Election

    Election is an inevitable aspect of democracy. It is claimed that democracy has its origin in Greece. To begin with, there was primary democracy in which the people of an area directly participate in the deliberations. The need of representative democracy arose on account of large cities and vast population. In the second form of democracy representatives, rather than all the people, came to occupy an important position.

    The very term representative connotes an election. The election is a device by which people can secretly show their options in favor of one candidate or another. According to dighanikaya, the  system of election was in vogue even during the period of lord Buddha. It was then customary to use dry leaves as ballot papers. Though differences exist regarding the origin of democracy  and modus operandi of election, the fact remain that an election is the only way of choosing representatives.

    However, it is now seen that election as a ritual is not enough. The voters must be honest and educated. The contesting candidates must be sincere and patriotic and the process of the election must be held in a fair manner. In spite of the restrictions imposed by Mr. t.n.seshan, many other factors work in the election. Power,pelf and even wine play a major role.

    Oliver Goldsmith humorously described the scene of election in a village. He described a voter to be so intoxicated as not to be able to walk .he described another voter who was able to walk but unable to talk.the third voter was incapacitated either to walk or to talk. The need of the hour is that the voters should not allow themselves to be influenced by caste or religion, allurement or donation in cash or kind, of the type Oliver goldsmith described.

    It was Abraham Lincoln, who defined a democracy, as the government of the people, for the people, and by the people.with the tides of time, this concept has become outdated. It is for us to see that we do not subscribe to the definition which a harsh antagonist of democracy angrily made

      “Democracy is the government off the people , far the people and buy the people. “