
ambala, saturday, june 21, 1969
harvesting to deal with scarcity.
Every city should conserve water
BIHAR COALITION GOVT RESIGNS and the government should
PATNA, June 20 (UNI)—Bihar Chief Minister Harihar Singh resigned reward them. It will encourage
today following the defeat of his Government in the State Assembly in a everyone to save water. As respon-
snap vote on the Budget demand of the Animal Husbandry Department. sible citizens, we all should save
The demand totalling over Rs. 3.89 crores was rejected by 164 votes to 143. the precious resource and spread
Governor Nityanand Kanugo accepted the resignation, but asked Mr. awareness for its conservation.
Harihar Singh to continue in office till alternative arrangements were PRANSHITA SHARMA, BY MAIL
made. Before submitting his resignation, Mr. Harihar Singh had closed-
door consultations with five top leaders with whose help he had been
elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party. He also informed the All- Recycle, reuse
India Congress Committee General Secretary Sadiq Ali and members of Refers to ‘Don’t waste water’
the Congress High Command of the day’s developments. (June 20); it is worrisome that Pun-
jab may become a desert if imme-
CUT IN STRENGTH OF MINISTERS IN CWC APPROVED diate corrective actions are not tak-
NEW DELHI, June 20 (UNI)—The Congress Working Committee today en to improve its water table. The
approved the recommendation of the Organisational Committee that the ground situation is grim and
representation of Ministers in the 21-man C.W.C. should not be more than endangering water availability in
50 per cent. At present there is no limit to the representation of Ministers in all regions. Misuse of natural
the CWC. The CWC dropped one of the most important and controversial resources like glaciers and rivers
recommendations of the Patil Committee that the Prime Minister should in the country have led to this sit-
report to the AICC about the working of the Government. Members felt this uation. Alarmingly low level of
might involve issues of privilege of Parliament. According to Congress storage in Bhakra and other dams
General Secretary S.D. Sharma, Mr. S.K. Patil suggested that this is again a matter of serious worry
recommendation be dropped. The CWC accepted the recommendations
that 29 per cent of the AICC could requisition a meeting of the AICC. Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribunemail.com
https://t.me/SSC4Exams https://t.me/Banking4Exams
POWER GAME: Minority communalism is the most dangerous political weapon
in the hands of a manipulative person from a majority community.
Much as Indian elections are tough to predict, our voters
can’t be reduced to mathematical equations.
numerically dominant communities,
now there is an attempt by a conglom-
eration of smaller groups to assert
themselves. The dominance of the
OBCs and their allies among minority
communities seems to have introduced
new fault lines in the Hindi heartland
social order. Why should a Kurmi or
Mallah or Sonar vote for Yadav domi-
nance? Why should a Valmiki or
Mushahr vote for Jatav rule? Identity
politics without the glue of empower-
ment, representation, jobs, prosperity
and a promise of equality and brother-
hood has got exposed as just another
manipulative tool employed by dynasts
and vile opportunists to grab power.
Modi could well be a mere excuse for
these marginal communities to express
their angst against getting submerged
in a sea of numerically dominant com-
munities. It could be sheer coincidence
that Modi also belongs to one such
numerically marginal, yet technically
backward caste. When the sharp edges
of identity politics start hurting their
pride and stop them from realising
their political aspirations, these castes
that are neither politically empowered
nor represented in decision-making
forums are forced to seek alternatives.
These communities for long bunched
together as non-Yadav OBCs of UP and
grance. The scent seemed to reach
her from another lifetime, leaving
behind an aftertaste of deja vu.
She often sat in the mornings to
string them in a thread to wear
them in her long braid. They
reminded her of temple architec-
ture as well as silk sari-clad damsels
with jasmine-adorned hair.
The bougainvillea was a twisted
chain of branches till it reached a cer-
tain height, precariously hanging on to
the peach-painted facade. As the year
