Stooping low for a few more votes and attacking Election Commission is undemocratic

'If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader'. - John Quincy Adams, President of America (1767- 1848)

The general elections for 16th Lok Sabha currently underway to elect 543 seats in Lok Sabha seats is almost drawing to a close and the last phase will end on 12 May 2014.

The counting will start on May 16 and probably we will have a new government and Prime Minister the same day.

It is historic in every sense the largest number of people would have participated in the biggest election held for nearly a month in phases.

This election in particular was one of the fiercest, hardest fought elections, fought tooth and nail in every conceivable platform from vast Maidans, Bazaars, across Ganga in Varanasi and in Ayodhya.

While the Election Commission(EC) should be congratulated on conducting truly a mind-boggling logistics involving thousands of officials and arranging the security that had to be moved around, nonetheless amount of vitriol that was poured on rivals by our leaders should make our collective head hang in shame. Right from prime ministerial candidates down to local satraps are guilty of mouthing profanity in public at will.

Our security forces went to the most inhospitable terrains and most sensitive areas of the country to ensure people come out and vote without fear. Thousands of polling officers and their staff manned the voting booths and polling stations and maintained a friendly atmosphere conducive for voting. But what of the political class who would not hold their tongue and poured out venom on their rivals only to claim later they have been misquoted? The foulest of language that was used by candidates across the political spectrum would bring no credit to the country no matter which Party wins to form the Government.

Some of the statements issued by our political and spiritual leaders have been downright mischievous, atrocious and even below the belt that should have warranted serious action by Election Commission. The statements have come across the political spectrum.

Here are few samples:

-Union Minister for Agriculture and NCP leader, Sharad Pawar exhorted farmers in his State to vote twice after removing the ink mark.

- Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan claimed that Tiger Hill in Kargil battle was captured by Muslim soldiers in the Indian Army.

- Yoga guru Baba Ramdev brought decency to ground zero when he said Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi visited dalit houses for honeymoon and picnic.

- Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar warned villagers near Baramati he will cut water supply if they don't vote for Mrs Supriya Sule who is currently a Member of Parliament.

- Sri Rama Sene leader Pramod Mutalik made an inflammatory speech on Babri Masjid attack.

- Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Leader of Kashmir, Dr. Farooq Abullah showed himself in poor light when he said if Modi wins elections Kashmir will no longer be part of India and those who vote for Modi Should drown themselves in sea.

- BJP's Giriraj Singh wanted all Modi critics to go to Pakistan.

The above are only samples but more serious statements have been made besmirching their rivals and bringing disrepute to the process of democracy.

Of course more serious violations have been committed right from the beginning while filing their nomination papers submitting information not always correct.

Thanks to a vigilant Election Commission over the years, we have seen a much smoother and safer election process than in the past. Earlier, politicians themselves were sometimes actively involved in booth capture, scare voters by bringing goons with guns and issue caste-based fatwas to terrified voters. To be sure much needs to be done to curb money, muscle and liquor power and prevent candidates who have charges filed against them from entering the arena. These are issues that have to be tackled by the Election Commission. Irrespective of party affiliations, governments too will have to bring the necessary legislature to ensure free and fair elections at all levels.

But it is time for EC to bring such reforms which do not reduce campaigning to serious mudslinging against candidates, attacks which besmear reputations and crosses all forms of decency. This can be done by EC alone.

- EC should consider clamping penalties in terms of deducting a minimum number of votes from the votes polled by a candidate if he / she is involved in verbal mudslinging beyond to a level considered inappropriate by the EC. Damaging statements made in public that are plain inflammatory need to be punished electorally and if need be debarred from standing for elections altogether.

- EC along with Supreme Court should suo motu introduce strict Dos and Don'ts norms for Parties and their representatives during campaigning. Vulgarities in any form should be met with a no nonsense approach.

One must recall here the iron hand of Mr TN Sheshan, the Chief Election Commissioner who went hammer and tongs to stop anti-social elements from disrupting voting by getting them arrested on the eve of elections and bringing in Army to protect polling booths. During Seshan's tenure no politician dared to take law into his hands. No party could take him for granted and it was during his time the Election Commission became truly independent and implemented quite a few laws which were there only on paper.

The tag India is the largest democracy has no meaning if elections are reduced to a situation where choicest demeaning invectives are hurled against one another with a rejoinder at hand they have been misquoted.

The EC must show again that it is not a weakling or a handmaiden of ruling government but a strong and powerful institution mandated by Constitution to uphold democratic norms during elections.

The real test of democracy is not measured in quantity of the number of people who go there to vote, not in number of polling booths etc but in quality of the entire process of election that EC brings to practice. Then only India can call itself truly democratic in the comity of nations. Only then we can hope to have leaders that Adams dreamt of for democracy.

(Author is a Mysore based Cricket writer and a commentator on current affairs)