Buying Vote is Buying People

Z. K. Pahru Pou *

When a candidate buys vote during election (from village leadership post to national level), s/he is buying people and buying people is one of the gravest sins. It is a blatant sin that a person commits against fellow beings and God. It is a new form of slavery which was and is a worst form of oppression in human history.

A slave is deprived of all freedom and human dignity. This is happening in our society today especially during election in which a leader (candidate) captures people by buying them and makes them slaves. Buying and selling of votes signifies that some people are inferior and other superior undermining the very image of God embedded in all human being.

Human beings (whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless) bear the image of God. Each individual is equal in status and worth. Human beings are not commodity that can be sold and bought. If anybody indulges in buying human beings (buying vote), s/he is doing in her/his own risk. It is unethical to buy the image of God.

And whoever sells oneself (taking money for vote), s/he is doing in her/his own risk. It is dishonourable to sell the image of God. Each individual is endowed with responsibility to take care of oneself and other people with respect. Those who indulge in buying human beings need not worship God, for God will not accept their worship and offerings.

Those who sell themselves and their families need not pray, for God will not answer their prayers. Leadership is all about self-denial and sacrifices for the cause of common good and not for accumulation of power and wealth for one self. Hence, those who buy and sell votes are unfortunate for they are trading people-the image of God- for profit.

Today, majority of our people assume that without money nothing can be done especially in terms of getting leadership post from village (Chairman Post) to state (MLA) and to national (MP) level. Money is made the all-powerful god. Therefore, they do not earnestly pray to God to become leader. They do not prepare mentally, academically and spiritually to contest for leadership post. They are spiritually bankrupt fully trusting in money not in God.

What they actually do is accumulation of money to buy people to get majority votes and become a leader. Hence, today we have many money-made leaders and very less committed God-fearing and righteous leaders. When money became the master and plays the role of the all-powerful God, it brings to an end a peaceful and harmonious society. Worshipping money results to the breaking down of homes, church and society.

Those money-made leaders will never have peace of mind and peaceless leaders cannot bring peace to society. Their happiness gained through corrupted use of money will be short lived for success through unfair-means is against the will of God. A family or church or society that is founded on the power of money will be filled with conflict, distrust, and sorrow for God is the only source of true peace and happiness.

The Bible says: “Narrow is the path that leads to life and broad is the way that leads to death.” Look, which direction our society is heading toward: narrow or broad way. “If other candidates are buying votes, why should not I” is what many candidates are saying. “If others are taking money for vote, then why not me and my family” is what many voters say. This is the broad way which is easy to travel but the destiny of it is destruction and death.

The miniscule population who tread on cautiously the narrow path says that “even if others are buying or selling vote, I and my family will not indulge in such unfair practices but will follow the narrow path leading to life.” If anyone wants to be a leader of truth and justice, choose the narrow path. When God asked King Solomon what he wanted; he did not ask for fame or power or wealth.

He asked God for wisdom to rule his kingdom wisely. How many leaders in our society believe and ask for God’s wisdom and guidance to lead others? In the midst of corrupted and idolatrous society, Joshua said: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24: 15). How many individuals and families stand together with Joshua today?

Daniel and his friends refused to obey the King’s order to worship the golden image (worship of money & wealth as omnipotent god). God rescued them from the furnace fire (Daniel 3). Jesus refused to surrender to the devil’s demand when the latter offered him worldly economic and political power, fame and glory. He took the narrow path and brought life through his death and resurrection.

Money is the source of many evils and hence Apostle Paul sternly warned Timothy against the ‘love of money’ (I Timothy 6:10). Jesus warned his followers that they cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24). Mammon is the adoration and worship of wealth and money the result of which is destruction of an individual and society.

Be a leader of people’s choice but not a leader of money’s choice. Blessed are those who abstain from buying and selling vote, for they shall be bountifully and truly blessed by God down to their generation.