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| No Hate Speech and Hatred In UP Elections | | |
Omkar Dattatray
Election is the biggest festival of democracy and all the citizens should take an active part in it. The citizens in a democracy should necessarily exercise the right of adult franchise to elect their representatives .Now that the election commission of India has sounded the poll begul by announcing the poll dates for holding the assembly elections for the five states including the UP .The various political parties have geared themselves and have jumped in the election fray to woo the voters in their favour. The state assembly elections of UP of 2022 are more important in the sense that it is considered as the route to the Delhi throne as the party which is successful in the UP has more chances of occupying the power at the central level in 2024 general elections. So all eyes are set on the UP elections because the outcome of UP elections determines the occupants of Delhi darbar and thus these elections are more important. But it is a fact that in the mad rush of the elections the political parties without the exception are resorting to hate speeches resulting into hatred between the different communities. The hate speeches which results into the hatred between the various communities particularly in the state of UP are very unfortunate and it should not be resorted to by political parties in the run up to the elections. This time the election commission has given strict directions to the political parties to desist from the hate speeches and the resultant hatred but it is unlikely that the political parties will abide by the directions of the election commission. The election fervor has already gained momentum in the poll bound states including the UP. The political parties in poll bound UP have started to canvass for the elections and they are making religious and sectarian appeals and are making hate speeches to influence the prospective voters. The religious and sectarian speeches result in the hatred among the different religious communities and this is very unfortunate and unbecoming and this should not happen in our democracy during elections and otherwise as well .For gaining votes and favours the political parties in UP are unfortunately resorting to hate speeches which results in spreading of the hatred in the most populous and highly volatile state of UP .The election commission is strictly forbidding the political parties to abstain from hate speeches that result in the spread of hatred in the run up to the elections .It is hoped that the better sense will prevail on the political parties so that they desist from hate speeches and the resultant hatred .But the chances of this happening are very bleak as everything seems fair in politics ,elections ,love and war and thus the political parties are more unlikely to desist from their usual habit of resorting to hate speeches which have the ramifications to vitiate the communal amity in the state. Therefore the hate speeches should not be resorted to by the contesting candidates and their supporters as it has no place in our secular and plural democracy. Therefore for upholding of the secular democracy the hate speeches by different political parties have no place in our electoral democracy and the hate speeches should not be resorted to and made for the sake of communal amity and brotherhood. But it is very unfortunate that the political parties and politicians care too hoots and resort to hate speeches for gaining election favours but this should not be allowed for the flourishing of the democracy. The hate speeches which result in hatred between the communities are alien to our multi religious, multi cultural and multi lingual society but it is unfortunately resorted to by the political parties especially in the elections. The whole poll atmosphere becomes surcharged by the hate speeches of the political parties and this more often than not may result in communal strife and hence hate speeches should not be resorted by the politicians in the elections .But for gaining few votes the political parties and the politicians are unnecessarily resorting to hate speeches to gain some favours in elections especially in the UP elections and this has the ramifications of disturbing the communal harmony and therefore the hate speeches should not be made to uphold the communal amity and secularism. The election commission should take a serious notice of the hate speeches of the political parties, politicians and the contesting candidates. The election commission should disqualify those candidates who indulge in hate speeches and sectarian and caste appeals in the elections in order to uphold secularism and communal harmony which is so dear to all of us .Thus those candidates who resort to hate speeches should be disqualified from contesting the elections and clear cut provisions should be made for the purpose of disqualification of the candidates who resort to mischief of hate speech which has the potential of disturbing the communal harmony in the most sensitive state of UP. The contesting candidates and their supporters who resort to hate speeches and sectarian and caste appeals should be punished for their anti social activities in the elections. Therefore there should be provision for strict punishment for those people and the contesting candidates and their supporters who indulge in hate speeches during elections. The warnings only will not deter the candidates and their supporters form indulging in hate speeches which has the potential of disturbing the communal harmony in the most sensitive state of UP. The election conduct rules should be amended to incorporate the provision of strict punishment for those candidates and their supporters who indulge in hate speeches which at times lead to the communal disturbances. So the evil should be nipped in the bud and all those people who indulge in hate speeches including the contesting candidates should be prosecuted in the court of law and should be awarded speedy punishment to deter others also from indulging in hate and sectarian and caste appeals to gain favours and woo voters to their side. Therefore best course is to make a clear provision for the punishment in the election rules so that the menace of hate speech and the resultant hatred should will be given a good bye before it makes its adverse effect on the society. The provision for the strict punishment only will not deter the contesting candidates and their supporters from resorting to hate speeches and the resultant hatred during elections but it requires proper implementation of the laws in force so that no one will indulge in hate speeches and creating of hatred in our volatile society which is multi religious,multi cultural and multi lingual.Thus for upholding of unity in diversity in the society it is important that there is no hate speech and hatred during the electioneering and anyone who indulges in hate speech however high or low will be prosecuted and punished in accordance with the law in force .So it is important for upholding of the secularism ,pluralism and communal harmony and the unity in diversity that the provisions of the law in force should be implemented in letter and spirit so that there is no hate speech and the resultant hatred during the elections in UP in particular and the country in general .Necessary amendments should be made in the provisions governing election rules to incorporate the rules of strict punishment for those who indulge in hate speeches which may result in disturbing the communal harmony in the society. Therefore what is needed is the strict provisions and strict implementation of the rules and laws in force so for as they relate to the hate speeches and the resultant hatred during the elections. In brief it can be summed up that hate speeches and hatred has no place in our electoral democracy and as such should not be resorted to during elections. |
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