Ideological baggage

The spat that has broken out in the Parliamentary Forum for Scheduled Castes and Tribes is a sad reminder that even 50 years after Independ...

The spat that has broken out in the Parliamentary Forum for Scheduled Castes and Tribes is a sad reminder that even 50 years after Independence, the lawgivers of this nation are yet to come to grips with the basic principles and beliefs of democracy. Earlier, the Forum members had set their hearts on a Scheduled Caste candidate for the President8217;s post. Later, it added that he would also have to be a freedom fighter or a political sufferer8217;, whatever that may mean. Not one of these criteria ought to be the concern of any self-respecting democratic electoral college. All that a Presidential candidate has to prove to be considered for office is his capability, public stature and probity. He has to be mentally competent to discharge his duties, and he should be able to command the respect of all while maintaining his neutrality. His caste, or whether he has served time for a political offence, is not germane to the issue. Proof of the fact that he has not served time for a criminal offence would be quite sufficient.

No doubt, the decision to back a Scheduled Caste candidate is ostensibly to secure the welfare of the Scheduled Castes themselves. The usually unquestioned assumption is that representatives of a certain group or community are better qualified to address its problems. Indeed, they are usually better informed about the problems than people from other communities, but that does not imply that they will be eager to find solutions. The tribals of the Chhotanagpur plateau, for instance, have been systematically neglected by their own leaders ever since the inception of the Jharkhand movement, for instance. The first major personality, Jaipal Singh, regularly gave away the Parliamentary seats in his area for personal favours. Even after he fell from grace, he was able to avail himself of the comforts of one of India8217;s biggest hotel chains because he had once given a ticket to the company8217;s chief executive. So, while he was assured of central air-conditioning and wholesome breakfasts in bed, his people, who were to have been represented in Parliament through those seats, remained in penury. The behaviour of contemporary Jharkhandis is no less appalling. The tribal MPs involved in the JMM case took the money to feather their own nests, not as unofficial development funds. Again, neither did the common people of their community materially benefit from the windfall reaped by their leaders, nor did they get the Parliamentary representation they deserve.

While positive discrimination does help in empowerment, it has to be judiciously applied. Making a Scheduled Caste person President merely because of his caste will not necessarily result in a better break for his community. While tokenism has its value in a democracy, caste should neither be a qualification nor a disqualification for the highest post in the country. There are far weightier considerations to go by in choosing a person for the job. Selection to the highest offices in the Union, where policy in its most comprehensive sense is made and implemented, should proceed strictly according to the stipulations of the Constitution. When the electoral college goes in to vote for a new President, it should leave its ideological baggage at the door and decide only on the basis of individual adequacy.