was about to end, it burst into a floral
tribute of magenta and violet glory. A
canopy of tightly woven flowers as if
someone had smeared Holi colours
with a raging vengeance on a plump
cheek. She stood beneath its umbrella
shade, luxuriating in the shower of
vivid colour. Often a few stray blooms
letters to the editor
as it provides supply for irrigation.
It is the responsibility of every cit-
izen to work on water management
and conservation. We must use it
judiciously. Recycling of sewage
and industrial effluents is a must
and all industries and organisa-
tions having ETPs and SETPs
should be told to install zero-liquid
discharge plants that can either
give 100% treated water for reuse
in industry or convert it into
potable water in case of SETPs.
SANJAY CHOPRA, MOHALI
Nothing more than a voter
Refer to the report ‘Top court to
take up plea on sending team to
Bihar’ (June 20); it is a pity that the
government is elected by the peo-
ple but they are generally forced to
knock at the door of the Supreme
Court for drawing the govern-
ment’s attention towards even
their primary needs. The death toll
of children in Bihar has crossed
over 100, but the state medical
infrastructure has failed to prevent
the spread of the deadly epidemic.
The Central government still needs
to be awakened through court
intervention. How long will the
poor and helpless people will be
treated only as vote bank?
JAGDISH CHANDER, JALANDHAR
CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 21 JUNE 2019
Bihar (which account for 120 seats)
came together in these elections, in cer-
tain cases as a reaction and in certain
others as a matter of assertion against
the Opposition’s attempt to consolidate
the minorities and numerically domi-
nant communities. The attempted con-
solidation against the BJP worked to its
advantage. Sure, this is wisdom in
hindsight, but nothing else explains its
50% vote share in UP. For instance, the
Jat agitation for quota had turned all
other communities against the Jats —
dominant in Haryana and western UP
— triggering a consolidation of smaller
communities determined to keep them
out of power. It resulted in a 10/10 sweep
for the BJP and a 58% vote share.
Just as the beneficiaries of identity
politics have for long celebrated their
individual and collective caste and
communal victories in terms of num-
ber of representatives in legislative
bodies, these elections seem to signal a
backlash. And the backlash is taking
the shape of a communal identity,
which is worrisome. When less influen-
tial castes and communities feel mar-
ginalised without a strong leader or an
organisation to represent them, they
are left with the only option of creating
an amorphous Hindu identity for
themselves. This identity, this time
fell on her head and shoulders as a flir-
tatious gust of wind sneaked by!
The Chinese honeysuckle or Ran-
goon creeper had a unique cluster
of rose-red flowers. The petals were
shaped like tiny fingernails. She
often pasted these petals over her
nails by licking them. She felt all
grown up and glamorous as she
played house-house in a solitary
corner. The afternoons were spent
in Shakespearean soliloquies, sit-
ting in a world of make believe.
Across the road, in a double-storeyed
house where three ravishing girls lived
with their mother, grew another flam-
ing vine, a native of Brazil and com-
monly known as the orange trumpet
vine. A blazing array of fiery trumpet-
shaped flowers completely covered the
walls. A sight to kick-start any sleepy
Bihar death toll
Refer to ‘Bihar child death toll 111,
anger mounts’ (June 19); it is very
painful to know that over 100 chil-
dren have died of suspected AES
(acute encephalitis syndrome). The
Supreme Court has agreed to hear
a public interest litigation in this
regard. Elections come and go,
some parties win and others lose,
but the fate of the poor people in
Bihar does not change. There is
much malnutrition. It is pathetic to
watch on TV channels two-three
children sharing a single bed in the
Muzaffarpur hospital. Where toi-
lets stink, heaps of garbage stare
you in the face, even a healthy per-
son can become sick.
RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, FATEHABAD
Holy in words
The middle ‘For some time, as
holy as it comes’ (June 20) is a sad
reflection on the lives of cows in
India. ‘Holy cow’ has many
expressions. It is an exclamation
of surprise in the US, Canada,
