Sunday Times 2
Let us maintain peace during the election campaign
We have had enough experiences about elections. We have seen how they were conducted, the results and the response of the voters and the candidates.
We are also aware that today huge sums of money are being spent on elections here. Relatively speaking, only a few other countries spent so much money on elections. We need to be concerned about the money spent for the recent provincial elections and what will be spent for the presidential and general elections. We need to reflect on how this huge expenditure will affect our country.
The posters are on the walls: Another high-spending election
During elections millions are being spent on posters, cutouts and other publicity material. What is the purpose of spending millions to get a seat in a local council? We need to go deep into this.
Many candidates did not spend millions to be poorer after winning. What they spent was public money. Unlike in the past, people have begun to think intelligently. In earlier years, if a candidate put up more banners and cutouts the thinking was that he or she would win or otherwise they believed the candidate was rich. Therefore, the candidates put up posters and cutouts to compete with one another. But today, most people have realised this is a colossal waste of public money. Candidates need to remember this fact; otherwise they will face the consequences.
In a sense, it is good to entertain voters by way of a free meal, a tea party or even a packet of lunch. We need not make a big fuss about these.
Especially, during the time of elections people do not look favourably on the use of public property by candidates. During our younger days, we had only two or three newspapers and the space in these was available only to a selected few. With time, the media expanded and we now see how the media are being misused for personal gain. Politicians use the media to advance their status and to run down opponents. This behaviour results in personal damage to themselves and the party they represent.
Today some of the candidates do not know how to talk on the media. They are clueless about whom they are speaking to. This results in some damage to their own parties. Some candidates lose because of their mouths. We know that a few ministers in the present government are in this category.
In this time when an election has been announced, it is important that we should maintain peace with everyone. Politics is a sensitive subject and it could result in violence. Even close associates get violent or attack each other. After the elections, they realise that even close friendship they had have been lost.
It is important that the clergy of all religions should educate their devotees on these issues. Principals, teachers, daham pasal teachers, tuition teachers and others involved in education must educate and protect children from extremism in politics. Children need to be made aware that they should fight with each other because of politics. Teachers, neighbours, people from the same village must not fight with other because of politics. They must exercise their franchise in private and live in peace, ensuring security for all.
Elections are not meant to cause or harm or injury to anyone or cause damage to anyone’s property. We must think on these lines. Even politicians need to keep these issues in mind. They must get advise from the educated and elderly people as to how the election should be conducted in their areas. If they do that they will be respected by the people.