Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “Criminalisation of Politics in India” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Criminalisation of Politics in India

Democracy implies rule of law and the holding of free election to ascertain the will of the people. But in quite recent times this peaceful process of social change has been much vitiated. Violence, rigging, booth capturing have become the order of the day. This fact was high lighted during the elections of local bodies. Districts Boards, Municipalities and Municipal Corporation and elections to the Lok Sabha and a number of State Legislatures. It was found that confirmed criminals and history sheeters, even those who were behind the bars at the time were given tickets by different political parties and what is more surprising is the fact that they won the elections.

There was violence on a large scale. not in mayhem alone, but in a number of other places hundreds of lives were lost. The cult of the gun prevailed; goondas and criminals, often hired for the purpose, captured booths, indulged in rigging and violence or threats of violence and in this way the entire democratic process was negated.

The Government and law enforcing authorities remained helpless in the face of this muscle power. Today a number of Chief Ministers have close links with criminals, a large number of MPs and MLAs are men with criminal records. Criminals have infiltrated into Indian socio-political life and future of Indian democracy seems to be bleak. Criminals and gangsters move about freely eliminating their political opponents and creating terror and nobody seems to fear of this show of naked and unabashed violence. It seems we should have the means or the will to put down such nefarious activities with an iron hand.

Criminalisation of Indian politics and the consequent cult of the gun is the greatest danger that Indian democracy faces today. Leaders of all political parties and intellectual deliver eloquent speeches expressing their abhorrence at the infiltration of criminals into the electoral arena. Stress is laid on eliminating the use of muscle power in the electoral process. Yet the majority of parties remain satisfied with expressing such pious sentiments. In any case there is no inhibition in securing the services of musclemen and anti-social elements in order to ensure success at the hustings. Quite often the plea put forward for this purpose is that it is a defensive measure to off-set and resist the doings of the anti-social elements engaged by the rival candidates. The malady had gone deep into our body polity and unless we can deal with it with a firm hand in ruthless manner, the danger is that electoral process would pass into the hands of anti-social elements and thus slide down and degenerate into farce.

The entry of criminals into political arena has caused havoc in the sphere of administration of criminal justice. The livelihood of injustice of democracy is supposed to be much less than under systems where civil liberties are suppressed and there is absence of democratic norms. There is thus close relationship between democracy and rule of law. These two alongwith liberty are indeed considered to be the three faces of the supreme trinity which sustains all liberal societies. Each one of them is vital for the survival of the other two for the negation of one would prove fatal for the other two.

Democracy needs restraint and a willingness to abide by a code of self-discipline. It has to be recognised that even though man is only a little lower than angels, he has not shed brute with him. To curb and control the brute within man and to prevent the degeneration of society into a state red with tooth and claw we need to implement the rule of law and suitable agency to enforce it. Such an agency is furnished by the courts. Criminal law is therefore looked upon as the most effective weapon of social defence.

Despite all the professed adherence for the use of muscle power in the course of elections, a large number of politicians take its aid. It may be that some make unabashed use of it. With a view to intimidate voters for securing their votes, many take the help of muscle power as defensive strategy against the muscle power of rival candidates. The result is that the use of muscle power has become a regular feature of the electoral process. The intellectual may decry this practice, the news papers may carry long articles. The public spirited person may describe it as a negations of free and fair elections but the fact remains that the voice exhausts and one can not run away from harsh reality. Large scale violence in a number of constituencies during the elections to the Lok Sabha and various assemblies is a grim reminder of the existence of this malady in the public body.

It is also fact that the bigger a goonda is the greater is considered to be his usefulness and value during the course of elections. So the politicians take the help of such anti-social elements while contesting the elections. The electoral process thus leads to close links between anti social elements and the politicians. The consequence is that when anti-social elements get in trouble with law enforcement agencies. They invariably look to politicians to extricate them out of difficulties. The politicians on their part find it difficult to resist the demands of the criminal when they are indebted. In fact the help rendered by politicians to anti social elements when the latter are in difficult situation is a kind of return for the support given by the anti-social elements to the politicians at the time of elections.

The close links of anti-social elements with the local politician act asa deterring factor for the law enforcement agencies from proceeding and taking strong action against them. During recent years however we have come across new strategy being adopted by anti social elements. Many are afraid with the idea that if their grip over substantial sections of the electorate is loosened by erosion and intimidation or otherwise and their capacity for both capturing and rigging or use of other unfair means, at a pistol and dagger points is lessened, can the elections of theirs be possible ? but for the betterment of democracy why should they not use that grip or capacity for ensuring their own election as members of the legislatures.

According to news papers reports about 100 elected members in a state legislature during the last five years had criminal history sheeters. We can well imagine the fear of policemen while dealing with such elements. Many policemen consider direction to be the better part of valour and turn a blind eye to their nefarious acts. Experience also tells us that once a person gets elected to a legislature the election secured for him is not only some kind of reprieve from legal process for his past acts but also affords him virtual immunity from further proceedings against him for breach of criminal law. It is, no doubt true that this is not legally permissible and the law does not countenance such a state of affairs, but ways are always found to circumvent the law.

The rampant interference in the course of investigation is harsh reality which can not be denied. There can also be no doubt that unless there are efficient investigations resulting in the collection of credible evidence such a situation means collapse of criminal justice and this results in scale of the chaos and anarchy. The effectiveness and potency of the administration of criminal justice can be enforced if we can eliminate or at least minimise, political or other extraneous interference in the investigation of crimes.

All right minded citizens should put their heads to find out ways and means of saving Indian democracy from the menace. If criminals continue to flourish without any check and carry on their activities; nobody’s life property and honour will be safe. Indian democracy must be saved from the prominence of criminal and under no circumstances should law be taken into one’s own hands. However in this respect the rulers of the country are not free from blame for they have been guilty of uniting. The people take to recourse to violence.