Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'What will be the outcome of this election?' that was published in Newsband

What will be the outcome of this election?

Polling of General Elections 2019 has concluded. The seventh phase of polling for the 17th general election is over, the consolidated turnout till the sixth phase was 67.37%, as against 66.4% in 2014, and there were 8,049 candidates.

Some self-reflection is called for as the country concludes a bitterly fought election. What makes 2019 unprecedented is the inappropriate words used and misinformation spread during the campaign.  

The outcome remains a suspense, but the incoming Prime Minister, whoever that will be, must take the initiative to rally all Indians around a truly inclusive and secular national agenda as soon he or she takes over.

India's democracy is degenerating. While this has been the costliest election in the world, 7 billion dollars as against US's 6 billion, the politicians at the forefront have been those who have been tested over and over again and have been found wanting.

Clearly, India's democracy has been about preying on the gullibility of the Indian voters that will only make India stagnate. Time for Indian intellectuals to step in and redefine and redraw the country's democratic architecture.

Election period was just an extension of the interactions between the opposition and the government during the 5 year term. INC and the rest of the opposition were intolerant towards a government elected by people. A question of intolerance by Modi government was raised and events engineered. They killed the parliamentary procedures by accusing the government and Modi but did not yield the chance to refute them or clarify by constantly disrupting the proceedings in both the houses. The people were fed up with the opposition who did not achieve when they were given the chance. INC claimed moral high ground, expecting its behaviour to be accepted within in the norms. INC has cast aspersions over every institution when it did not suited them. Election Commission was overall fair, with all parties even though the number of infringements were in excess.   

Unless there is unbiased counting, indications of fascist tendencies supporting parties coming to power may not be ruled out. When almost everything is being shown live, why not counting? Why not count VVPATS in front of camera so that people may witness the reality and not be suspicious of the total electoral process?

Charges raised by Rahul Gandhi and entire opposition are based on building a narrative in advance to explain the loss as predicted by exit polls rather than based on any proof. Before advising the incoming government, it is imperative that the media take an oath to neutral and honest journalism, and to shun pseudo-secularism. If they do, the inclusiveness of current India, despite its many shortcomings, would be evident. Else, the media and the opposition that it supports, would be in perennial mode of despair, denial and accusation.

A Government alone cannot change a nation. What is happening in politics merely reflects the mentality of the citizens. The corrosive propaganda resonated with the public because the opposition sounded hollow in its promises.  

The common man does not understand the complexities of economics. The common man is also vexed with the continued and increasing terrorism. Unless the common man sees the reality, things won't change. After a hard-fought election, principles of free speech are sacrificed and the constitution is distorted beyond recognition. Calling these elections “fact-free” is dangerous because it raises the question: whose facts? Free speech should not be constrained to what our left elites will permit us to say or think. If we want a truly free and empowered electorate, they should be allowed to hear what politicians have to say and then decide for themselves about its accuracy or otherwise.

By secular national agenda, it should not mean appeasement of minorities and deliberately provoking the majority community. We had enough of that in the last sixty years including meddling of the Constitution to insert this western mostly European word "secular". We had bad imports from Europe - Colonial ruler, Marxism and Secularism. Let us stop.