Truth about elections
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: February 20, 2013 -
There is nothing surprising over the 'disturbing developments' taking place in Nagaland in the run up to the election to its State Assembly, 2013 scheduled on February 23.
On Saturday (February 16, 2013), a surveillance team of Election Commission of India (ECI) seized Rs 1 crore in hard cash from a helicopter hired and used by H Nyemli Phom, a candidate of Naga Peoples' Party (NPF), who is contesting in the election from 49-Tamlu Assembly Constituency.
Two days later, on February 18, Nagaland Home Minister Imkong L Imchen, who is another NPF candidate contesting for the Koridang Assembly seat and also in-charge of party's election campaign committee of Mokokchung district, was arrested after security personnel seized Rs 1.10 crores along with a huge cache of arms including five pistols, two 7.65 mm caliber rifles and 140 round of 303 rifle ammunition from his vehicle at Sathupang area in Wokha district.
Subsequent to the seizure of arms and cash from his vehicle, Imkong L Imchen has tendered his resignation from the Council of Ministers of the NPF-led DAN Government of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in Nagaland owing moral responsibility, even though he contended that he had committed no wrong under the law of the land.
While admitting that the money seized from his vehicle belongs to his party, Imchen also claimed that he had no knowledge how the arms and ammunition landed in his vehicle.
Apart from these two incidents, Dimapur police along with IRB patrol party also detained a Congress candidate from 39-Sanis constituency Y Sulanthung H Lotha for carrying Rs 3.70 lakhs and a licensed point 22 pistol, which were recovered from his vehicle during a regular frisking operation near Diphupar Police Station on Monday evening.
All these incidents of seizure of cash and arms from candidates have only shown once again the dominant roles that money and muscle power play in Indian elections regardless of the strictures put in place by Election Commission of India (ECI) to limit the election expenses of the candidates and the efforts made for clean election.
In fact, money and muscle power have become so much synonymous with Indian elections today that there is little chance, if not at all, for a common man or woman with honest intentions but little resources to contest in election and get elected, even if he or she has all the virtues and capabilities of becoming a true representative of the people.
This is really a tragedy, because it amounts to denying the people their right to elect competent leaders, and thus killing the spirit of electoral democracy.
However, the tragedy would be far from over as long as there are people who are up for sale of their precious democratic rights of adult franchise to the highest bidders and the same bunch of corrupt politicians are elected to rule and decide their fate for very five years.
That is why; we said at the very outset, there is no element of surprise in the 'disturbing developments' taking place in Nagaland.
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