Blog: A hope turns into despair

Thursday 18 July 2024

A hope turns into despair

What was your hope ?

I was hoping that , someday soon , Government will introduce a transparent method of funding of political parties

How has it turned into despair ?

Look at the following news :

EC allows Shiv Sena (UBT) to accept public contributions ahead of assembly polls .. HT .. 19 July 2024

Extract :

Months ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has provisionally authorised the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackery) to accept voluntary contributions from the public.

The move will allow the former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) to issue certificates to donors for income tax exemptions. Under the provision, the ECI has advised the party to submit a contribution report of all donations greater than Rs.20,000.

Registration is not mandatory for a political party, but it is mandatory to avail tax benefits on funds raised, an official said.

This move comes ten days after the ECI provisionally allowed the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) to also accept voluntary contributions.

“After having considered your letter dated 10.07.2024, the ECI hereby authorises, on an interim basis, ‘ShivSena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’ to ‘accept any amount of contribution voluntarily offered to it by any person or company other than a Government company’,” ECI wrote on Thursday.

In this, what is there to despair about ?

In India we have hundreds of Political Parties. Having granted such ( interim ) permission to two parties, on what ground can ECI refuse similar permissions to ALL parties making such a request ?

But what is BAD about granting such requests ?

It will be “ back to square one “ / “ back to pre ELECTORAL BOND era “ – where a party need not report contributions which are LESS than Rs 20,000

Now expect some parties to receive 20,000 INSTANCES of contributions of Rs 19,900 !

Quid Pro Quo and CORRUPTION , back from the FRONT DOOR , right under the noses of :

Ø Election Commission

Ø Central Government

Ø Supreme Court

I get a feeling that :

Ø Political Parties are “ jumping with joy “

Ø Election Commission is “ pleading helpless “

Ø Central Government is “ feeling relieved “

Ø Supreme Court is “ feeling cheated “

Ø Public is “ resigning to accept corruption as a way of life “ ( notwithstanding recent repeated proclamations by our Dear well-meaning and hard-working Prime Minister )

OK , is there any way to turn this Despair into Hope , once again ?

Yes. If the new NDA government lives up to its oft-repeated promise to get rid of

corruption

By implementing my 7 YEAR old proposal , outlined in my following e-mail to our

Cabinet Ministers :