Baba
Democracy is sick
Namaskar,
Often it is found that an ordinary voter in a democracy is disinterested in elections and voting. This is a serious issue, and its root cause has to be determined.
Variations of so-called democracy
In today’s world, there are various kinds of democracies. For example, the democracies found in countries like China, Iran, the United States, and India are all different.
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(A) In China, the communist party alone can elect the president and the premier. Thus, only selfish people can become the leaders in the Chinese type of system.
(B) Iran, on the other hand, is a religious republic. Only those can contest elections in Iran who are approved by the top priest.
(C) In the US, there are two dominant parties that fully control the political landscape.
Thus, in most countries, democracy is just a namesake. The whole power is vested in either one single party or at the most two parties. In India and European countries, multiple parties can contest elections. (See Reference #5)
Multi-party democracy in India - defects and solutions
Prout is against party politics (See Reference #3). Party requires blind loyalty from its members. The loyalty of the party members is only towards the party and seldom towards the people. In the party, individual abilities are not given importance. Party loyalty is given the most value. Whether people are benefitted or not, the party’s interests are the main agenda. The party gives the ticket and helps its members in winning. In return, the party members protect even the corrupt members of the party. For example, a party member will call a thief belonging to his own party as a saint and support him. On the other hand, he will go to any extent to malign even an honest person belonging to the opposition party. Thus, party-politics is nothing but a disease. (See Reference #7 & #9)
Prout philosophy states, “People should cast their votes for deserving human beings – not for the lamppost holding the party ticket.” (1)
In India, for one parliamentary seat as many as ten to fifteen people contest. A contestant may emerge as the winner if he gets maximum votes even if he gets only 20% of the votes. This, in turn, means that the mandate of the remaining 80% of the electorate goes down the drain. Such winning leaders will take only the interests of 20% into consideration. For example, if there are 100 voters in a constituency only 40 vote, and out of that the winner gets 10 - 12 votes and the other contestants may get 4, 5 etc. Such a winner will have nothing to do with people of the constituency. He may at best be interested in those 10 - 12 people who voted for him. Such a defective system promotes casteism (ja’tiva’da) and groups. Every leader tries to catch hold of the majority group to win the election and in that process supports the division between the so-called groups.
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Reelection if less than 50% vote
There should be a rule. If the winning candidate gets less than 50% of the electorate then reelection should be done. Sometimes it may reverse the results. If ‘A’ got 20 votes and ‘B’ got 25 votes, upon reelection it is possible that A wins eventually. In India, mostly a minority government is formed. In France, the presidential election employs this rule.
Voters education not punishment
In many places, people lost interest in voting due to the defective system. To force people to participate in voting in some places, punishment is given to those voters who do not vote. As a result, they vote randomly to avert penalties worsening the problem. Socio-politico-economic education is therefore needed. A course in socio-politico-economic education should be formulated and offered for educating the common people. To motivate people to do the course some form of credit should be associated with the course. This way people will learn about the electoral system and be in a better position to make proper decisions.
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Uncontested winners should not be there
Often, it is found that in some constituencies that a few members win the election because no one opposes them. Such uncontested elections should not be permitted. Because bad people and ruffians may bully others to not run in the election. The ruffian candidate may threaten other contestants that if they contest they will be killed. Other contestants may withdraw out of fear. Thus, such uncontested elections promote bad people to use threats and violence as a way to win elections. In that case, if one contestant dies during the election then voting should be done again. Some countries follow this rule. Also, if uncontested elections do occur, they should be again tested for pro and against votes. If the uncontested candidates get many against votes then a reelection should be done.
There is a rule in Prout. Say A, B, and C are contesting elections and A threatens and ousts B and C from elections to be the uncontested candidate. A should then be again tested for against votes. If A gets many against votes he loses the election and B and C who withdrew from the election out of fear should be punished too by banning them from contesting.
