Gujarat Assembly today passed a landmark bill which makes, for the first time in the country, voting mandatory in local body polls. The Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009, which also seeks to raise the reservation of seats for women in local self governance bodies from 33 to 50 per cent, was passed by voice vote. The opposition, led by Congress, opposed the mandatory voting provision, terming it in contradiction with the constitutional provisions but supported raising of seats for women in the local bodies from 33 per cent to 50 per cent. The opposition had demanded separate bills for 50 per cent reservation for women and for mandatory voting in local self governance bodies. Under the bill, if a voter fails to vote for the reasons other than prescribed in the rules, he may be declared a "defaulter voter" and would face consequences for which rules will be framed and placed before the Assembly for its approval later. "It is observed that due to low turnout of voters to discharge their duty by exercising their right to vote, the true spirit of the will of the people is not reflected in the electoral mandate," said the statement of objects and reasons of the bill. source : Zee News [youtube]aoYu5IRcXJI[/youtube]
Should we make voting compulsory The wily minded Narendra Modi comes up with pranks one or the other.In fact cheap and evil politicians like him should be dumped urgently in nearest sea having aggressive sharks floating around. What is Modi and Mayawati type of people?are they competent and sincere to democracy and people? Do they have self esteem and spirituality to serve community? certainly not.They Are representative of decay and criminalization of democracy and politics in India.In fact such people are cause of misery and suffering of people in this ancient and culturally once a great country. Voting is right of citizen.So is the right to marry.So is right to produce offspring.So is the right to live. Now will you ask some one to marry because it is his right. By force? Ridiculous Rights cannot be made duty or liability. secondly These Kind of politicians should sit down and think why people don't vote? because they have no faith in potential parties and candidates.A majority of candidates are criminals and corrupt people. People just don't want to vote. The cost of running government and democracy in India is too high.As high as almost 20 % of GDP. Hence first we should make 'negative voting or 'reject all candidates' a provision in ballot paper as has been demanded by us for so long.Why should I go and vote when I had all candidates or don't want any one to represent me? If 10% of voters in constituency stamp no candidate .All candidates should be renominated and new date of elections should be fixed.Then see how clean up takes place in india. has this fellow Modi guts to accept this? Thirdly, people may be sick,infirm or having emergency in home or office.For example on election day someone dies in home? so I and my family will go to vote instead of attending to dead body? what nonsense. So government will ask him to go to corrupt place called courts or kacheri in india and get an affidavit made at cost of rs 100 at least and waste almost whole day to prove that he could not vote and the affidavit will be dumped in babudom record rooms for eternity and rats to eat. How does it matter how many people vote? Those who are voting today are not doing on free will or by own choice.they are pressurized community wise, economically and criminally to vote some one.What is use of such voting. If good candidates are given tickets and parties are patritic and honest, hardly matters how many percentage give vote. If crminals are contesting hardly matters even if 100% vote. Fifthly where is proper arrangement of voting? Governments in India run by corrupt, inefficient ,arrogant and arrogant bureaucracy and judiciary. Police is most corrupt organization in India. Can we even make enough arrangements so a person can just go and vote in 30 minutes flat without and hassles or discomfort. It is just not possible. What happened to citizens card that were to be issued to all? why we cant have online continuous voting system throughout the year so these eveil polticians are rated continuously and if at any time their popularity dips below 15- or 20 % they are kicked out from all democratic or office posts immediately. same way all SPs, DSPs and SHOs should be rated online by citizens on continuous feedback posting basis. Many people live in various places away from registered place and cant travel hundreds of kilometers to vote.Who will finance it? Who will give them 2 days leave? I don't think Modi knows even ABC of governnace ,democracy and politicial science. Forget about his being a social worker or humanitarian. Lastly why voting should be compulsory at all in principle? It should be voluntary and by good administration, good candidates and healthy democracy people would be attracted to participate on their own. Lot has to be done in India for reforms before voting can be made compulsory. Fundamentally it should never be made compulsory . Just imgine people in lacks being harassed by corrupt khakhi clad idiots in India for not voting and queues in courts to fine them or punish them.So a new avenue for dirty power to shameless bureaucrats and judges and police men will open. Unimaginable. People of India should rise together and now stop politicians and bureaucrats dominate them and impose things on them without referendum ,public debate and feedback mechanism.I t is now badly required and technically feasible in modern era of IT. Prof R K Gupta
Dear Prof Gupta, I beg to differ with you in comparing Modi with Mayawati. Mayawati is an incompetent leader, but Modi is a desciplined and dedicated administrator. Hindus are loathe to vote but Muslims vote unitedly where directed by Mullas. We need to take control of our country from an uneducated foreigner queen. This is only possible by a great nationalist like Modi. Thank you. Dr. Rameshwar Singh
The question to ask Prof. Gupta is who elected them and why are they in power? The voting rights are given to utilize but when such votes can be bought with liquor and money, such rights have no value.I have often questioned this one question, Does any Indian voter know who represents them????? These so called leaders are not people choice but choice of Central Committees of the parties who are issuing tickets to their own for election. We borrowed that from British and are in a way still being ruled by our Masters Laws. Modi , Mayawati or Sonia are no different than every other power hungry leader but who elected them and what has been done to make any changes. These are the fundamental questions instead of attacking anyone. It is the people who are not willing to take charge and thus one can write BUT WHAT CHANGES YOU HAVE ADVISED EXCEPT YOUR LONG LETTER. We would like to know some changes you can talk off. Let us hear.People cannot be just hanged as you desire. First you need Law and Order and ethics.. India is an old civilization no doubt but where are the rules and regulations and ethics. Just by crying being an old civilization does not make anything right.As Naipaul wrote it is a wounded civilization and thus instead of healing those wounds we fester everyday in our letters . The Civilizations come and go but we are the only people who keep pointing it. Greeks,Egyptians, Romans,Mayan and many others came and went and those nations have moved ahead but unfortunately we are the only nation who clings to our past and do nothing to improve. China is as old as India a civilization but they became pragmatic and decided to move ahead.They are leaving India and many other old industrial nations in the dust. True they don't have democracy but have disciplined labour . People cherish their old civilization and thus progress.We talk of our old civilization but have no regard. We are lazy and unethical and to stay in power we join even the Devil. We are good at talking and writing long letters . LET US HAVE SOME CONSTRUCTIVE IDEAS Shadi
@shadikatyal Quite a good post. Most of the people doesn't know who they are voting for and even why. This is actually increasing due to the lack of education in all the areas. Votes are now not gained but bought by money. We have to change this if we want to change our upcoming devastation
The better policies This is one of the better policies taken up by chief minister Narendra Modi. Voting necessarily represents the views of the people and helps choose the best government. By nature every citizen should fulfill the duty of voting. When it does not work, imposing it on you may be a way. I just don’t understand why some people don’t vote.
i dont think voting should be made mandatory as this would again cause dismay amongst the public who is tolerating the burden of this sick political system. interested candidates should be allowed to vote and instead of making voting mandatory people should be made aware of benefits of making use of their rights.
voting cannot be mandatory but it should be an obligation of every citizen that they choose the right candidate. perhaps governments should make good provisions for the citizens to cast their votes with ease so that they receive maximum votes unlike making such issues mandatory and causing trouble to the people.
voting is a personal choice and making it mandatory on shows the dictatorship of the current politicians. people are already annoyed with the dirty politics. it could be a move from the govs end to improve voting from the citizens end, but then the citizens would vote without any knowledge of right or wrong..what they need is proper education on this issue and then chance to practice what they have learnt
