Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Monday 28 April 2014

Bribing The Voters



Retired Chief Election Commissioner , S Y Quraishi , is all set to release his book ,


"  The Undocumented Wonder : The Making of the Great Indian Election "


Talking to DNA ( 15 April 2014 ) he listed some 40 different ways in which , Political Parties try to bribe voters


Some of these are :


>   Cash

>   Depositing money in voter's bank account

>   Liquor Bottles

>  LPG Cylinders

>  Free Rice / Food Packets

>  Payments of Electricity / Water Bills

>  Mass Feasts

>  Screening of films

>  Laptops / Tablets

>  Bicycles

>  Mangal Sutras

>  Gold Coins

>  Buffalos

>  Colour TV

>  Mixer - Grinder

>  Unemployment Allowance

>  Waiver of loans

>  Free Houses ......etc



Political Parties are happy that Mr Quarishi , being an honest / straight forward person , could imagine only 10 % of  the ways of bribing voters  !


And who cares that the EC has managed to seize a meager Rs 300 crores worth of cash so far during the current season , when all of the Rs 40,000 Crores worth of black money ( @ Rs 5 crores per candidate * 8,000 candidates ) , has escaped un-noticed ( looking other way ? ) by ,


>  Income Tax Department

>  Enforcement Directorate

>  CAG / CVC

>  Election Commission.....etc



Even the almighty Supreme Court seemed helpless , when it held recently :


"  Although promises of distribution of freebies may not technically constitute  corrupt practice , under the Representation of People Act , they vitiate the electoral process by influencing voters and disturbing the level playing between contesting parties "



And since there is no difference of opinion between the political parties when it comes to exploiting the poverty of 400 million BPL ( Below the Poverty Line ) voters , I would not be surprised if the next government at the Centre , introduces a  ,


 "  Bribe ( given ) Politically ( is ) Legal ( BPL ) Bill "


 in the very first session of 16th Lok Sabha  !


Expect it to be passed unanimously - and without a debate  !


Political parties are firm believer of what Kaushik Basu ( onetime advisor to PM ) once said ( - although in a different context ) ,


"  Giving bribe must not be treated as crime


   Ordinary citizens are forced to give bribes when they are denied , service that is legitimately due to them


If they are held innocent , they will come forward and report all instances when they were forced to bribe bureaucrats



Only bribe-takers must be punished  "




*  hemen parekh  (  28 April 2014 / Mumbai  )


  





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