Australia and England. In India,
cows are considered a manifesta-
tion of mother goddess and a
sacred animal that provides life-
sustaining milk, just like a mater-
nal figure. It is revered as a sym-
bol of divine bounty. But the
THE TRIBUNE
around, shockingly did not need a
Ram temple, or a religious motif for the
masses to get excited; the Balakot
airstrike was good enough.
Has minority communalism trig-
gered majority consolidation? It would
be difficult to imagine the BJP’s rise in
the modern context without the Con-
gress’ regressive stand in the Shah
Bano issue and the ban on Salman
Rushdie’s Satanic Verses. Minority
communalism is the most dangerous
political weapon in the hands of a
manipulative person from a majority
community. Mamata Banerjee believes
that her Brahmin surname and minor-
ity appeasement are a winning formu-
la. It was so in another time and era in
UP for the Congress, but no longer. The
result is for all to see: 18 seats and 40%
BJP vote share in West Bengal.
Similarly, the Left in Kerala attempt-
ed polarisation over the Sabarimala
temple issue, with the CPM trying to
vilify the Nair community as the ‘oth-
er’. The calculation being that the Nairs
(traditional Congress voters) when
pushed to a corner over the issue would
vote for the BJP, while the numerically
dominant Ezhavas and the minorities
amused by the ‘othering’ of this com-
munity would support the Left. The
strategy boomeranged, with the Left
winning just one out of 20 seats.
Is it time to ring down the curtain on
the cynical, manipulative, manufac-
tured identity politics? This election
proves that artificial groupings like
Muslim-Yadav or Muslim-Yadav-Jatav-
Jat or Ezhava-Christian-Muslim
formed temporarily by politicians are
going to be rejected. Many Yadavs, Jats
and Ezhavas voted for the BJP. The
minorities of Kerala rejected the Left’s
Sabarimala politics, reposing faith in
the Congress. Much as Indian elections
are tough to predict, our voters cannot
be reduced to mathematical equations.
Naveen Patnaik has never practised
the politics of caste or communal polar-
isation, nor does he belong to a numer-
ically significant caste group, nor does
Odisha have a sizeable Muslim popula-
tion. Yet, he wins election after election
defeating the BJP twice. That ought to
be the new normal in Indian politics:
victory for transformational politics.
day! It carries in its inferno heart sto-
ries of many a sensational afternoon.
As Mrignayani walked one day with
arthritic knees in the lane, where she
had romped and skipped rope as a girl,
a lone fuchsia-hued bougainvillea
flower sailed down near her feet. She
knew that the city might change its
temperament and personality from a
laid-back garden city to a bustling,
traffic-jammed one, but the creepers
would never stop brightening the
facades of houses or cease to perfume
the breeze. She dreamily hummed
Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s immortal ghazal
under her breath: Gulon mein rang
bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale/Chale
bhi aao ke gulshan ka kaarobaar chale.
Till the creepers adorned the
brick walls of her hometown, all
would be well with the world.
reality of the life of a cow is miser-
able and therefore disheartening.
BALJIT SINGH MANN, MELBOURNE
Assault on doctors
Reference to the editorial ‘Doctors
strike back’ (June 17); had CM
Mamata Banerjee not taken her usu-
al political stand of BJP-CPM con-
spiracy, the matter would not have
gone out of control and viral all
across India. Clashes between doc-
tors and patients highlight the need
for institutional initiatives to restore
the relationship between both par-
ties. Tempers often run high when
patients have to contend with over-
crowded and unhygienic facilities,
but at the same time, the debate on
medical ethics has not progressed
beyond the patient-doctor binary.
But whatever be the provocation,
violence against doctors is inexcus-
able. Junior doctors may be lacking
communication skills to engage
with emotionally charged atten-
dants and may not have much train-
ing in being empathetic while con-
veying bad news. This may have
much to do with the IMA’s dwin-
dling credibility. The incident, how-
ever, underscores the need for insti-
tutional intervention to rebuild the
relationship based on trust.
PRAKASH HANSPAUL, BY MAIL
https://t.me/UPSC4Exams
 https://t.me/TheHindu_Zone_official

THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 21 JUNE 2019 OPED 09

Institutionalise prisoners’ conjugal visits

GS BAJPAI
PROFESSOR, NATIONAL LAW
UNIVERSITY, NEW DELHI
quate, given that the family members tions. At present, there are no formal
often meet the prisoners in a congest- or legal arrangements to facilitate
ed and crowded atmosphere. such conjugal visits even though the
Prisons are mysterious places. They courts have time and again directed
remain scarcely studied as institu- the state governments to make such
tions and not much is known about arrangements.
the life and challenges faced by the In January 2010, while hearing a
inmates inside. Rose Giallombardo’s PIL on treatment facilities for HIV-
research finds that there is a natural positive prison inmates, the Bombay
tolerance of sexual perversions in the High Court directed the Maharashtra
prison community. According to Don- government to examine the possibili-
ald Clemmer, on account of the atypi- ty of allowing jail inmates to engage

C
ONJUGAL visits are again in
the news with a petition in a
Delhi court pushing this
debate to yet another level.
Prisons are single-sex institutions,
resulting in the norm of suppressed
sexual desires. Confinement in prison
deprives prisoners of an active sexual
life, culminating into a search for alter-
native ways. In a conjugal visit, an
inmate is allowed to spend time with
the legal spouse. Therefore, it has been
construed as a possible and partial
solution to save the prisoners from
sexual frustration and encourage
indulgence in procreation activities.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court
has ruled that procreation or alterna-
tively artificial insemination contin-
ues to be a right of the incarcerated
person. Several cases have now come
up before the courts where sexual
engagement and procreation have
been raised as a ground for suspension
of sentence or parole. Primarily, how-
ever, the idea of conjugal visits
emerged as a solution to problematic
sex lives of prisoners.
By and large, the prison administra-
tions are ill prepared and ill equipped
to manage this issue effectively. Con-
sequently, they enforce a regulatory
control aimed at suppressing the
innate urges of prisoners. Even the
current system of mulaqat is inade-
cal prison culture which justifies neg-
ative modes of adaptations and
behaviour, a prison may be termed as
an ‘abnormal community’.
Perhaps, the only study on this sub-
ject in India was conducted by a noted
criminologist, Prof SP Srivastava, who
observed that the prisoners, driven by
sexual urges, try to cope with them in
a myriad of ways. Some common
methods are to indulge in sexual talks
and fantasies and sexually-loaded
jokes are quite prevalent. However, the
most rampant are: (i) Nocturnal sex
dreams (ii) Self-masturbation and (iii)
Homosexuality. This study suggested
that a large number of prisoners (53
per cent) admitted that they frequent-
ly have sex dreams. This mode of sex-
ual gratification (mainly the discharge
of seminal energy) is considered by an
even greater majority of prisoners (79
per cent) as ‘normal’ in the prison
milieu. Masturbation is also common
and depends on the situations and
opportunities as the prisons are gener-
ally very crowded.
A study reported in the Journal of
Medical Research article in 2010 quot-
ed figures from the Arthur Road jail in
Mumbai in which 72 per cent of the
inmates interviewed said sex between
men was quite common. About 11 per
cent admitted to have had sex with
other men. In this context, the Peo-
MULAQAT: The system is inadequate as family members often meet the prisoners in a congested and crowded atmosphere.
Conjugal visits are being
considered as a possible
solution to reform the
prison subculture which
drives the prisoners to
adapt negatively to stressful
situations. Even the courts
have time and again
directed the state
governments to make such
arrangements.
ple’s Union of Civil Liberties has
observed: “When a young boy enters,
the prisoners have been known to
have bid a price for the boy. The price
offered is in terms of bidis, soap or cha-
ras. Often, prisoners have been divid-
ed into camps and the groups have
fought each other on the issue of who
shall have the new entrant.”
It is also pertinent to note here that
there is enough evidence to suggest
that the population of HIV/AIDS-
infected prisoners is consistently
increasing. A resolution of sexual frus-
trations in prisons could be a major
solution to this issue. Available data
reveals that the extent of homosexual-
ity in prisons range between 10 and 30
per cent. Despite the recent judgment
decriminalising homosexuality
between consenting partners, the pris-
ons seem to display a tough authoritar-
ian reaction to this behavior, signify-
ing that not much has changed for
homosexuals in prisons. The contour
of homosexuality in prisons is differ-
ent from the world outside. In the out-
side world, homosexuality is a choice.
However, inside a prison, this behav-
iour is driven by the no-choice com-
pulsion. The emerging debate in the
light of decriminalisation of Section
377 is in terms of what stand the pris-
ons in India need to take on this —
should it be allowed or be regulated.
It is against this backdrop that con-
jugal visits are being considered as a
possible solution to reform the prison
subculture which drives the prisoners
to adapt negatively to stressful situa-
sexually with their wives in privacy
within the jail premises. Justice
Majumdar in this regard observed:
“There may be physical needs. See
whether a separate place can be given
to a prisoner and his wife for a day or
two. The government is spending
crores of rupees to curb the AIDS
menace in jails. Instead, why don' t
you take preventive steps?”
In January 2018, the Madras High
Court granted a two-week leave to a
prisoner sentenced with life imprison-
ment for assisting his wife with her
infertility treatment. It recounted the
merits of the conjugal visits and raised
conjugal visits to the status of being a
facet of the right to dignity. It further
opined that the same could lead to a
reduction in “frustration, tension, the
ill feelings and the heartburning.”
It can be deduced from the above
that despite an absence of legal provi-
sions, the approach of the courts has
been to allow such visits. A conjugal
visit is considered to be a right of a
prisoner. It has a potential to not only
reform individual prisoner but also to
contribute to the improvement in the
prison culture in general. The need,
therefore, is to institutionalise conju-
gal visits by amending the prison man-
ual and by creating a scheme based
upon the eligibility and identification
of prisoners, among other aspects.