Prout philosophy states, “No candidate should be declared elected without a contest. Rich and influential people can compel other candidates, by financial inducements or intimidation, to withdraw their nomination papers. So in cases where it is found that there is only one candidate, the popularity of the candidate will have to be tested. If the candidate fails in this test, the candidate and all those who withdrew their nomination papers will forfeit the right to contest the subsequent by-election for that constituency. This means that they will have to wait until the next election.” (2)
Election malpractices
Often in India, the uncontested are elected directly. Some file nomination and withdraw due to ineligibility and then the uncontested win. Often the authorities that select the candidates are bribed and they intentionally find flaws to reject all nominations. In some cases, polling booths are tampered or manipulated to win the elections. In some cases, party people influence and corrupt the election commission, which breaks down the constituencies to divide the electorate. For example, if a constituency has the black majority then to weaken the majority, the electorate is divided into several parts to convert the majority into many minorities.
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If it is suspected that there are voters who will not vote for a particular party, then that party along with the corrupt election commission employs voter suppression techniques to create obstacles for the voters. Often voting IDs are not given easily to the voters to prevent them from voting. Sometimes, voting day is kept on a working day or some other day that voters find difficult to turn up at the voting center. Sometimes, the voting center is kept in a place that is inconvenient to reach. In India, thugs intimidate and prevent voting. The Taliban does the same by intimidating the voters. They threaten to kill those who muster the courage to turn up at the voting center. Often booth capturing is done to tweak the votes fraudulently.
Psychic obstacles for the voters
On the psychic level too, obstacles for the voters are employed to win elections. Rumor mongering is one such technique to malign the candidates. Sometimes psychic illusion using print and visual media is used to create false propaganda. Nowadays, fake news is used to confuse common people.
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A touchy subject
Although, at present, among all the political systems democracy is the best, but it is far from the ideal. Democracy needs improvements. Prout says more than 50% people are fools (See Reference #4). Many have got a human body for the first time. A majority come directly from animal life. Ideally only socio-politically aware people should vote. Restricting voting based on one’s knowledge is a touchy subject. Earlier nobody voted. Power was the hegemony of the ruling class. No one had a say. Then only high-class people and males were allowed to vote. It may thus seem regressive to restrict voting rights now. But when socio-politico-economic consciousness will improve then limited voting can be implemented. Only moralists should vote. (See References #6 & #8)
Need for a benevolent political system
The goal of human life is to merge in Parama Purusa and the only way is spiritual sadhana. For sadhana, the body has to be maintained. Food has to be eaten. Shelter and clothing have to be ensured. Earlier most of the time was spent in just ensuring one’s livelihood. With a good social structure, only a little time will be required to ensure one’s livelihood and security. People in a proper society will have more time available for doing spiritual sadhana. The ideal society is one where a person’s livelihood is not the only goal of life. Only a small amount of time needs to be spent for one’s livelihood. The rest of the time can be used in spiritual practice. A benevolent political system can help in establishing a benevolent human society.
Problems in AMPS
Although Prout says that only sadvipras should be made leaders, Rudrananda adopts the Chinese style of operations and nominates his stooges. This leads to selfish people occupying the positions at the helm.
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Key points
The main problem is the distinct lack of a socio-economic education of the common people. Unfortunately, the selfish leaders support is based on maintaining ignorance among people. This is because they think that if people are educated and made aware of their rights then they may vote against them. Socio-economic-political consciousness is important.
- In today’s world, there are various kinds of democracies.
- The
loyalty of the party members is only towards the party and seldom
towards the people. In the party, individual abilities are not given
importance.
- There should be a rule: If the winning candidate gets less than 50% of the electorate then reelection should be done.
- A course in Socio-politico-economic education should be formulated and offered for educating the common people.
- Uncontested elections promote bad people’s use of threatening as a way to win elections.
- If
it is suspected that there are voters who will not vote for a
particular party, then that party along with the corrupt election
commission employs voter suppression techniques to create obstacles for
those voters.
