Thematic analysis of electoral system in a democracy would require at least a discussion on the existential circumstances of the State and the purposes of Government as advocated by different political scientists. While dealing with State and Government, a sort of scholastic ambiences of light would be directed to cast upon the election system.
The light so cast is anticipated to take us to two discrete sides of whether our system could really address problems related to elections or take into account the sociological aspect of our societies and bring out novel approaches; and if our existing rules and norms meet electioneering in India, especially in Manipur.
Election is the paid culmination of the existence of a particular society in the form of 'state' that is governed, ruled, and managed by some individuals who are empowered by the electorates as 'Government'.
It is this body of individuals called 'Government' that enforce common rules that are acceptable to the society as a mechanism of dispensing the best interest of all.
However, how far are our Government with its existing political 'systems', especially, the electoral system can deliver the desires of the masses is a quest that every citizens of a democratic state should try to answer for ourselves. A.C. Kapur, in his book Principles of Political Science puts this objective of Government in this way: "It is obviously a quest for a 'just' and happy life for men assembled together in a territo-rially integrated society (read 'state') and as such, the best form of relationship (is) manifested in their governance that can ensure such a life". This is what we need to analyse.
This idea of changing a system is best expressed by Dorothy Pickles in his book Introduction to Politics, when he says: "Each generation" as it becomes adult is faced with the responsibility of deciding whether to accept the rules made or accepted by earlier generations, or whether to challenge their validity and try to replace them by others".
Considering these facts let us look into the past when justices were denied; equality was a dream and when the ignorant Indians were dominated by gagging their voices.
India's political antecedents: India's past political structures or systems were simply an alloy of rules and systems merely framed to meet the then exigencies of -
(1) colonial ambition;
(2) social ills of the times;
(3) divide and rule idea; and
(4) the iron will to prolong the British hegemony.
This unfriendly British had left unsuitable system that we cannot just do away with.
The Hindu social structures and the Muslim religious concept were indeed another important previous circumstances that have also contributed factors for deciding the foundation of our political system that we usurp today. One colossal mistake in the making of the constitution was that the social structure's of the tribal societies in the north-eastern part of India were not considered thereby leaving a great vacuum of political blunder.
Their forms, law, customs, institutions, modes of life, their thought and actions, economic standard and educational credence directly or indirectly influence their participation in the electoral system. Leaving this important aspect of the tribal, especially of Manipur, political justice system among the tribes is hampered tremendously.
The members of the constituent assembly fram-ing our constitution were more or less the brainchild and pensioners of unjust rule with its undeserved systems. They embodied in them tinges of such calloused nature that were seemingly not missed in incorporating them into the laws of the land, as we experience today.
Although their contributions toward the making of the laws are immense, the laws of elections they have placed for use now are far from justifying our goal for equality and justice that we have been struggling until date.
It is also a well-known fact that the constituent assembly simply used comparative method in deciding the shape and nature of the constitution.
Jawaharlal Nehru once said: "We choose this system of parliamentary democracy deliberately; we choose it not only because, to some extend, we had always thought of those lines previously, but because we thought it was in keeping with our own old traditions also naturally the old traditions, not as they were, but adjusted to the new conditions and new surroundings, we choose it also - let us give credit where credit is due - because we approved of its functioning in other countries, more especially the United Kingdom".
This shall remain as a characteristic of developing India. Part XV of our Constitution deals with election.
Those initially enshrined five Articles - 324 to 328 are the legacy of Paramountcy of idea of subjugating the citizens with power of 'superintendent', 'direction' and 'control' etc leaving no power and rights to the electorates in the present context of Indian electioneering.
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Ngamkhohao Haokip wrote this article for The Sangai Express. This article was webcasted on December 07th, 2006.
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