Hopeless ideal?

What is clean election? Ask ten people to explain it and there is sure to be ten different answers. The responses will be even more diverse when the question is about how to achieve clean elections. When we talk about clean elections, it appears we understand it as an ideal rather than a hard target. But is it a hard target? What are the parameters that define clean election? Clearly, there is no single answer to define clean election or the means to achieve clean election. The Clean Election Campaign spearheaded by the church in Nagaland today is yet to achieve any tangible result. While the intent is appreciated, the result or outcome has not been much visible. Of course, a common refrain we hear is that it will take time to achieve clean elections in Nagaland. That is true because a clean election campaign or movement is a process and not an event. Any effort attempted at ensuring clean election must be appreciated and the church’s Clean Election Campaign must be supported by one and all.

People dedicated to the Clean Election Campaign must have studied and analyzed the ways and means to achieve clean elections. They most probably also know that there are constraints and limitations. Clean election is the opposite of election fraud and, therefore, the fact that we campaign for clean election means that there is election fraud. The biggest challenge or constraint is that those who resort to election fraud are rewarded. As long as election fraudsters are rewarded, clean elections will only remain an ideal, something that is desirable or perfect but not likely to become a reality. We all know that almost every candidate in each election resort to one or the other form of electoral malpractice. Yet, they are never punished. Unless the election fraudsters are not punished (who are instead rewarded), we never might see a clean election happening any time soon.

Still, the Clean Election Campaign must go on and some tangible results must be achieved. If the campaign were to go on and on with no tangible outcome to show, then we know that our society is doomed. The people will no longer even want to believe that Clean Election is possible and all hope will be lost forever. And a people with no hope are destined to regress and decay. In such a situation, we would be worse than what we are today. The Clean Election Campaign has now come to a point where it is no longer just about ensuring free and fair elections with no election fraud – it is now also about a people’s hope and dignity. With the next assembly elections just around the corner, it is pertinent to note here that the Clean Election Campaign has an opportunity to prove its mettle and show that it is possible. If not, the Clean Election Campaign faces the likelihood of becoming just another hopeless ideal.