Harivansh

Senior Journalist, 

Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha

It is from these elections in Jharkhand that the new Jharkhand Legislative Assembly will emerge. The legislature plays a crucial role in democracy. One should study how many sessions the Legislative Assembly has held in the last 24 years. How many debates took place in them? How many hours were wasted due to disruptions and noise? How much loss did the state incur? A report card should be prepared for every MLA on the state's future and challenges. Has the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly emerged as a model for the country?

Consider the neighboring Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. This state was born along with Jharkhand. But its Legislative Assembly has made a name for itself in the country through its functioning, debates, and self-discipline. Decades ago, even under the BJP rule, the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly enacted a new rule. Rule 250 of the Assembly Proceedings states that if a legislator enters the well of the Assembly, they will be automatically suspended. The duration of the suspension will be decided by the Speaker. Later, when Bhupesh Baghel's Congress came to power, they also upheld this rule. This is the same Assembly that, in its early days, openly discussed the big challenge of its state, 'Naxalism,' for two days in a confidential manner. They formulated policies.

The Assembly is the most effective platform for shaping the state's future. Voters can contribute to this effort by playing an alert role in this election to make the Jharkhand Assembly the best in 2024. Another incident related to the Jharkhand Assembly should become a topic of public discussion in these elections: How many valid and invalid appointments were made in the last 24 years? In a state with only 81 MLAs, more appointments were made than in states with 250-300 MLAs. Should this Assembly be tolerated? Employees were hired. How and why? Who will take responsibility? Why hasn't the investigation reached completion? How many more people than necessary were hired in the most trusted forum of democracy, the Panchayat? Ineligible people were also hired. They were hired through the back door. Was there a main character involved in this who later became a minister? 

Around 32 crores in cash were found at the house of his PS's servant.

Society learns from its traditions. This is a tribal-majority area. It has a traditional democratic system. It has a background of Gram Swaraj. The village has a Panchayat and Munda-Mankisystem. Where healthy discussions, consensus, and collective decision-making and dialogue have taken place.

On this very land stands the sacred hill of Parasnath, where the memory of the great Tirthankaras of Jainism resides.

In the Jain tradition, even 2000 years ago, a tradition of excellent dialogue was developed. Under this, discussions or dialogues on social platforms were considered excellent, where every side listened to each other with attention and respect, even while disagreeing. Then solutions were found through consensus. Dr. Ambedkar has also mentioned this ancient tradition of discussion in India.

The history of democracy in the West is only a few hundred years old. The culture and tradition of this tribal-majority state should be reflected in its assembly. This assembly should become a model assembly and find solutions to Jharkhand's time-bound challenges. We need such representatives.

This public discourse or public issue is the focus of these 2024 elections.

...There is a section in society that remains apathetic. It desires a beautiful social order by remaining detached. It criticizes the bitterness of politics. But the truth is that in a democracy, only politics has the power and capacity to shape the future. If a doctor is negligent, will anyone blame the medical system? No. Then why the hatred for politics? Why so much disdain for 'politics', which affects every aspect of your sleeping, waking, children's education, eating, drinking, and daily life? The people involved in it, those who run it, those who build its ladders, and those who use it as a medium may make mistakes, but politics itself is not a dirty thing!

A passage in the book 'Broken Leaves in Autumn' by Gandhian thinker and top Konkani writer Padma Bhushan Ravindra Kelkar... Socrates asked people, 'If your shoe is torn, whom would you go to fix it?' People answered, 'To the cobbler.' Why to the cobbler? Why not to the carpenter?... People answered, 'Because the work of making and fixing shoes is that of the cobbler, not the carpenter.' Okay, let us say your mother is sick, whose advice will you take about medicine? People answered, 'Doctor's.' Why only the doctor? Why not the lawyer? Because only doctors have knowledge of medicine, not lawyers.

Socrates would ask people one question after another, trying to get answers from them. Then he would laugh and say, "Gentlemen, if you want your shoes mended, you go to the cobbler. If you want a house built, you take the help of a mason. If you want furniture made, you entrust the work to a carpenter. When you fall ill, you take advice from doctors. If you get entangled in a legal dispute, you run to lawyers. Why? Because all these people are experts in their respective fields, right? Then tell me, how do you entrust the governance of the country to just anyone? Isn't expertise needed to run the government? Can it be run by just anyone?"

Think about it, haven't we done the same? Haven't we sent just anyone to the assembly? Haven't we given anyone a chance to become a minister? Without assessing their experience, behavior, or character. And after all this, we sit and curse politics, abuse politicians. What will be achieved by merely abusing politicians? Will that solve the problem? 

The solution lies in something within our control. We need to think about it. And this is the time to think and act in a democracy, the time of elections! The opportunity to choose our new leaders. Only by participating in the festival of elections and voting in large numbers will we find a solution!

Jharkhand has had a legacy of excellent, efficient, and honest officers since its formation. V.S. Dubey, B.K. Sinha, R.S. Sharma, A.K. Singh, N.N. Sinha, Santosh Satpathy, Sukhdev Singh, Amit Khare, Nidhi Khare, Alka Tiwari, and many others. But the news that comes in the media in recent times is shocking. The bureaucracy, which the great Sardar Patel, the architect of modern India, called the 'Steel Frame,' is now involved in land deals with the 'army'. What is left then?

The Indian Army is the most powerful and glorious institution of the original energy source that keeps India united. It is the symbol of India's strength and strong existence. If a member of the bureaucracy, the most important link in weakening it, is involved, how did this situation arise? Ask every aspiring MLA how this situation arose in 24 years? Who is responsible? Will you end it after becoming an MLA? How and in what way? What are your concrete plans and your party's plans? Such public issues are the important questions of the Jharkhand elections, which will lay the foundation for the future of Jharkhand.

In the capital Ranchi, the statue of Albert Ekka stands tall. His martyrdom is a sacred legacy, whose memory will inspire generations to come. Jharkhand has a huge number of people serving in the armed forces. The land associated with that army is being sold in the land of Jharkhand's brave martyrs! Where has Jharkhand reached in 24 years?

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia called bureaucrats 'permanent kings' in a democratic system. The news about these 'permanent kings' of Jharkhand that has come out in the media in recent times, if even a fraction of it is true, then a 'darkness' will descend on Jharkhand's 'future.' This is a decisive issue in these assembly elections. Corruption is 'cancer,' it is not only suicidal for the system, but it also has the potential to cast a permanent shadow on the entire state's destiny. This is the hour for voters to scrutinize and become active.

Perhaps a few decades ago in Uttar Pradesh, the members of the IAS Officers Association started identifying their 'tainted and corrupt' officers. Can't the 'honest officers' of Jharkhand fulfill this historical and moral duty to save the reputation of the administrative service? This is a public question.

Freebies take the 'future' as hostage, the country has suffered this.... Read 8th part tomorrow...

*Courtesy: Dainik Bhaskar

Translated & Edited by : Smita DeyTarafder