Increasing disillusionment with the existing political system and process

With the fourth phase of the 5-phase voting for the 15th General Elections over (at the time of going to Press), the ruling class and their spokespersons can hardly hide their dismay at the clear lack of enthusiasm of the masses of people for their “democracy”. 

Even before the elections were underway, even the most optimistic assessment by the spokespersons of the ruling class could not pretend that there was mass support for any of the established political parties or formations.  The television and print media were rife with gloomy talk of “a fractured mandate”, and of the certainty of “post-poll alliances” (meaning unabashed horse-trading and backroom intrigues) to form the next government.

With the background of the biggest economic crisis of capitalism in the last 80 years, with lakhs of workers thrown out of employment and no let-up in daily suicides of farmers, the usual campaign promises of the bourgeois parties sounded exceptionally hollow.  The grave issues affecting the masses of people were not addressed in any serious manner by any of the ruling parties, while every attempt was made to whip up emotions to divert attention with the most trivial, personalised issues. The major parties of the ruling class openly indulged in shameless wheeling and dealing, trying to win over other parties and formations that would support their bid for power. The present general elections showed, perhaps like never before, that the elections are merely an occasion for the ruling class to change its horses, to decide which of the parties or formations is more capable of fooling the people and carrying out its anti-people agenda.

It is no wonder that there was a significant drop in polling percentage in practically all phases of the elections.  Even though the norm in Indian elections over the last few decades is that 40-50% of the electorate regularly chooses not to exercise their vote, the pattern this time showed that an even greater proportion – as much as 5-10% more – did not vote. This is what the ruling class feared the most while going into these elections – that the people are no longer under any illusion about this "great democratic exercise". It  was afraid that people are increasingly coming to realise that whatever the outcome of the elections, they will continue to have no say in setting the economic and political agenda of the country, which will be decided, as before, by the big monopoly bourgeoisie  It could no longer hide the fact that this 'great election exercise' is nothing but an out and out dirty race between the various parties of the bourgeoisie to get to the seat of power by hook or by crook, to carry out the bourgeoisie's agenda.

The desperation of the ruling class was apparent in its response to this disillusionment of the masses. It went into overdrive trying to entice, badger and shame people into voting, even bringing out film stars and other celebrities as the public face of their campaign. Shameless attempts were made to sell the elections like an event or a commodity. Every attempt was made, through the capitalist controlled media, to lower the level of political debate to sectarian and divisive caste and religious considerations. At the same time, the bourgeoisie tried to ride the moral high horse by claiming that those who did not vote were "hypocritical" and had no right to criticise the system when they did not use the opportunity given to them to 'decide'!

But these attempts of the bourgeoisie did not succeed. This was evident in the abysmally low voter turnout in the countryside and in cities, and in many states and regions of the country.

Particularly revealing was the situation in Kashmir.  After the last Assembly elections there, the ruling class experts were crowing that the people of Kashmir had showed their confidence in “Indian democracy” and that support for azaadi had greatly diminished.  This time, not more than 26% of the electorate in Kashmir turned up to vote, and that too, when it is well known that the armed forces there regularly round up people and pull them out of their homes to cast their vote whether they want to or not.  These same experts are now busy spinning out reasons for the “change in attitude” of the people of Kashmir this time.

A definite feature of these elections has been the increasing number of candidates who stood for election in opposition to the ruling class parties, with the aim of highlighting the concerns of the people.  Such candidates, like those supported by our Party, could be found contesting in various parts of the country.  They highlighted issues like lack of livelihood, forcible deprivation of people from their land, lack of basic amenities in their areas, the hypocrisy and greed of ruling class politicians, and so on.  Candidates supported by the CGPI exposed the existing political process which serves to strengthen the rule of the big bourgeoisie through its political parties, while keeping the masses of toiling people out of political power. These were candidates selected by the people's committees in their areas. They raised the need for ending the domination of the political process by parties of the capitalist class, by urging people to select their own candidates, hold their elected representatives accountable and fight for the right to recall those representatives who violate the interests of the electorate as well as the right to initiate legislation. In this way, they forcefully showed the way forward for people to get politically organised to take real power into their own hands.

What this shows is that not only are working people increasingly disillusioned with the politics of the ruling class, but that they are also refusing to be manipulated by the ruling class politicians into being just voting cattle.  They are taking steps to assert their own claims in the political arena and to challenge the existing political process and the stranglehold of the ruling class parties in diverse ways. 

The times call upon communists to step up the work to smash all illusions about the existing system of bourgeois democracy and bring home to the toiling people the imperative need for political power in their own hands. Communists have to provide leadership to the toiling people to get organised to become the rulers of this country.