Many Indians like to tout it as the greatest democracy on earth, but it's just a quantitative statement. Qualitatively, this democracy glitters mostly on paper, and in our rulers' rhetoric. The truth is, most political parties routinely violate the norms that are at the core of a democracy.
One such glaring example is the vote for cash policy of some parties.
Electronic media has recently shown footage of Mulayam Singh Yadav of The Samajbadi Party, a senior politician of the country, distributing hundred-rupee notes to people who gathered at his residence on the occasion of the Holi.
In another incident, Amitava Nandy, a Left candidate for Lok Sabha election this year from Bengal, gives away cheques to workers from the dias of a workers' meeting.
The concerned parties have of course lodged complaints against these two leaders to the Election Commission, but there are little chances the latter would take any action against them.
Political leaders are kind of immune as far as any electoral law is concerned. This is again another downside of Indian democracy.
Vote for cash is not entirely a new thing. It was here in surreptitious way so long. Only this year it happens in the open.
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