The description in the ninth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Bible about the election of the king of the trees raises some questions that are relevant for all time. Once, the trees decided to choose a king for themselves. The fig tree, the olive tree, and the grape vine—which provide special resources to humanity—refused to become king and stepped away from power to fulfill their mission of doing good. A young man named Jotham tells the story of how the thornbush, which injures people, easily became king. In the modern era of state-sponsored terror that divides and hurts people, the ways in which thornbushes become kings are strange. This is especially true in modern Indian history, which is overshadowed by allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft)! The “vote theft” allegations brought out by the opposition in fact reveal the ways in which the state steals an individual’s power.
In my country, my vote is my identity; it is a right only I have. In this country, it is my voice, my protest, my stance. My vote is the only thing I can do in this country with equality, regardless of my wealth, job, caste, gender, language, or location. It is the soul of the freedom my ancestors received by walking through the fire of struggles and giving their lives.
What if there are allegations that this is being stolen from me, that in my name, with my house number, and my address, someone else, or sometimes more than one person, is using my right in my place, that votes are being created and sold under non-existent names and house numbers, and that authorities are being installed through this, and that even constitutional bodies are complicit in this? Whose responsibility is it to purify and protect the sanctity of democracy?
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“In my country, my vote is my identity; it is a right only I have. In this country, it is my voice, my protest, my stance.”
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“What if there are allegations that this is being stolen from me, that in my name, with my house number, and my address, someone else… is using my right in my place, that votes are being created and sold under non-existent names and house numbers, and that authorities are being installed through this, and that even constitutional bodies are complicit in this?”
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“The price a citizen pays for indifference to public affairs is the unfortunate situation that they will be ruled by people more worthless than themselves.”
In 2023, the Supreme Court made a crucial ruling. It suggested that the committee to appoint the Central Election Commission should have three members: the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice. There is recent history here where this proposal was subverted by legislation, and the committee was made to include the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), a cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister (Amit Shah), and the Leader of the Opposition (Rahul Gandhi), thereby closing the door on its potential for impartial functioning. When a government argues for an ‘upper hand’ in appointing the Election Commission, which must function impartially, and enacts ‘legislation’ for this, transparency is lost. An allegation has been raised by a member of that supreme committee itself, based on 100,250 fake votes polled in Mahadevapura, Karnataka, expressing the suspicion that this has been repeated in many parts of India.
The national election studies conducted by Lokniti-CSDS in 2024 observe that the credibility of the Election Commission has declined. Many of the allegations rising in the contemporary political atmosphere—including the allegation that extra voters were added in the Maharashtra legislative assembly elections, the rushed revision of the voters’ list in Bihar, the situation where the number of votes recorded in the EVM voting machines does not tally with the list of those who voted, and the figures of abnormal increase in polling in the final hours—have caused a loss of credibility for the Election Commission.
The truth Plato lays out in his “Republic,” often called the Bible of political philosophy, also points to the apolitical indifference of contemporary Indian citizens. The price a citizen pays for indifference to public affairs is the unfortunate situation that they will be ruled by people more worthless than themselves.
Why should I get involved in politics? We are living in a time when the rust of the apolitical argument—that politics is a waste of time and that one can better oneself by earning money during that time—is quickly spreading in the minds and intellects of the public. Plato’s prophecy that “every people gets the rulers they deserve” reflects the despicable present time very well.
Am I a person who does not understand that I can earn and not be plundered because there is a democratic system and a government here? Getting service when I go to a public institution, being able to buy and sell goods at a fair price, having the freedom to write, speak, and believe what I want—these are all a testament to the sacred existence of a democratic system. When popular mandates are stolen, when votes are bought or sold, it affects me.
Not everyone may support all of Rahul Gandhi’s political ideals. However, until there is a clear answer to the Indian opposition leader’s questions for the survival of democracy, that voice must be strengthened. We must express our opinions; we must register our protest. Otherwise, a democracy that has crossed 79 years will gasp for its last breath in India.