- Psychic illusion using print and visual media is used to create false propaganda.
- When
socio-politico-economic consciousness of the common people improves,
then limited voting can be implemented. Only moralists should vote. (See
References #6 & #8)
- Only
a small amount of time needs to be spent for one’s livelihood. The rest
of the time can be used in spiritual practice. A benevolent political
system can help in establishing a benevolent human society.
In Him,
Bhakti
~ In-depth study ~
Prout philosophy states, “The majority of the society are fools; wise people are always in a minority. Thus, finally democracy is nothing but ‘foolocracy’.” (4)
Republic & democracy
Prout philosophy guides us, “Democracy is where a government is elected by the people through restricted or general franchise. A democratic country having a democratic head is a republic. A democratic country having a non-democratic head is not a republic. It is either a kingdom (monarchy), or an oligarchy, or a restricted republic. India is both a democracy and a republic; the USA is also a democracy and a republic; but Great Britain is a democracy and a kingdom. Australia is a democracy but not a republic, as it recognizes the British Crown at the helm of affairs. [[A comment on the former Soviet Union omitted here.]] A republic is where the head of state is elected by [[the]] people directly or indirectly.” (5)
Age should not be the yardstick for voting rights.
Prout philosophy states, “One of the most obvious defects of democracy is that voting is based upon universal suffrage. That is, the right to cast a vote depends on age. Once people reach a certain age, it is assumed that they have the requisite capacity to weigh the pros and cons of the issues in an election and select the best candidate. But there are many people above the voting age who have little or no interest in elections and are not conversant with social or economic issues. In many cases, they vote for the party rather than the candidate, and are swayed by election propaganda or the false promises of politicians. Those who have not reached the voting age are often more capable of selecting the best candidate than those who are entitled to vote. So age should not be the yardstick for voting rights.” (6)
Worthless people win
Prout philosophy states, “Whether or not a candidate gets elected usually depends upon party affiliation, political patronage and election expenditure. In some cases it also depends on antisocial practices. Throughout the world, money plays a dominant role in the electoral process, and in nearly all cases, only those who are rich and powerful can hope to secure elected office. In those countries where voting is not compulsory, often only a small percentage of the population participates in the electoral process.” (7)
Bandits & murderers run for election & form govt
Prout philosophy states, “The prerequisites for the success of democracy are morality, education and socio-economico-political consciousness. Leaders especially must be people of high moral character, otherwise the welfare of society will be jeopardized. But today in most democracies, people of dubious character and those with vested interests are elected to power. Even bandits and murderers stand for election and form the government.” (8)
Party supports: communalism, provincialism, casteism
Prout philosophy states, “People should cast their votes for deserving human beings – not for the lamppost holding the party ticket. To further the interests of the party, party politics may publicly oppose something which is often secretly encouraged. Communalism, provincialism, casteism, etc. – none of these are considered bad for the sake of party interests. The only identity of human beings is that they are humans – living beings. Party politics strives to keep people oblivious of this fact – it tries to pulverize the psychic wealth of human beings under the steamroller of party interests.” (9)
References
(1) Problems of the Day, Point #27
(2) Problems of the Day, Point #33
(3) Prout in a Nutshell Part 15, Talks on Prout
(4) Prout in a Nutshell Part 5, Discourses on Prout
(5) Prout in a Nutshell Part 12, Some Different Forms of Government – Excerpt A
(6) Prout in a Nutshell - 21, Economic Democracy
(7) Prout in a Nutshell - 21, Economic Democracy
(8) Prout in a Nutshell - 21, Economic Democracy
(9) Problems of the Day, Point #27
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
You came that night
Note: This Prabhat Samgiita composition depicts how when a sadhaka experiences frustration, feels all alone, faces tragedy, or is engulfed in misery, then Parama Purusa comes and transforms everything in life. That is the scene in this song.
