Imagine a country without Democracy, who would get to lead the country? Maybe violent groups, dictators etc, the opinion might vary but certainly ruling dispensation would be supported by the rich, the corporates and the upper echelons of the society. Now, for many reasons, human history has shown such regimes have been shunned and hated by the people and the masses. People don’t hate corporates, people don’t hate being rich, after all, many or most of them aspire to be one. What irks people is when the rich and the corporates define and play a role in public policy. Given this scenario, now we can understand why Democracy came into place, to bring the voice of the masses/people to the center of public policy making. However if Democracy gets manipulated to an extent where corporates get huge favors from a government elected by the people, it can only be concluded that Democracy has failed here. What is the point of Democracy if it favors the same corporates who would have got benefitted in a dictatorial or any undemocratic regime.
The Indian Scenario The recent Essar controversy and many other expose have shown how politics and corporates have become interdependent, the political parties seek their benevolence for party funding and vice versa for the purpose of government projects. Globalization and capitalism have further strengthened that bond.
Don’t get it wrong
Corporates are required, they create jobs, they generate employment, they lift people out of poverty and across economic classes. There is no denying of the above-mentioned, however, the influence of corporates in the public policy making process is what is of concern. Corporates could participate as a stakeholder but not otherwise.
A win-win solution
Corporates yearn for a free environment where innovation and creativity get rewarded and similarly people also wish that corporates and government have a arms length distance. It is to the benefit of the people, government, and corporates, that government, and political parties should leave the corporates alone and not seek or harass them for party fundings or other favors. By doing so, corporates could spend their money wisely on investments, governments can focus on pro-people measures while the people benefit from the jobs created by corporates and the pro-people policies of their democratically elected government. The Logical Indian appeals to the people across classes and communities to take a stance on this issue. We appeal to them to ask their representative/government cutting across political lines to keep an arms length distance from corporates. We also seek election commission to take stock of the political party funding process and introduce drastic electoral reforms that will make Democracy work for all as it was intended to be
