WANT A DEBATE ON THE TOPIC "IS IT GOOD TO HAVE POLITICAL COMPETITION." BOTH IN FAVOUR IN AGAINST.
Answers
Mr Chairman Sir, let us weigh the pros and cons of today’s subject of discussion, which with your kind permission I’d like to reiterate. It goes thus “Is it good to have political competition”. Competition always brings out the best in us, singularly or collectively, provided there’s a level playing field. So also in Politics, but not when the political parties or leaders are pushing their own agenda. When such a situation evolves, it either spawns corruption or pushes nepotism. Inner party democracy is given a go by, with the unfortunate result whereby inefficient and corrupt leaders take centre stage and upright, honest ones are either shown the door or pushed to the lowest rungs of leadership. In such a situation the state or nation suffers, as is presently being witnessed across many places.
In any democracy, competition among political parties is quite natural. This is desirable if the parties base their propaganda and campaign on issues that are relevant to the country and its people. When different agenda, unique to each political party, is laid out before the people, the voters can pick and choose from among the political options available to them.
Our country is truly a sub-continent. We are an amalgam of people of diverse nature and many languages. It is quite natural that an ethnic Naga’s aspirations would be different from that of a Tamilian. Therefore, to lend voice to such aspirations, political parties have germinated locally and nationally to act as pressure groups in state legislatures and in the parliament. Ideally, this is good for our states and the country.
In India, there are too many political parties and most of them are personality based. This leads to issues of importance getting blurred. It also shifts the focus from the country and its problems to individual interests of the politicians and their families, which nakedly come to the centre stage. This affects progress, as individual interests of leaders become more important than that of the masses or the country.
In the annals of human progress, it has been seen those countries which have had democracies functioning in a transparent manner and where the country has mattered more than individuals, have progressed far more than those that have attached more importance to individuals. The difference is even more apparent when one compares a democracy with a few parties in active politics to another that has numerous parties in the fray. In our country, many disgruntled leaders have chosen to break away from their original parties and float ones of their own. Indian democracy is only 69 years old and we already have more than 50 political parties, big or small, national or regional. With so many political parties in the political arena, most of which take in workers or cadre who are self-serving and work to promote their own interest. This breeds corruption. Our democratic system has been modelled largely on the one practiced in the United Kingdom, who have had the system in place for centuries, yet not more than 5 political parties have sprouted in the British Isles. In USA, not more than 2 political parties are known to have found space in the political arena. I wonder, Mr Chairman, whether it is easier to dupe us because a large percentage among us are illiterate.
In summing up, as a votary of democracy, I would be happy to see intense political competition among honest people in the politics of our country. But, for that to take place, the parties must have clear cut policies and promote inner-party democracy as a prime requisite.