Hindi English Translation || Editorial || For internal democracy: On Election Commission of India rejecting notion of ‘leader for life’ in political parties

For internal democracy: On Election Commission of India rejecting notion of ‘leader for life’ in political parties

The Election Commission of India is right in rejecting the notion (भावना, विचार, विश्वास) of ‘leader for life’ in political parties

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected the idea of a ‘permanent president’ for a party, while taking issue with the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), which rules Andhra Pradesh. The party reportedly (कथित तौर पर, माना जाता है, प्रतीत होता है) elected Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as its president for life (for the whole of a person’s life; for the rest of a person’s life) in July 2022. The ECI says such a step is inherently (स्वाभाविक रूप से, आंतरिक रूप से) anti-democratic (लोकतंत्र विरोधी). The YSRCP’s response to the ECI’s letters sent earlier, that it will conduct an “internal enquiry”, borders on the absurd (बेतुका). There is merit (योग्यता) in the ECI’s view and its insistence (आग्रह, मांग, आवश्यकता) on internal democracy, as no individual should be elected leader for life. Any party that participates in a democratic process, and wants to govern and legislate (कानून बनाना, विनियमन), should include formal and periodic (सामयिक, नियमित, बार-बार) election of office-bearers (पदाधिकारी) as part of the way it functions as an association. Indian political parties are of myriad (असंख्य, अनेक) kinds — some, such as the Bharatiya Janata Party or the Communist parties, are structured, cadre-based (based on members of a (political) group) organisations that function towards an ideological (विचारधारा) goal or a principle; others, such as the Congress, are more loosely (not firmly, relatively, generally, broadly, slackly) structured (संरचित) collections of individuals with even different strands (element, factor, aspect, strain) of opinion but functioning within an association that has core ideals (आदर्श, सिद्धांत, मानक); some others still reflect (दर्शाना, प्रतिबिंबित होना, दिखाना) social or regional cleavages (separation, division, fragmentation, disunion) and so on (and others; and similar things; et cetera (etc.)).

Increasingly, the fragmentation (breaking, separation, splintering, disunion, disintegration) of India’s polity into a federalised (unified in a centralized unit or united in a federation or federal union), multi-party system has also given way to domination by “charismatic (strong in character, attractive, appealing, captivating, fascinating)” individuals or their families, mainly because of the nature of support that these parties enjoy or due to their financing structures which necessitates (require, demand, call for, be grounds for, warrant, entail, involve) centralised (controlled by a single authority) control by a single coterie (a small group of people with shared interests and they generally don’t allow others to join them; sect, gang, inner circle, faction/camp) or a family. This is why several political parties today do not insist on (push for, demand, insist on, ask for, call for, request, press for, campaign for, work for, speak for, support for, urge) thoroughgoing (rigorous, in-depth, detailed, meticulous, complete, comprehensive, elaborate, full, intensive, extensive) internal elections to secure (obtain, get, win, acquire) their leadership; and even if they do conduct polls, they lack (be without, want, need) sufficient contestation and are done to reaffirm (assert, state, say again strongly) the dominance of the high command (commander-in-chief, head, leader, boss). In some cases, with electoral politics being a zero-sum game (zero-sum game is one in which no wealth is created or destroyed. So, in a two-player zero-sum game, whatever one player wins, the other loses), political parties are loath (reluctant, unwilling, disinclined, hesitant, against, opposed, averse) to allow internal contest, fearing that this could foster (encourage, promote, develop) disunity (disagreement, friction, conflict, dispute, argument), as opposed to nomination and consensus (an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group, agreement, concurrence)-building on leadership. The ECI has periodically (occasionally, now and then) used guidelines issued for registration of parties under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act (An Act to provide for the conduct of elections to the Houses of Parliament and to the House or Houses of the Legislature of each State, the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of those Houses, the corrupt practices and other offences at or in connection with such elections and the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with such elections), 1951 to remind parties to conduct elections and to ensure that their leadership is renewed, changed or re-elected every five years. But the commission does not have any statutory (legitimate, permissible, admissible, allowable, acceptable, constitutional) power to enforce internal democracy in parties or to mandate (authorize, entitle, empower) elections. The lack (absence, unavailability, non-existence) of such substantive (important, significant, considerable) power only leads to parties carrying out (discharge, perform, conduct, do (a duty/function)) the ECI’s edicts (order, command, decree, mandate) in a mechanical (automatic, unthinking, unconscious, involuntary, instinctive, inattentive) manner. However, with dynasticism (a system of government in which the rulers are all coming/elected from the same family) and a lack of internal democracy becoming a matter of public debate, perhaps (maybe, possibly) public pressure would finally bear upon (be relevant to something) parties to do the right thing.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.notion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भावना, विचार, विश्वास
English Meaning - idea, belief, concept, conception, conviction, opinion, view, thought.

2.reportedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - कथित तौर पर, माना जाता है, प्रतीत होता है
English Meaning - supposedly, seemingly, apparently, professedly, ostensibly, purportedly.

3.inherently (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - स्वाभाविक रूप से, आंतरिक रूप से
English Meaning - naturally, intrinsically, innately, essentially, basically, fundamentally.

