question_answer 32)

Ramesh was not in class when this chapter was being taught. He came the next day and repeated what he had heard from his father. Can you tell Ramesh what is wrong with these statements?   (a) Women always vote the way men tell them to. So, what is the point of giving them the right to vote?   (b) Party politics creates tension in society. Elections should be decided by consensus not by competition.   (c) Only graduates should be allowed to stand as candidates for elections.  

Answer:

(a) Women should not be denied the right to vote because they are as intelligent as men and can take their own decision without being influenced by the men folk of their families. Moreover voting is done by secret ballot which means you do not have to disclose whom you voted for.   (b) Party politics and competition in election certainly creates tension in society. But elections should not be by consensus but by competition. In modern states, where population is very large, it is not possible to have consensus on election. It is just impracticable.   (c) Only allowing graduates to stand as candidates for elections is wrong, it is not necessary that a graduate person will be more sensitive to the needs of the people or that he will turn out to be an honest and sincere person. To prescribe educational qualifications (graduate level) would go against the spirit of democracy. In India, it will deprive a large section of the country's citizens the right to contest elections. However, it is better to have educated politicians, but being graduate should not be a compulsion.