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| American lesson for Indian politicians, voters | | | NIRBHAY JAMMUAL
Expectedly Obama won the US Presidential election.McCain lost it.This is not important.What is important is the way McCain accepted his defeat in a dignified manner.He did not make faces.There was no frown on his face.He seemed to be a man of courage when he raised his thumbs while addressing his supporters.Obama too showed grace while smiling over his victory.McCain did not complain of rigging.Obama did not pledge to dissimate supporters of the Republicans nor did McCain say that he will ensure fall of the Barack Obama Government.Indications are that under Obama's rule politics in the United States will undergo a change rather it may be redefined.What change Obama will bring about may be of interest to people and politicians all over the world.Well as far as India is concerned it would expect Obama to continue the US policy on terrorism.It expects Obama to tackle the global meltdown by initiating measures for toning up the economy in the United States.
But my main purpose for referring to the just concluded Presidential election in the United States is to convey to the politicians in India,expecially in Jammu and Kashmir,to emulate the US poll process.Days before the polling was due neither McCain nor Obama expressed fears over the possibility of election being rigged,notwithstanding the fact that rigging is well nigh impossible in America.Look at Jammu and Kashmir.Mufti Mohd.Sayeed has started raking up the issue of rigging the election.He has stated that he would meet Prime Minister,Manmohan Singh,to seek assurance from him that neither any political organisation nor the state administration was allowed to rig the election.Generally such fears are harboured by those who feel they were going to lose the election.Experts have recorded that the Assembly election in 1977 in Jammu and Kashmir has been the most fair and transparent poll exercise.And those who lost the poll battle in 1977,especially the congress and the Janata Party had started clamouring over rigging in the election.If McCain lost the election he wished good luck to Obama.If Obama won the election he conveyed his good wishes to McCain.Well no leaders from the Janata Party and the Congress conveyed their good wishes to Sheikh Abdullah who regained power in 1977.
Look at the responses of people to the election results.Supporters of Obama were hilarious.They did not go on rampage to settle scores with he supporters of McCain.Supporters of McCain cheered him when he addressed people.Obama's supporters had not descended on the scene to hurl stones on McCain and his followers.Nor did McCain's supporters resorted to violence.But whenever Assembly and Lok Sabha poll results are out in India and in some states supporters of the losers indulge in unruly activities.Those belonging to the winners indulge in revelry which results in group clashes.During the post election scene in America both whites and blacks greeted Obama.Both blacks and whites expressed their sympathy for McCain.It cannot happen in India.It does not happen.Whether before the poll or after the election results are out one witnesses caste and communal clashes.So far tolerable to some extent.But what is agonising is the way those parties that faced defeat start getting ready to pull down the Government.Right from day one MLAs or the members of the Lok Sabha are being purchased for supporting the vote of noconfidence.If one does not believe it one should remember what happened on the floor of the Lok Sabha recently when Manmohan Singh tabled a vote of confidence.Members displayed bundles of currency notes which one party or the other had paid to members for either supporting the confidence motion or for opposing it. |
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