A Judgement that Hits at the Root of Political Equality

By Dr. V. Suresh
The Supreme Court judgement upholding the Haryana government’s amendment to its Panchayati Raj Act, seeking to bar people without toilets, without a certain education level and who have debts from standing for Panchayat elections is most regressive and anti-democratic. It is shocking that the SCI has struck a blow against political equality, the only equality we have in this country. In an astounding statement, the SCI noted: “It is only education which gives a human being the power to discriminate between right and wrong, good and bad”. This completely ignores the contribution of people such as K. Kamaraj one of Independent India’s wisest leaders and one who had come up with a pioneering scheme such as mid-day meals in schools. In the constituent assembly, Dr.B.R. Ambedkarhad said: “On the 26th of January 1950 we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality, and in social and economic life we will have inequality. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions?”. It seems now that even political equality is sought to be suppressed for vast masses of people: The BJP and the Supreme Court seem to have decided that contradictions are not good and that we should not have political equality either. “The judgment effectively disenfranchises – and it recognises this – 68% of Scheduled Caste women, 41% of Scheduled Caste men and over 50% of all women in Haryana from contesting a panchayat election,” as senior advocate Indira Jai singh notes. It is not just the Haryana government, but also the Rajasthan government which has passed similar amendments.
These amendments strike a grievous blow against women, farmers, Dalits, Adivasis and several oppressed communities for whom education, access to capital and other privileges are a far cry. When farmers across the country die unable to bear the burden of mounting debts, how and why does the court feel that only debt-free farmers can contest elections? This move is a clear attempt to prevent disadvantaged communities from accessing power and at privileging the already privileged. It reflects the utter moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the Supreme Court.
If this trend is allowed to continue, the day may not be far when the right to vote itself becomes contingent on similar conditions!
This must not be allowed to pass. This judgement needs to be struck down and civil society must work towards this end. While the affected groups in Haryana might consider possibilities of a review, others everywhere in India need to strongly protest this judgement, helping to ensure that the Supreme Court strikes this highly immoral and unconstitutional judgement down.