ADR in association with PU held 2-day conference on electoral and political reform

Chandigarh, April 30, 2017: The ADR in association with Panjab University held the two-day conference on electoral and political reforms. In the second day, in the panel on criminalisation of politics S.N.Shukla , a retired IAS officer and now a social activist, referred to the ADR report showing that candidates having self-reported about their criminal record have better chances of winning than the candidates who have had clean record. He also lamented the inability of the Election Commission to take effective punitive measures to deter the tainted people to contest elections and parties obliging them. He highlighted the significant role of the judiciary in helping out the social activists/ NGOs to force the parties to accept the need to do away with the criminal elements. Referring to the growing criminalization of national political life in India, Dr Ashutosh Kumar raised a question as to why despite having a vibrant civil society and a vibrant press and also a highly competitive democratic system, political parties keep on giving party tickets to the candidates who have had criminal record. More puzzling fact is that voters instead of repudiating such candidates actually elect them. He pointed out that in the constituencies having low literacy and economic development, the candidates with tainted record are more likely to win with the help of their vote buying as well as their capacity to intimidate the voters opposed to them.
In the media panel on impact of media on elections and governance , a panelist Uttam Sen gupta spoke about the difference in the ways the media houses are now influenced by the parties/politicians to promote them during election times and also their decision making process through the corporate houses who dole out advertisements in return of electoral favour. There are other novel means also to use media by the parties. The mode of influencing the media has in fact become much more sophisticated these days. He also referred to the electronic media barons promoting the organized political events to help out their channels' TRPs but also help out their 'favourite' parties. Both Sarabjit Pandher and Das gupta suggested that the Election Commission of India should check into the advertisements given to the newspapers/TV channels in particular and ask them to explain the sources. They both argued that growing influence of media in setting the electoral agenda is not so much due to the compromised journalists but more so due to the corporate houses/ industrialists who run these channels/newspapers/magazines. Even political parties also run their channels and newspapers to have electoral impact. Pandher lamented the fact that there are some journalists also who have failed to remain neutral. Journalism which was earlier a mission has now become more a profession. Earlier editors used to take decision but now the newspapers owners call the shots and they treat the newspapers as market products and accordingly decide about their content to sell them. It is truer for the electronic media. He pointed out that media persons ask questions on behalf of the disadvantaged ones/victims, take the responsibility to cleanse the system but can not really take cudgels on their own behalf, being increasingly controlled/regulated/compromised by their media houses owners. an overwhelmingly number of journalists remain terribly underpaid and do not have job security. He also pointed out that unlike the other three estates, the media constituting the fourth estate is ready to correct itself and remain vital vehicle of information, so important for good governance.