Introduction
In many emerging democracies and societies, electoral malpractices that make it impossible for political leaders to serve their people diligently remain common. Without the government’s desire and willingness to change some of the existing situations, it becomes impossible for the affected countries to make significant economic or social progress. India is one of the countries that continue to experience cases of electoral fraud, manipulation, and injustice. Despite their criminal behaviors, including corruption, rape, and murder charges, many Indian government officials remain in power through bribery, threats to opponents’ families, and looting voting booths.
Indian Politicians and Power
While many Indians remain enthusiastic whenever there are elections in an attempt to elect new leaders whose ambitions and manifestos can transform their lives, several issues undermine the transparency and effectiveness of the process. High turnouts and the emergence of additional political parties at every electoral cycle explain why many citizens want to be involved (Martin and Picherit 6). Unfortunately, the majority of the contestants or incumbents promote tricks and malpractices to secure their goals. The Indian Electoral Commission (IEC) has been receiving criticism for failing to oversee elections that are fair, accountable, and free (Birch et al. 7). In a study by Martin and Picherit, it was revealed that there was a strong link between some of the politicians and criminals in the country (12). The majority of the contestants in India engage in unacceptable behaviors that challenge the ideals of effective leadership. Media houses report cases of corruption, violence, and unfair business practices whenever there are elections. Consequently, fraud, murder charges, and injustice remain widespread in this country’s electoral process.
In India, many government officials rely on their immense power and resources to remain in power through bribery. Since they have amassed wealth, such leaders consider the established connections with different officers at the IEC and other politicians to bribe voters and the entire system. This strategy is essential since it guarantees them opportunities and achievements associated with the targeted offices. This malpractice remains pervasive in the country, thereby making it impossible for such leaders to remain committed and consider new ways of providing the required services to the people (Birch et al. 9). These malpractices have created a scenario whereby the majority of the citizens are unable to lead high-quality lives. Such misbehaviors are recorded in different regions across the country, thereby explaining why there are inequalities in economic empowerment and realization of communal goals.
Some politicians capitalize on their unique positions in the government to threaten their opponents, including their immediate family members. Some promise to kidnap underage children or spouses throughout the campaign period to intimidate and force their direct opponents to abandon their quests (Martin and Picherit 11). Such an issue has remained a major challenge in this country since the government is usually involved in one way or the other. This outcome is usually possible since those who have money are able to corrupt and determine the possible outcomes and experiences throughout the criminal justice system. Threatened individuals find it hard to receive justice or fairness even if they report to the relevant agencies and departments. These malpractices are recorded at the national level in this country (Martin and Picherit 14). The result is that the majority of the leaders who have honest expectations and manifestos to support their followers are discouraged from pursuing such ambitions. Those who win eventually are usually illegitimate and fail to engage in activities that can uplift or transform the lives and experiences of their community members and followers.
The problem of looting voting booths on Election Day is the other procedure the majority of the Indian politicians and leaders use to cling to power. The interconnected nature of incumbents and other professionals within different systems apply their influence to bribe and hire criminals who can engage in such malpractices. After doing so successfully, it becomes impossible for observers and electoral officials to count votes accurately. This misbehavior forces those involved in the process to announce selected individuals as winners (Lobos and Shah 19). They intimidate most of the employees working for the IEC to make decisions in their favor. With the combination of corrupt dealings and threats, such individuals find it easier to retain their seats and pursue their missions. When losers challenge such outcomes and present the collected evidence in court, chances of getting justice always remain slim. The country has continued to grapple with such challenges, thereby being unable to address the experiences and pains the majority of the citizens have to go through.
Another important consideration is that most of these strategies appear to overlap in order to maximize the possibilities of emerging victorious. Lobos and Shah reveal that the IEC seized dirty money in the 2014 General Election (23). This observation is a clear indication that the majority of the people bribe to emerge victoriously and make it impossible for their opponents to achieve their potential. Numerous cases are usually reported in the country after every election cycle. Such court proceedings tend to be predetermined despite the fact that the involved persons succeed in presenting high-quality evidence to support their claims. Through the use of threats, some of the politicians inflict fear and uncertainty in the minds of the contestants or competitors (Lobos and Shah 62). These strategies compel them to abandon their expectations and goals. When their family members are involved in the saga, the majority of them opt to quit and consider new ways of transforming their lives and those of their followers.
