M A I L B A G

Criminals must be barred from elections

I read with great interest H.K. Dua’s front-page editorial, “Parliament: Haven for criminals” (Feb 3). It is time Parliament enacted a law banning all candidates against whom criminal charges have been framed from contesting the elections.

True, ‘Power now: reforms later’ is the settled policy of every politician and so, we may not expect any positive step from the government. But the Supreme Court wants to keep the criminals at bay; the Election Commission wants it; and so do the people. The politicians simply are not bothered. For, who will help them mobilise voters when the day of reckoning arrives? The intelligentsia wants the politicians to enact legislation banning criminals in the coming session.

I feel that the Election Commission may be empowered to directly reject the tainted candidates contesting elections at the stage of filing of nomination papers.

SUNDER SINGH GIANI, Dialpura (Mohali)

GURDERSHAN SINGH, Chandigarh

III

In what way are we the world’s largest democracy? We are a country of over a billion population, but bereft of moral and ethical values. We don’t help the poor and the needy and we don’t respect our elders. If this is the general attitude, we can’t expect those sitting in high places to be ideal.

Those joining the civil services are, certainly, bright and talented. But once these officers come in contact with the politicians, most of them lose their merit and become corrupt. This is the bane of our system.

We need a law to ban criminals from contesting the elections. There should be no criminal case against contesting candidates (lest it is misused by the powers that be) and a candidate should at least be a graduate in any discipline. Mr Dua’s editorial will sound as a warning bell for the political class.

KHAZAN SINGH, Kapurthala

IV

The best place for the criminals is jail and not Parliament and state legislatures. We cannot expect them to follow the ideology and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation. No doubt, we have his portraits and statues everywhere, including in our representative institutions, but how many representatives follow his ideals in letter and spirit?

Any person against whom an FIR is lodged should be barred from contesting elections. There is adequate scope for making elections inexpensive. People should firmly reject criminals at the hustings. If they are firm and resolute, they can reject those showing their money and muscle power.

SHER SINGH, Ludhiana

V

The directives of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission regarding the conduct of political parties during elections should be implemented in letter and spirit. Moreover, mere framing of criminal charges by the police and courts of law should be made a sufficient ground to debar a person with shady record from contesting elections.

The inept, corrupt and guilty representatives should be disqualified from membership of the august houses. Dispensation of justice should be quick and the backlog should be cleared expeditiously.

Our electoral system needs urgent reforms like reducing the election expenditure, audit and public scrutiny of party funds, voters’ education and their mandatory exercise of the voting right.

JARNAIL SINGH BRAR, Bathinda

VI

Parliament and state legislatures are temples of democracy and hence their ir honour and sanctity can be protected only if their representatives are clean, honest, sincere, truthful and dedicated. Mr Dua has rightly said that criminals should have no place in these noble institutions.

It is a pity that when we are celebrating the 60th year of independence, our politicians have forgotten the ideals and principles of Mahatma Gandhi. Our country will prosper only if the politicians take a solemn pledge to nominate only honest, upright and selfless candidates with exemplary character to represent Parliament and state legislatures and set examples for the coming generations.

 S.S. ARORA,   Mohali