Simultaneous polls will hit democracy, governance

I
N keeping with the promise made
in the BJP’s election manifestos of
2014 and 2019 to strive for the hold-
ing of simultaneous elections, the
Prime Minister has held a meeting of all
political parties early in the tenure of this
government to take the idea forward. But
as key opposition parties have stayed
SUBIR ROY
away from the meeting, there seems lit-
SENIOR ANALYST tle chance of the evolving of a common
position on the idea.
The idea of holding simultaneously
To maintain the elections for the parliament, state
assemblies and local bodies is not new
simultaneous elections and the points for and against it are well
cycle, the country may have known. What is new is the BJP led by
Narendra Modi winning a second term
to go through extended with a clear Lok Sabha majority and
being able to move in that direction in
periods under a caretaker the Rajya Sabha as, over time, its com-
Prime Minister. It is not a position changes to reflect the composi-
tion of state Assemblies.
happy situation. Even more To hold simultaneous elections, the
Constitution will have to be amended.
intractable is the situation The real issue is when the NDA can be
when there is a Lok Sabha in a position to put through such an
amendment. But since the government
that cannot yield a working has put the issue on the table, well-
known arguments, for and against,
government under any need to be trotted out again.
kind of combination. The foremost point for the idea is to
get out of the current situation whereby
the country seems to be in a perpetual
election mode. This stands in the way of
being able to pursue policies with any
kind of reasonable time frame in mind.
Elections bring into play model codes of
conduct under which no new policies
can be announced during the period.
Development, in consequence, tends to
go out of the window.
COSTLY AFFAIR: ~60,000 crore was reportedly spent during the recent elections.
Also, holding elections round the year,
every year, costs a lot of money, both for
the government and large political par-
ties which contest at every tier. Further,
election duty is a serious distraction for
not just government employees and the
police but also paramilitary forces. Even
the defence forces pay a price as they
have to keep one eye on the domestic
front when both eyes should be trained
on the borders and beyond.
On the other hand, the number one
argument against having a system of
simultaneous polls is that it might be
impossible to work or only at a great cost
to democracy. A House is dissolved,
needing mid-term elections, when the
House’s composition makes it impossi-
ble for some kind of a stable coalition to
emerge. In the case of states, it will mean
remaining under President’s rule for a
long period until the five-year cycle ends.
This is not a happy situation.
Even more intractable is the situation
when there is a Lok Sabha that cannot
yield a working government under any
kind of combination. General elections
were called when Charan Singh failed to
prove a majority after displacing Morar-
ji Desai. Ditto for Chandra Shekhar.
Also, when IK Gujral replaced Deve
Gowda, but could not have a stable num-
ber backing him for any length of time,
elections followed. To maintain the
simultaneous elections cycle, the coun-
try may have to go through extended
periods under a caretaker prime minis-
ter. Again, not a happy situation.
Now, let’s come to the issue of costs.
The cost of holding elections can be bro-
ken up into official and political. The offi-
cial costs are eminently bearable, given
the size of the official expenditure budg-
ets. This is a small price to pay for keep-
ing the democracy alive under the one-
man-one-vote principle.
What really needs looking into is
spending by political parties and candi-
dates. The official expenditure limits laid
down are a joke. So much so that the
accounts submitted by candidates come
to around half the permissible limit even
as everyone complains that the limits are
too low. Expenditure statements filed by
candidates are in good part fictional.
The real elephant in the room is the
role of black money in elections. Intel-
ligent estimates indicate that the play
of black money is huge. A colossal
Rs 60,000 crore was reportedly spent
during the last elections. The starting
point of corruption in the country is the
black money spent by politicians to win
elections as the first aim of a legislator
is to recoup his expenses and make
enough to fund the next elections. Such
legislators can hardly take a lead in
reducing corruption in public life. They
end up leaving loopholes in campaign
financing laws.
The disclosure regime for political par-
ties remains particularly weak. There is
no cap on what parties can spend. They
don’t have to give details of who donat-
ed during elections in cash. There is cur-
rently no obligation to declare donors
who have given less than Rs 20,000.
Electoral bonds have added opacity, not
clarity, to political funding. The BJP,
Congress, BSP and other important par-
ties are all in it together.
If candidates spend less on cam-
paigning, then campaigns would get
shorter and the disruptive effect of
elections would be reduced. Visitors to
European countries facing elections
can hardly make out that an election
campaign is on.
The greatest need to hold different
elections separately is that issues differ
from election to election. Local elec-
tions focus on civic issues, state elec-
tions on issues important at the state
level (maybe like a river water agree-
ment with a neighbouring state) and
national elections on matters affecting
the entire country, like the level of infla-
tion or foreign threats.
Democracy is best served when candi-
dates are forced to take a stand on specif-
ic issues and subsequently held account-
able for them. In fact, there is a need for
more elections on specific issues like ref-
erendums. The Swiss hold them period-
ically and are among the best governed
in the world. Separately held elections
for different tiers of government,
focused on different issues with low-key
low-cost campaigning, mostly on TV and
through social media, is what will make
for better governance.
The BJP has done very well in the
parliamentary elections by focusing
exclusively on Narendra Modi and the
party can look forward to sweeping
multi-level wins if all elections are held
simultaneously with him in the lead.
Hence, its attempt to take forward
simultaneous polls. But then, is it wise
for a large party with a geographically
spread out support base to remain crit-
ically dependent on a succession of
charismatic leaders, with the one going
out picking the next one?

