– Mohammed Atherulla Shariff
Bengaluru, July 20: Common people have saved democracy in the country during the recent Lok Sabha elections by refusing to be moved by emotional issues that were brought to the fore by the party in power and have made life and livelihood issues win during the elections,” Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das, said. He was delivering the presidential address at a symposium on “Mandate of the 2024 Parliamentary Elections – The Way Forward” organized by the Forum for Democracy & Communal Amity, Karnataka Chapter here today.
Justice Nagmohan stressed that the Opposition parties wedded to secularism need to unite and place a common minimum programme before the people and stress the importance of economic and social democracy and not just political democracy. There was a great need to create more awareness among the common people on the Constitution to counter money and muscle power, religion and caste issues ruling elections. Proportional representation and giving more representation to minorities and immediate reservation for women’s representation in the Assembly and Parliament were needed, he added.
A ‘Truth Army’ of civil society collectives and individuals is required to counter the ‘Paid Troll Army’ of the BJP spreading hate, lies and communal polarization to reclaim democracy in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, said well-known lawyer and activist, Prashant Bhushan, who delivered the keynote address at the symposium.
Civil society should support the alternative media, which has played a prominent role in influencing the result of the elections, with the right material, to counter the hatemongers, he said. Civil society should organize councils with groups of lawyers and file PILs and pursue cases to bring the troll armies to book. State funding of elections and greater power to local bodies were needed to strengthen democracy in the long-term, he further said.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mohammad Taha Mateen, Director Acura Hospital, stressed that the ideological battle ‘against authoritarianism’ and ‘for democracy’ had been won during these elections. But the dangers still lurk and civil society needs to be aware of them and speak and revive the ‘Idea of India’, and build a society that is fraternal and rule-based. The issues of farmers, healthcare, education, welfare, etc., needed to be debated and brought into focus rather than trivial issues ruling elections.
Ms Tara Rao, member, central working group of ‘Eddelu Karnataka’, (Wakeup Karnataka) acclaimed the people’s victory during the elections in changing the narrative from ‘mandir to mudda’. The context in which the elections were held converted citizens from mere spectators to active citizens determined to hold the government accountable. She outlined how Eddelu Karnataka had been able to mobilise citizens in more than 150 constituencies to rediscover the power of the vote and elect secular parties. There was a need to connect with the essential, bring out the pain of the people made invisible by the current government and change the narrative from ‘mangala sutra’ to ‘malnourishment’.
Mr. Firoz Pasha, General Secretary of FDCA-K, who gave the introductory remarks, stressed the divisive context in which the elections were held.