4.anti-democratic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लोकतंत्र विरोधी
English Meaning - opposed to the principles of democracy; illiberal, dogmatic, autocratic, authoritarian.

5.the absurd (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बेतुका
English Meaning - something that is an illogical, unreasonable, ridiculous or laughable one.

6.merit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - योग्यता
English Meaning - good point, strong point, significance, justification; value, worthiness.

7.insistence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आग्रह, मांग, आवश्यकता
English Meaning - demand, requirement, instruction; emphasis, significance, importance.

8.legislate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कानून बनाना, विनियमन
English Meaning - regulate (by legislation).

9.periodic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सामयिक, नियमित, बार-बार
English Meaning - regular, recurrent, repeated, continual, occasional.

10.office-bearer (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पदाधिकारी
English Meaning - functionary, official, representative, agent, especially in a government or political party; office-holder.

11.myriad (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - असंख्य, अनेक
English Meaning - various, many and various, manifold, multiple.

12.structured (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संरचित
English Meaning - organized, well ordered, well regulated, methodical, planned, systematic, arranged.

13.ideological (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विचारधारा
English Meaning - relating to a system of ideas (ideology).

14.ideal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - आदर्श, सिद्धांत, मानक
English Meaning - principle, standard, criterion, ethics, belief.

15.reflect (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दर्शाना, प्रतिबिंबित होना, दिखाना
English Meaning - indicate, show, display, demonstrate.

16.border on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to be very like something; to come very close to being something.

17.for life (phrase)

English Meaning - for the whole of a person’s life; for the rest of a person’s life.

18.take issue with (phrase)

English Meaning - disagree, oppose, object to, dispute, challenge.

19.cadre-based (adjective)

English Meaning - based on members of a (political) group.

20.loosely (adjective)

English Meaning - not firmly, relatively, generally, broadly, slackly.

21.strand (noun)

English Meaning - element, factor, aspect, strain.

22.cleavage (noun)

English Meaning - separation, division, fragmentation, disunion.

23.and so on (phrase)

English Meaning - and others; and similar things; et cetera (etc.).

24.fragmentation (noun)

English Meaning - breaking, separation, splintering, disunion, disintegration.

25.polity (noun)

English Meaning - a politically organized society.

26.federalised (adjective)

English Meaning - unified in a centralized unit or united in a federation or federal union.

27.give way to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - give in, submit, surrender, back down, cave in; be replaced by.

28.charismatic (adjective)

English Meaning - strong in character, attractive, appealing, captivating, fascinating.

29.necessitate (verb)

English Meaning - require, demand, call for, be grounds for, warrant, entail, involve.

30.centralised (adjective)

English Meaning - controlled by a single authority.

31.coterie (noun)

English Meaning - a small group of people with shared interests and they generally don’t allow others to join them; sect, gang, inner circle, faction/camp.

32.insist on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - push for, demand, insist on, ask for, call for, request, press for, campaign for, work for, speak for, support for, urge.

33.thoroughgoing (adjective)

English Meaning - rigorous, in-depth, detailed, meticulous, complete, comprehensive, elaborate, full, intensive, extensive.

34.secure (verb)

English Meaning - obtain, get, win, acquire.

35.lack (verb)

English Meaning - be without, want, need.

36.contestation (noun)

English Meaning - contention, contest; electoral competition in a political community.

37.reaffirm (verb)

English Meaning - assert, state, say again strongly.

38.high command (noun)

English Meaning - commander-in-chief, head, leader, boss.

39.zero-sum game (phrase)

English Meaning - zero-sum game is one in which no wealth is created or destroyed. So, in a two-player zero-sum game, whatever one player wins, the other loses.

40.loath (adjective)

English Meaning - reluctant, unwilling, disinclined, hesitant, against, opposed, averse.

41.foster (verb)

English Meaning - encourage, promote, develop.

42.disunity (noun)

English Meaning - disagreement, friction, conflict, dispute, argument.

43.consensus-building (noun)

English Meaning - a process involving a good-faith effort to meet the interests of all stakeholders and seek a unanimous agreement.

44.consensus (noun)

English Meaning - an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group, agreement, concurrence.

45.periodically (adverb)

English Meaning - occasionally, now and then.

46.the Representation of the People Act 1951 (noun)

English Meaning - An Act to provide for the conduct of elections to the Houses of Parliament and to the House or Houses of the Legislature of each State, the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of those Houses, the corrupt practices and other offences at or in connection with such elections and the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with such elections.

47.section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (noun)

English Meaning - Registration of political parties is governed by the provisions of section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. A party seeking registration under the said section with the Commission has to submit an application to the Commission within a period of 30 days following the date of its formation as per guidelines prescribed by the Commission in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

48.statutory (adjective)

English Meaning - legitimate, permissible, admissible, allowable, acceptable, constitutional.

49.mandate (verb)

English Meaning - authorize, entitle, empower.

50.lack (noun)

English Meaning - absence, unavailability, non-existence.

51.substantive (adjective)

English Meaning - important, significant, considerable.

52.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to.

53.carry out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - discharge, perform, conduct, do (a duty/function).