DEMOCRACY IN COUNTRY LIQUOR POUCH

DEMOCRACY: IN A COUNTRY LIQUOR POUCH!

Recently, the election commission has announced for seven phase polls in Uttar Pradesh. The announcement brought back the memories last legislative assembly election in 2003, when I was at my friend’s place in Badayun (UP).
My friend’s brother, who was an active member of a political party, took me to different remote areas, where he was campaigning for his party. In the evenings, he would hold meetings, in which many party supporters would assemble to discuss the campaigning strategies.

While the campaign was going on, I noticed that huge amount of country liquor pouches were freely distributed among the people. I was curious to know the reason. “We have to buy enough country liquor pouches so that we don’t fall sort of it on the voting day”, Ramnanth, party worker later told me
“Look we have to give country liquor pouches to our voters because if we don’t give them the other parties would give them and then they will vote for them not for us. Caste is not a factor here because it’s a yadava dominated area and nearly all the contestants are yadava. It’s your power to lure the voters that decide the result.” explained my friend’s brother.

Free distribution of liquor and money continued in exchange of guaranteed votes for the party until the polling day. The most surprising thing about this episode was that though dry day-a temporary ban on selling of hard drinks to prevent and untoward incidents - was declared two days before the election date; the pouches were available in abundance even on the Election Day. On the Election Day I was surprised to find that people were standing in queue in front of the candidate’s camp to take two pouch of liquor and a sum of fifty rupees, after casting their votes.

Appalled by whatever I saw, I approached Ramavatar, a local farmer and asked his opinion about what was apparently a ‘liquor for votes’ strategy. “Election is like a festival for us. We know that none of the candidate we elect will do anything for us so why not we bargain our votes for liquor pouches and money” said Ramavatar. His unapologetic answer made me question the true sense of democracy and freedom in Uttar Pradesh.
India has an abysmally low rural literacy rate. The political parties find it conveniently easy to mislead and woo ignorant population. The voters too realize the futility of their franchise as they have been deprived of the basic civil amenities for years despite tall promises by the politicians. So it no wonder why every election is seen as a ‘festival’ and every vote bartered for a pouch of liquor. Introducing efficient management and technology like Electronic Voting Machines may make the election process smoother but unless we educate our voters democracy in India would always be for ‘sale’.