quick crossword su do ku calendar forecast

ACROSS JUNE 21, 2019, FRIDAY SUNSET: FRIDAY 19:28 HRS
1 Gesture of indifference (5)
4 Put in a bank (7) 8 5 9 4 ■ Vikrami Samvat 2076
SUNRISE: SATURDAY 05:20 HRS
8 To tear (3) ■ Shaka Samvat 1941
9 Obviously untrue story (5,4)
10 Omen (7) 9 4 3 2 ■ Jyeshtha Shaka

■ Aashadh Parvishte
31
7
Sunny Partly Cloudy Cloudy
CITY MAX
Rainy
MIN
Foggy

11 Attack (5)
■ Hijari 1440 Chandigarh 39 28
1 6
13 A glossy paint (6)
15 Sainted Anglo-Saxon king (6) ■ Krishan Paksh Tithi 4, up to 7:09 pm
New Delhi 39 26
18 Soak in a liquid (5) PUNJAB
■ Vaidhra Yoga up to 7.57 pm
19 Grandiloquent (7) Amritsar 40 27
21 Biography (4,5)
23 Sympathetic attention (3)
1 8 6 ■ Sharavan Nakshatra up to 9:08 pm

■ Moon in Capricorn sign

Bathinda
Jalandhar
40
39
27
28
24 Behind schedule (7) ■ Panchak start 7:39 am Ludhiana 39 27
25 Willingly disposed (5)
9 1 HARYANA

DOWN YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION Bhiwani 39 27

Hisar 38 27
1 A moral reservation (7)
2 Journalistic account (9) 4 9 7 2 8 5 6 7 1 3 9 4 Sirsa
HIMACHAL PRADESH
39 27
3 Social blunder (5) 7 9 4 2 3 5 6 8 1
Dharamsala 29 17
2 3
4 Fastidiously neat (6) 3 6 1 9 8 4 2 5 7
5 Revenue-producing cargo (7) Manali 25 12
6 Health resort (3) 4 2 3 7 6 9 8 1 5 Shimla 25 16
7 Negotiate (5) JAMMU & KASHMIR
12 TV serial melodrama (4,5)
14 Open to the elements (7)
4 7 6 5 8
9
5
1
7
6
1
5
4
2
3
8
9
7
6
4
2
3
Jammu
Leh
39
18
24
05
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 16 Annihilate (7) Srinagar 27 14
6 4 8 3 1 2 5 7 9
Across: 1 Bushranger, 8 Heart, 9 Javelin, 10 Graphic, 11 Worth, 12 Agency, 14 Myopic,
17 Divan, 19 Ascribe, 21 Ransack, 22 After, 23 Stand aside.
17 Resist (6)
18 Discharge of guns (5)
5 3 2 1 1 3 9 8 5 7 4 2 6
UTTARAKHAND
Dehradun 37 23
Down: 2 Unaware, 3 Hitch, 4 Abject, 5 Give way, 6 Ruler, 7 In the clear, 8 High and 20 Civic leader (5) 5 7 2 4 9 6 1 3 8 Mussoorie 24 14
dry, 13 Cantata, 15 Pointed, 16 Marked, 18 Venus, 20 Class. 22 Charge for service (3) MEDIUM TEMPERATURE IN OC

https://t.me/SSC4Exams https://t.me/Banking4Exams https://t.me/UPSC4Exams