‘It sets an example for voters to fight against spin doctors and manipulative political pundits’ | Photo credits: Bhagya Prakash K.
While political parties fought bitterly in Karnataka for the assembly elections, the civil society in the state left an indelible mark in the history of elections in India, without forming any alliance or assimilating any particular political colour. The civil society, with 102 associations or organizations, came together and fought against the strategies of the political parties. They fought for about six months under the umbrella of “Eddelu Karnataka (Wake-up, Karnataka)” before the elections, and the result is there for the nation to see.
He didn’t debate with the public, or campaign against any party, just asked people to wake up. He listened carefully to the people. They put real issues before them. He fought against the powerful politics of bigotry created by communal forces fueling issues like Hijab, Azaan and ‘Love Jihad’. His intervention opened new avenues for positive politics, secularism and peace. He did not talk about “Operation Kamala”, i.e. the dubious defection drama practiced by a dominant party, followed by judicial intervention involving legal negotiation of words in court halls with selective use of constitutional means to whitewash criminal acts. and contains bizarre interpretations. Indeed, political manipulation has become an everyday game. One such political party, Janata Dal (Secular) failed massively in the elections. The people of Karnataka rejected it. The players of the dishonest game lost.
as an awareness campaign
A professor at the University of Hyderabad and a human rights activist, G. Hargopal said that “Eddelu Karnataka” had the singularity of a movement to wake up people from political inaction at the time of elections. He said that in Karnataka, the civil society consisting of writers, poets, artists and cinema makers stood united during these elections. Revolutionary writers like Basavanna and Devanur Mahadev influenced people, campaigned for fraternity and fought against divisive forces. The objective of the campaign was to make people aware of communal elements and parties.
Prof Hargopal said that the campaign generated live discussion and debate within the civil society during the elections and won over the people. More than 100 people from different social groups worked together for six months, conducting 250 workshops, meeting people in 103 constituencies, forming 192 groups and more than 2,000 activists canvassing among voters. They collected data from 41,000 households, distributed 650 posters and made 80 videos. Around 100 meetings were held with journalists and more than 50 dharnas were organized involving farmers, labourers, dalits, women, students and tribals. The campaign gradually spread to 151 taluk areas of 31 districts. It was a unique campaign to raise voter awareness against communal agenda, divisive politics and hate campaigns. His commitment could not be questioned. One lakh pamphlets were printed and distributed. He was not a political leader but an ordinary worker. These social groups did not campaign against any political party; Instead, he asked people to vote in the election, promote friendship and oppose hatred. He awakened the civil society and supported democracy, constitution and unity of the people.
Generally, all known political parties put up some candidates to ensure that votes for particular candidates are split. But this time, civil society groups met 49 candidates, negotiated for several weeks and successfully convinced them to withdraw from the contest so that votes would not be split so that candidates with a communal agenda could be defeated. This was no mean feat. They knew the strategy of dividing votes and ‘buying’ the elected members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). The campaign has got hold of electoral politics and has mastered the art of taking the pulse of the people in elections.
defection, overnight governments
The people of Karnataka have been victims of defection drama, as seen in elections held in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Manipur in recent years. In an article, “Maharashtra Political Crisis: The Limits of Supreme Court’s Expiations” (May 15, 2023), the author calls defection a ‘political fraud’. These Chanakya-like manoeuvres resulted in the ouster of the Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government and the formation of a new government led by Eknath Shinde overnight, comprising a coalition of the Shiv Sena and a faction of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The drama shifted to the High Court and also to the Supreme Court of India. The apex court observed that it cannot in general decide petitions for disqualification under the Tenth Schedule. Reliance on Kihoto Holohan Vs. Jachillu & Ors. and Rajendra Singh Rana & Ors. Vs Swami Prasad Maurya & Ors., the apex court held that the disqualification of legislators is up to the Speaker of the House, who must decide on the disqualification proceedings within a reasonable period.
The apex court also held that the Governor of Maharashtra “did not act in accordance with law in calling for a floor test” and that “the communication relied upon by the Governor did not indicate that the ‘rebel’ MLA was about to withdraw his support”. intend.” for the Chief Minister”. This should have been a stern rebuke to the central government and the concerned political party. But nobody minded. The apex court said the Constitution “does not empower the Governor to enter the political arena and play a role (however minute) in intra-party or intra-party disputes”. The system of the constitution has not thought of the rule of law.
role model in civil society
The recent elections in Karnataka should be considered as a model for the power of people’s democracy in the midst of criminal, religious and communal manipulation and disintegration of institutions. It sets an example for voters to fight against spin doctors and manipulative political pundits. Whenever defection is done to defeat certain electoral winners and manipulate judicial decisions, the people, like the people of Karnataka, must rise to the power of democratic power to defeat such political manipulation.
The Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary (the Three Estates) and the Fourth Estate appear to hold power in the iron grip of the regime. The ‘state’ is under the control of money power. There is only one recourse for the people – the mobilization of the power of civil society. Some people call it the fifth estate. This is because we see that the Judiciary has also failed to a great extent in preventing maladministration and misgovernance. Thinking people should take the constitutional order into their hands and handle the situation like the people of Karnataka did. Congratulations to Karnataka.
M. Sridhar Acharyulu is former Central Information Commissioner, and now Dean, School of Law, Mahindra University, Hyderabad