The framers of India’s Constitution, in their haste to create a sovereign democratic republic out of the ashes of colonial rule, overlooked one of the most critical safeguards for the health of any democracy: the provision of state funding for political parties and their election campaigns. This was not mere oversight but a reflection of the era’s idealism clashing with practical realities. Jawaharlal Nehru and his colleagues envisioned a polity where moral suasion and voluntary contributions would suffice, drawing from Gandhian principles of self-reliance. But in a diverse, resource-scarce nation like India, this naivety sowed the seeds of corruption from the outset.” (Page-46)
“The remedy is straightforward yet politically fraught: abundant state funding of elections, calibrated to party size and past performance, with strict caps on private contributions. This would sever the umbilical cord to black money, restore equity, and reclaim democracy from criminals. But it requires political will—something the current system, addicted to opacity, is loath to muster. Without it, India’s democracy will continue its inexorable slide toward oligarchic control. (Page-53)
ଦେଶ ସ୍ବାଧୀନତା ବେଳେ ସମ୍ବିଧାନ ନିର୍ମାତାମାନେ ଦେଶ ପାଣ୍ଠିରେ ଦଳ ଓ ନିର୍ବାଚନ ବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥା ନ ଆଣି ବଡ଼ ଭୁଲ୍ କରିଦେଇଛନ୍ତି। ଜର୍ମାନୀ, ସ୍ବିଡେନ୍ ଏ ଦିଗରେ ଆଗୁଆ କାମ କରିଥିଲେ; ଆମେ ବିଳମ୍ବ କରିଦେଲେ। ଫଳରେ ରାଜନୀତି ଯେମିତି ଏକ `ଅପରାଧର ଉଦ୍ୟୋଗ’ ହୋଇଯାଇଛି- ପ୍ରେମ ଶଙ୍କର ଝା, ପ୍ରଖ୍ୟାତ ସାମ୍ବାଦିକ
Book: The Dismantling of India’s Democracy: 1947–2025 by Prem Shankar Jha
Leave a Reply