The dark, stormy, amavasya (new moon) night represents life's miseries and tragedies. Parama Purusa’s knocking on the door shows how when a sadhaka is very frustrated and unable to call Parama Purusa, remember Him, or attract Him in dhyana, then He comes to help. The last stanza illustrates how frustrations turn into solutions, and sadness turns into joy. Life has become extremely positive and blissful, by His grace. Such is the metaphor that is depicted in this song.
The overall teaching is that when tragedy strikes and the sadhaka has neither the strength nor presence of mind to call Him, then Parama Purusa showers His karuna, comes, and rescues him. This transformation occurs in all spheres of life: physical, psychic, and spiritual.
"Jhaŕa jhainjháy varaśáy, tumi esechile amánisháy..." (Prabhat Samgiita #2492)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, on that dark amavasya night when a huge hurricane was storming and pouring rain, You came. The little door of my hut was closed. I was all alone in my house - sleeping. I was so neglected; nobody cared for my whereabouts. I was lost and forgotten. But You came that night.
Baba, You are so merciful. You knocked on the door of my abode with Your own hand. The sound of Your grand arrival awakened me. It was so blissful; my whole existence became charged. I was suffused with the anandam of Your divine presence and the showering of Your grace. With a sweet and tender wave of Your hand You motioned for me to come out from the dark hut. And lovingly You told me, "Come close and smile to your heart's content." You also told me that, "Now see this world in a new way, with a new form."
And that time one unbelievable thing happened. You changed the entire scene. My little hut became huge - as vast as the three worlds. Virtually all the three worlds became one. I could even see the stars, galaxies and nebulae - they all came close. That time my heart was completely filled and inundated with the eternal flow of Your grace, love, and compassion.
Parama Purusa Baba, You showered Your causeless grace on me that very dark night when I was all alone, neglected, and sad…
Other topics of interest
Note: This Prabhat Samgiita composition depicts how when a sadhaka experiences frustration, feels all alone, faces tragedy, or is engulfed in misery, then Parama Purusa comes and transforms everything in life. That is the scene in this song.
The dark, stormy, amavasya (new moon) night represents life's miseries and tragedies. Parama Purusa’s knocking on the door shows how when a sadhaka is very frustrated and unable to call Parama Purusa, remember Him, or attract Him in dhyana, then He comes to help. The last stanza illustrates how frustrations turn into solutions, and sadness turns into joy. Life has become extremely positive and blissful, by His grace. Such is the metaphor that is depicted in this song.
The overall teaching is that when tragedy strikes and the sadhaka has neither the strength nor presence of mind to call Him, then Parama Purusa showers His karuna, comes, and rescues him. This transformation occurs in all spheres of life: physical, psychic, and spiritual.
"Jhaŕa jhainjháy varaśáy, tumi esechile amánisháy..." (Prabhat Samgiita #2492)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, on that dark amavasya night when a huge hurricane was storming and pouring rain, You came. The little door of my hut was closed. I was all alone in my house - sleeping. I was so neglected; nobody cared for my whereabouts. I was lost and forgotten. But You came that night.
Baba, You are so merciful. You knocked on the door of my abode with Your own hand. The sound of Your grand arrival awakened me. It was so blissful; my whole existence became charged. I was suffused with the anandam of Your divine presence and the showering of Your grace. With a sweet and tender wave of Your hand You motioned for me to come out from the dark hut. And lovingly You told me, "Come close and smile to your heart's content." You also told me that, "Now see this world in a new way, with a new form."
And that time one unbelievable thing happened. You changed the entire scene. My little hut became huge - as vast as the three worlds. Virtually all the three worlds became one. I could even see the stars, galaxies and nebulae - they all came close. That time my heart was completely filled and inundated with the eternal flow of Your grace, love, and compassion.
Parama Purusa Baba, You showered Your causeless grace on me that very dark night when I was all alone, neglected, and sad…
== Section 3: Links ==
Recent postingsOther topics of interest
