By Biswaraj Patnaik, January 12, 2017: Every second hour, viewers get to see and hear on the television channels parties deploying star campaigners too woo voters in their favour. Party loudmouths, make–believe celebrities, and so called movie stars have been carefully picked to sing stupid songs of self praise and make false promises.

But the deaf, blind and dumb Election Commissioner of the state will remain helplessly silent and keep looking away, primarily because he or she used to be a former bureaucrat who has been rewarded with the post for having demonstrated hyper-loyalty to the ruling party bosses.

Not surprisingly, many among the so called intellectuals in the community do not seem to know the fundamental principles that drive the Panchayatiraj system in India. Some of the leading journalists and eminent commentators talk of ‘victory-defeat’ with respect to mainstream political parties in the local self government elections.

Mahatma Gandhi had a great vision of ‘Gram Swaraj’ meaning Village self governance, drawing the spirit from the age old, highly tested Panchayat system of predominantly rural India. The practice since the Vedic times was that five truly popular persons from within the community with knowledge and integrity would be chosen by consensus to constitute the Executive with absolute judicial authority. No crook could ever enter the sacred outfit, no matter how rich he was. Gandhi’s dream died with his murder.

The independent India set up a committee to recommend best practices in 1957 headed by Balwant Rai Mehta when Nehru had great influence over all the affairs of political India. Much later in 1985, during Rajeev Gandhi s tenure as boss, another committee, headed by GVK Rao, was constituted to improve upon the first set of ideas.

Not fully satisfied, Rajeev organised a third committee under LM Singhvi in 1986 to do a magnificent job to make sure power devolution would occur and the rural self governance would be thoroughly managed by real good benefactor–volunteers from within the neighbourhood. Singhvi delivered the best design, the highlight of which was complete non-involvement of mainstream political parties in the election process. Contestants would remain nonpartisan, no party symbols, no links with any party leaders (photo or name in the posters or leaflets), violation of which could result in disqualification.

All the same, the Panchayatiraj system did not gain constitutional recognition until 1992 when the 73rd amendment only made it possible. Incidentally in the mid eighties of the last century, whenever the demand was put up, due to the Sarkaria Commission’s denial, it had not happened, despite Rajeev Gandhi s best efforts and a huge mass agitation in his favour.

So it reminded as law no contestant except the Zilaprishad president could be fielded by a mainstream political party, who could fight on a party symbol and the post would enjoy the same status as that of a minister of state. But in reality, the leading political parties with heaps of money and enormously huge muscle power are more than deeply involved in the Panchayatiraj elections violating all norms, rules and codes. More hurtingly, they also get away scot-free as the State Election Commissions only mumble discontent mentioned or at the most report the matter to some other lower enforcement agency to take some possible action.

The state commissions do not use their inherent constitutional power to enforce penalty in an exemplary manner. For instance, during a general election process, the Puri BJD legislator’s official vehicle was intercepted during a night journey and party publicity materials were recovered. The incumbent Election Commissioner ordered police to file only a routine FIR and forgot the matter thereafter. He finished his watchdog role and felt great; he never went farther than that to ensure the erring MLA was aptly punished. The matter began with a timid roar but ended up in the most despicable whimper.

Some lawyers argue that the commission did a commendable job because the MLA was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and hence the commissioner displayed utmost courage. The Speaker–MLA is expected to be impartial and above board in the legislative house as a nonpartisan member. But outside the House he is essentially a member of a particular political party and can behave like one.

It may be noted well that only Ajit Kumar Tripathy during his tenure as Election Commissioner, played superbly tough. He ensured that no political party symbol for contestants below the Zila Parishad President should be seen. Further, even indirect involvement by any party workers in any activity of the electoral process would result in disqualification of candidature being unlawfully backed up to influence public opinion.

It is open truth even today that despite best rules of conduct laid down by the Election Commission of India, worthless elements from nearly all political parties keep spending money and enticing gullible electors to cast votes in their favour. The public consequently never gets the neighbourhood ‘good guy or girl’ who is one among them and who is not a bully with stolen money and hired muscle power.

The SEC circular is clear: Elections for Ward members, Sarpanches and Panchayat Samiti members cannot be fought on party symbols. The contestants shall never associate their names with any party in any form nor should any party make any public claims or display their support to them in any form. Any such action would be deemed as a violation of Code of Conduct- only to prevent the fragmentation of wards and villages on political lines and stop wasteful expenditure. But to every sensible citizen’s utter shock, the mainstream political parties have finished tightening their belts to go on hurricane campaigns to entice gullible voters deceptively.

Similarly, appointment of Odisha Administrative Service officers as election observers would be ethically wrong as the neutrality of these officials cannot be guaranteed.

Lastly, the political commentators, analysts, pollsters, sephologists, statesmen, critics and journalists must refrain themselves from making forecasts outcome figures on party lines, which is, plain sin and disservice to society. Media houses must turn down such articles as forecast outcome on party lines.

Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj is completely forgotten today. That the Sarpanch should be the most critical functionary in the Panchayatraj system does not seem to happen in near future. The Panchayat has ceased to be the base of the rural self governance structure. After attaining independence, Gandhiji focused on that keystone principle of Gram Swaraj at the tail end of life, but no one cared to listen to him. He was merrily ignored.