I AM , NATARAJ M B because I CARE

I am a US Qualified Registered Microbiologist-Medical Technologist, operating my own Clinical Lab. I have been an activist advocating consumer, civic, citizen's rights for Thirty plus years & a Frequent contributor to the letters to Editor.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

compulsory arm twisted democracy

Times Life, july 17th
lead article on Compulsory voting, is timely and well written wake up call just when we are ready to go to polls yet again.


Our own personal experience despite living at one fixed address for past 4 decades is, our family list is not complete. In spite of possessing voters identity cards,ration cards, passports, gas connections, land line connections, annual rectification updates.
Inspite of voting in about 100 elections-local bodies, state and central level over the years. Errors galore.
Just one or two of the eligible six manage to vote in any given election.
What was worse was during the recent update they asked for phone number, and photographs! and the errors rectified after one hour session with four previous update officials less than an year ago!
Photo graphs are a spur of the moment demand, no prior notice was given. Even most accurate updating - done every year as a tleast one educated informed resident is always available 24/7 at this address, the list is error ridden.
What is the point of arm twisting public into voting in the face of deep rooted malpractises,& corruption eroding our democracy?
Intelligent educated voting can never compete with the sheer numbers of the traditionally purchasable vote banks.
That is why candidates never even bother with our votes, opting to reach out for the numbers( sensibly so in a democracy)
accessible by currency, alcohol or other inducements.
This cannot change easily since even after 60 years of independence our literacy level is dismally low.
It can only be counter acted by the Nevil Shutean idea of a single individual having more than one vote based on certain levels of lifes accomplishments. One for being a citizen, one for passing tenth grade, college, post graduate degree, profession, doctoral degree etc.
The other alternative is to make politics an unattractive proposition for the opportunists, criminals, scoundrels etc by eliminating them by successful prosecution. Then limiting the election to once in five years if no clear majority government is possible after an election. The country can run on federal system of bureaucracy- which is by and large law abiding.

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