Bangalore ready to pay a small price for good democracy

Bangalore: We will soon be celebrating our democracy through election 2014. This election will be the turning point to a new future. For the first time, the majority of the approximately 82 crore voters will be below the age of 40. The big issues are jobs, corruption, quality of life and safety and justice. The brazen corruption of the last five years has shaken everybody and made us question the foundations of our democracy. The sheer magnitude of corruption, its spread and its impact has been terrifying. Our democracy has been captured by vested interests, political parties have become somebody’s “dukaan”, and we are lost.

The reasons for this widespread corruption are very clear. Elections cost money, running political parties cost money, and this money is made available to most political parties by crony capitalists, corrupt contractors, commission agents and the like, mostly in the form of unaccounted cash or “black money”. Of course, once such money is provided, there is a quid pro quo expectation, and therein lies the root cause of corruption that pervades our country.

This is the reason why around 85 per cent of the total receipts of all party funds are in cash and why such receipts are anonymous and untraceable — amounts less than '20,000 do not need to be disclosed! Even people who are honest prefer to make political contributions in cash and not by cheque because they are scared of the vindictiveness of the opposing parties. This fear emanates from a sense of political power that feasts on a rule of law that is weak. This non-disclosure suits political parties as there is ample room for diversion of funds for personal gain.

The great majority of citizens say all political parties are corrupt, they misuse political contributions, and hence it is pointless to donate to them. But in doing so, they are inadvertently fuelling illegal funding and corruption in politics. Citizens complain about corruption and bad governance but are unwilling to pay the price of democracy.

Yet, all of us want honest politicians and honest parties focused on good governance and a good polity. We are so naive that we believe that there exist a set of people who are devoted to public service, who will sacrifice their future, the future of their families, to contest elections, spend their money, win and then give us good, honest governance. We point to the stalwarts of the Independence movement, forgetting that all Indians contributed what they had -- money, jewellery, time, etc., for the fight against colonial rule. We forget also that these leaders were fired by the zeal to be free.

We need to change our stance towards political funding if we want good governance. We need to accept that there is a price to pay for good democracy. We need to contribute to the campaigns of parties we support, by cheque. Give whatever you wish, but give! All of us should contribute legitimately and transparently to ensure clean funding for all parties. Our industrialists, our billionaires, our successful people should contribute generously if they want good governance without fear. We should give from our personal accounts, not from the companies we run, because that money belongs to our shareholders. We should give because we want good governance, honest people to contest, unburdened by worries about campaign finance. Could America get an Obama without the money he raised that was contributed by millions?

This is a make-or-break election for India and for our future. We need to invest in good governance. We appeal to our brethren, please contribute to a party of your choice, whatever amount you wish, by cheque, to show your support for clean politics, for good governance. Pay the price of democracy, otherwise all will be lost and the future of our children will be bleak! Posterity will never forgive us if we fail this time.

(The authors are trustees of Bangalore Political Action Committee)