Lack of moral values among voters encourage money culture during elections: Experts

 OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Lack of moral values among voters is the major factor that encourages money culture during elections in India, including Arunachal Pradesh, as a few experts in diverse fields observed during a media conclave organized here on Saturday. The experts were also of the opinion that the Election Commission of India (ECI), being appointed by the government, failed to perform its duty as a neutral body, for which the menace of money culture during elections has become the order of the day. “Political analysts agree that without money, democracy cannot run, and the ghost of running an election or becoming a candidate is not possible without money,” commented Toko Tatung, Secretary General of the Arunachal Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI), during the conclave conducted by the Arunachal Electronic and Digital Media Association (AEDMA) on the topic ‘Money culture in elections’, to mark its 11th foundation day.

Giving the statistics of the expenditure incurred during the 2019 general elections, Tatung said that approximately 600 billion rupees were spent during the election by political parties. He added that the Centre has introduced a new system during 2017 according to which foreigners could fund any political parties and there are no caps on corporations in terms of funding candidates and parties. “An electoral bond was also introduced in the country where any individual or company can donate cash to political parties, which is being monitored by the State Bank of India, and the bank is answerable to the Enforcement Directorate,” Tatung said. Stating that money culture in elections is a simple economics of ‘supply and demand’, Tatung further added that the menace could be checked through self-realization among clans and communities for a change.

Terming elections in Arunachal Pradesh as all about money and mithun (state animal) feasts, Retired Wing Commander Gyati Kago was of the opinion that moral values in the Arunachalee society for which voters are selling their votes for a paltry amount. “In the 2019 assembly elections, the average price of buying and selling votes stood at Rs 25,000 per voter,” Kago pointed out, adding that due to this money culture, people cannot speak against their leaders even if they do wrong. Kao added that corruption and nepotism are the order of the day in Arunachal, and the media persons have a responsibility on their shoulders to create awareness among the young generation to check the menace for a healthy democracy.

Former All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) general secretary Tobom Dai, who was also another speaker, suggested taking a concrete decision by the people to end the menace. “When government appoints ECI, how can it work in a transparent manner and bring electoral reforms to the country?” Dai quipped, adding that money culture in elections has direct ramifications for the development process. The speakers also urged the members of AEDMA to compile a report on the outcome of the conclave and submit it to the government so that necessary steps could be taken to curb the menace.

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