INVERTED DEMOCRACY

The RIGHT TO VOTE (I proudly enjoyed today) enshrined in the INDIAN CONSTITUTION has unfortunately been reduced to a farcical exercise riding on tall claims made by the political leadership and the ‘Babus’ of a flawed system.
The glaring failures exposed in the role of the Election Commission are disappointing. Optimum voter turnout cannot be achieved to change things through the ballot box unless the EC becomes more efficient along with strictly upholding its mandate to conduct free and fair elections. An institution which is not in order cannot conduct an orderly activity.
The myth of a “SECURE” Electronic Voting Machine gets exposed by total inept handling of the strangely completely manual procedure which precedes the Voter’s access to the machine. Untrained, uninspiring and ‘forced to work’ human resources pressed into “Election Duty” are a weak link in the system.
The vicinity of the polling stations are a cesspool of dubious party workers openly doling out inducements in the form of ‘tokens’ for breakfast/lunch and other cash/non-cash incentives to vote for their candidates. Police and other security agencies turn a blind eye to this day light corruption in the open under their relaxed nose.
The fact that the voting procedure is full of blatant corrupt practices is indicative of the end result that it generates. The ‘campaigning to voting cycle’ of the system is heavily tilted towards electing dishonest immoral candidates who then spread their dirty nets across the landscape to recover ‘investments’ within the shortest possible time to prepare for the next election, which may happen earlier than prescribed five years depending upon the level to which ‘neta’ stoops on the ‘corruption scale’. This perpetuates the corruption loop - spreading like galloping cancer in our society.
The demand for reforms in systems and need to clean the existing rubbish is of paramount importance if India is to progress and achieve its full potential as the largest democracy and economically strong country capable of fulfilling the aspirations of its citizens.
The revelations in the polling phase is a clear pointer to the murkier post poll scenario (on 16th May) when results throw up shameless winners who will then participate in the race to be part of the government indulging in choosing strange bed fellows and stranger policies performing the ultimate "Corruption Dance" in the name of ‘inverted’ democracy where “MINORITY” rules the silent helpless “MAJORITY”.