E D I T O R I A L

WELL DONE
Hail democracy Punjab style!

VOTERS in Punjab have done remarkably well. A turn out of   76 per cent on that wet wintry day, February 13 should be a happy presage for democracy in a state that only recently was plagued by violence and consequent denial of voting rights.

But have the Punjabi voters really done well. Should numbers be the only yardstick to measure a democratic system? Should we ignore the absence of healthy debate and multiple choices that mark out a healthy democracy? Should we also ignore the enormous sum of Rs 1,000 crore that political parties have spent on an electioneering that was sans any major issues being posed and answered? And, how about the free flow of liquor, bhuki and other forms of bribes including cash to coax the voters to favour the political suitors. Also, how about the communal and caste politics.

We need not. The public that suffers because of poor education and health services and faces huge unemployment and where agrarian crisis is leading the debt ridden farmers to suicides, need to seek answers. It should also sit back and worry about the environment degradation and the endemic corruption. They should seek answers and solution to these problems and just not allowed itself to be cheated by its elected representatives. It must break this mould and protest resolutely and firmly through out the next years and seek solutions to the problems that are making living hell for the majority.  The people have to resist caste, clan and communal lineup and shed their own opportunism that is laced with small favoured here and there.

Numbers at the voting gates do count. But democracy is just not about numbers and people have to make a massive effort for a healthy participatory democracy and seek appropriate amendments to the corrupt Indian political system. Make those declared elected on February 27 sit up and worry.

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With Compliments from


Gogi Sidhu
President

Satish K. Jain
Executive Vice President

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