Q9 of 11 Page 74

Here are some reports of electoral malpractices from different parts of the world. Is there anything that these countries can learn from India to improve their elections? What would you suggest in each case?

(a) During an election in Nigeria, the officer in charge of counting votes deliberately increased the votes of one candidate and declared him elected. The court later found out that more than five lakh votes cast for one candidate were counted in favor of another.


(b) Just before elections in Fiji, a pamphlet was distributed warning voters that a vote for former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhary will lead to bloodshed. This was a threat to voters of Indian origin.


(c) In the US, each state has its own method of voting, its own procedure of counting and its own authority for conducting elections. Authorities in the state of Florida took many controversial decisions that favored Mr. Bush in the presidential elections in 2000. But no one could change those decisions.

(a) The issue of deliberate miscounting of the votes is generally possible when the process is liable to be manually manipulated. India uses Electronic Voting Machines which are deemed impossible to manipulate. Nigeria can pick this from India.

(b) Pressurizing or threatening of the voters can never be tolerated in an election. In India, we have an active and powerful election commission that can order investigation in such cases and make sure that those involved in this are suitably handled by law. Fiji can learn this from the Indian system.


(c) In India, there is a special body which conducts and look after all the decisions and things of election that is the Election Commission of India but in US there is no unified agency due to which election process if U.S is different and decisions are taken arbitrarily.


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7

Can we draw the following conclusions from the information given in this chapter? Give two facts to support your position for each of these.

1. Election Commission of India does not have enough powers to conduct free and fair elections in the country.


2. There is a high level of popular participation in the elections in our country.


3. It is very easy for the party in power to win an election.


4. Many reforms are needed to make our elections completely free and fair.

 8

Chinappa was convicted for torturing his wife for dowry. Satbir was held guilty of practicing untouchability. The court did not allow either of them to contest elections. Does this decision go against the principles of democratic elections?

 10

Here are some reports of malpractices in Indian elections. Identify what the problem in each case is. What should be done to correct the situation?

(a) Following the announcement of elections, the minister promised to provide financial aid to reopen the closed sugar mill.


(b) Opposition parties alleged that their statements and campaign was not given due attention in Doordarshan and All India Radio.


(c) An inquiry by the Election Commission showed that electoral rolls of a state contain name of 20 lakh fake voters.


(d) The hoodlums of a political party were moving with guns, physically preventing supporters of other political parties to meet the voters and attacking meetings of other parties.

 11

Ramesh was not in class when this chapter was being taught. He came the next day and repeated what he had heard from his father. Can you tell Ramesh what is wrong with these statements?

(a) Women always vote the way men tell them to. So what is the point of giving them the right to vote?


(b) Party politics creates tension in society. Elections should be decided by consensus not by competition.


(c) Only graduates should be allowed to stand as candidates for elections.