Mockery of Democracy: Criminals, Semi-literates as Poll candidates!

The electioneering for the Lok Sabha seats has picked up tempo, so also the scorching summer. One wonders as to who fixed the election schedule, were they not aware about the intensity of Indian summer or they hailed from the moon !Or was the extreme hot summer season deliberately chosen in order to keep voters away from the polling booths!

Theoretically, the Election Commission of India (ECI) decides the time-table of an election after due consultations with political parties.Therefore, the blame for scheduling general elections in the peak of summer must be jointly shared by all the political parties also besides the ECI. They owe an answer to the people who anxiously await five long years to exercise their votes to elect a government of their choice but due to extreme weather are prevented. Thus, intentionally or unintentionally preventing voters from participating in the election process, reduces the whole election process into mockery of democracy.

In fact, the Constitution of India ought to have made provisions for granting real autonomy and independence to the ECI. The Constitution ought to have provided for the enforcement of decisions, orders and directions by a special wing working under the ECI directly to ensure speedy and meaningful implementation of the ECI.

Needless to say that the present practice of putting the state machinery temporarily under the ECI has failed to deliver the desired results.The officers and staff too, are aware that afterall they will be reverted back to the control of the political bosses soon after the elections. Hence, the state machinery by and large remains reluctant to obey the orders of the temporary boss, called the ECI. That apart, it is very common that the state machinery personnel are wedded to the ideology of one political party or the other. So, to expect them to be apolitical is almost impossible. Now a million dollar question: what about the quality of candidates fielded by political parties? The apex court has time and again emphasised on the high quality of candidates at the hustings. Because these people will be the law makers for the whole country. Unfortunately, the political parties have not taken the wise counsel of the highest court of the land as could be seen from a cursory look at the candidates fielded by different political parties. Sadly, almost all parties have given tickets to several criminals, right from the petty to the dreaded ones, also those out on bail, illiterates and semi-literates, turncoats , jokers and scoundrels. And all of them are seeking votes from the gullible voters!

To make the election process meaningful and transperant several reforms are inevitably necessary. They include, putting a ceiling on the money power, increasing the number of elective seats and thereby drastically reducing the size of constituencies and empowering the ECI with an independent enforcement machinery directly and only under its control.

SC URGES GOVT TO HAVE A PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO DOWRY OFFENCE

Just after a few days when the Chief Justice of India Dr D Y Chandrachud described the three new laws as a watershed moment, a division bench of Justice J.B Pardivala and Justice Manoj Misra urged the government and parliament to re-look at Sections 85 and 86 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) which deals with the offence of dowry harassment as now it appears in Section 498-A of IPC. The new statue, BNS will be enforced with effect from July 1 this year alongwith two other laws governing the criminal procedure and evidence.

The court urged the law makers to adopt pragmatic approach to the dowry offence. Allowing the appeal filed by the husband against an order rejecting his prayer to quash the wife 's complaint against him and his parents for dowry harassment by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana,the apex court observed that the complaint lacked material proof and it contained generalized allegations.

SUIT FILED AGAINST JAPAN IN CHINA FOR COMPENSATION TO HEIRS OF COMFORT WOMEN

A law suit has been filed against the Japanese government by the families of some 18 women who were sexually assaulted by the Japanese soldiers during the WWII, according to the South China Morning Post.

The suit filed in a court of Shanxi, in central China claims the compensation of Yuan equivalent to US dollars 2,76,000 per family besides an apology from Japan. The suit is yet to be admitted for hearing; and even if it is admitted, it will take a long to achieve finality.

TS-HC PROVIDES FREE WI-FI

The Telangana High Court has arranged free Wi-fi facility to all visiting the High Court. An OTP link will be provided to all persons including advocates and visitors to get the connection to free Wi-fi, the High Court announced.

TS HC ASKS COURTS NOT TO PASS ADVERSE ORDERS

Acting upon a representation submitted by the President, Telangana High Court Advocates Association, the High Court vide its proceeding dated May 3 has directed all the Heads of the courts subordinate to it that in view of the extreme heat wave in Telangana, they should not pass any adverse orders during summer vacation for non -appearance of advocates in the court.