Dr. Malem Ningthouja
In December 2015, there was change of regime in Arunachal Pradesh. Assembly polls get underway in Assam. Attempted reshuffling of ministerial berth, local elections and general elections are on the pipeline in Manipur. Everywhere we see party campaigns, alliances and counter alliances to win election. Many are involved in this with the hope to gain something individual / communal out of it. In this context, the question that one may raise is, are we being betrayed? Common people expect elected ‘democratic government’ to fulfil promise of welfare—economic development, social security, protection of community identities and peace. Some individuals are being elected to power so that they administer the system. Taxes are being paid so as to bear the expenses to fulfilling the welfare dreams. However, the result always turn out to be opposite. Are we to blame the regime in power for the failures? Or, have we failed to introspect our weaknesses and overcome it, as we believe blindly to the hypocrisy of electoral candidates/ parties? Is it correct to entrust political fate to the power hungry political barons whose primary objectives are to enjoy power to loot people. Why do we allow these power hungry barons to make false promises only to brainwash people with illusions? As we have seen times and again, electoral politics turn out to be the biggest bourgeoisie gambling organised every year to decide who will enjoy power; while innocent supporters end up with fighting amongst themselves on sensitive issues. Many of us are failing to understand the deceptive schema of bourgeoisie democracy that is rooted in the structure of the neo-liberal political economy. We don’t fight back against it constructively. So, there has been change of regimes but not the system of loot and misrule. We are lost in the bourgeoisie gambling for power. Are there alternatives?
The writer is a member of International
League of Peoples’ Struggle.