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The nature of these occurrences explains why there is a need for all stakeholders to collaborate and find new solutions. Since India is a country striving to become a democracy, electoral justice will be essential to ensure that the right people are granted victory without coercion or manipulation. Those who engage in a wide range of malpractices, such as killing their opponents, corruption, and rape, need to be barred from seeking such political positions. Justice would, therefore, be appropriate for those who are the primary targets of such criminals. Business organizations and corporations have a role to play since they provide most of the funds used to bribe and manipulate most of the established systems (Mishra). Government officials who have been in power for many years should have their positions reconsidered since they rely on such privileges to manipulate most of the processes in the country.
The existence of these malpractices aimed at securing power has proved to be counterproductive since most of the affected individuals continue to languish in poverty. The latest statistics reveal that India’s poverty rate stands at around 8.5 percent (Martin and Picherit 14). Over 170 million citizens in this country are unable to afford some of the basic commodities (Martin and Picherit 17). Additionally, the majority of the citizens find it hard to access quality medical services and education. Those in rural regions are disempowered or unable to record meaningful social mobility. The problem of the caste system remains pervasive, thereby complicating the situation for the greatest number of Indian citizens. Without proper policy changes and strategies to guarantee honesty in power balance, the situation for the affected individuals will remain the same.
Conclusion
The above discussion has identified criminal behavior as a determinant for pursuing or remaining in power in India. Some of the common misbehaviors associated with it include corruption, rape, and murder charges. Similarly, Indian government officials have mastered how they can retain their prestigious positions by bribing voters and the entire electoral system, threatening their opponents’ families, and looting voting booths. The consideration of evidence-based strategies will transform the situation and ensure that more people are capable of winning fairly and taking the country to the next level.
Annotated Bibliography
Birch, Sarah, et al. “Electoral Violence: An Introduction.” Journal of Peace Research, vol. 57, no. 1, 2020, pp. 3-14.
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In this article, the reader learns that elections are common in many democracies across the globe. While such processes are expected to remain peaceful and allow more people to have their needs met, cases of violence remain extremely high in different countries. This form of malpractice remains pervasive and is intended to support the demands of powerful figures. The authors use data from Asia and Africa to explain how those in different positions tend to be involved and engage in malpractices that complicate the experiences of other stakeholders.
In terms of assessment, the presented content is relevant to the selected topic since violence is usually associated with increased cases of bribery and corruption. Those in powerful positions collaborate with criminals and cartels in the business world to reshape opinions and force people to make erroneous decisions. The authors identify how such challenges worsen the experiences and gains for the greatest number of people.
The issues the authors describe in this article resonate with the malpractices many government officials utilize to maintain political power and pursue their goals. Such insights will support the development of a quality argument and explain how violence creates room for additional challenges. The ideas will support the recommendation section and guide more stakeholders in India to improve the electoral process.
Martin, Nicolas, and David Picherit. “Special Issue: Electoral Fraud and Manipulation in India and Pakistan.” Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, vol. 58, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-20.
In this article, the authors acknowledge that numerous malpractices tend to be performed in small towns, cities, and villages during elections. The Indian and Pakistan electoral processes have remained criminalized, thereby making it impossible for many people to experience meaningful social mobilities. Cases of manipulation ad fraud remain high in the selected countries. The existing leaders rely on their positions to model the nature of governance and unfairness in all aspects of the electoral process.
The contents presented in this article are reliable and expand the selected topic. The authors have highlighted some of the challenges many emerging democracies face and that empower individuals to cling to power. Some of them include corruption, criminal behaviors, and unfairness in most of the systems. These descriptions are worth analyzing since they can help many countries to meet their citizens’ social and economic demands.
The ideas and discussions presented in this article will form the basis for the selected research. The authors have presented powerful examples of how those in political positions apply dirty tactics to retain power and eventually achieve their goals. The outlined cases and malpractices will support the formulation of a quality document that goes further to offer additional recommendations for changing the current situation in India.
Works Cited
Birch, Sarah, et al. “Electoral Violence: An Introduction.” Journal of Peace Research, vol. 57, no. 1, 2020, pp. 3-14.
Lobos, Lancy, and Jayesh Shah. Democracy in India: Current Debates and Emerging Challenges. Primus Books, 2017.
Martin, Nicolas, and David Picherit. “Special Issue: Electoral Fraud and Manipulation in India and Pakistan.” Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, vol. 58, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-20.
Mishra, Pankaj. “How Narendra Modi Seduced India With Envy and Hate.” The New York Times, 2019, Web.