ELECTORAL REFORMS

BIKASH CHOUDHURY



Apparently, reducing voting age to 16 Yrs. of age is fraught with danger;keeping in view of the so called political averse nature of a typical sixteen year old boy or girl in our country. But, before coming to a conclusive decision on the matter,it needs a thorough investigation & research by Election commission. Mr. Quereshi and election commission needs to be complemented for their daring efforts on minimizing the money and muscle power in election; recent Bihar Assembly election bore this out. However, completely removing the shadows of criminals and their syndicate would require more than a national consensus; a change in our criminal justice system, IPC,basic premise on policing and on top of it all, the desire of "We the People". When some of our own ilk are under the shadows of law enforcing agency, we conveniently take the shortest cut to protect our family reputation. Therefore, blaming the Police and law of the land is not always the answer to current phenomena of criminalization of politics-electoral system but our collective and common attitude towards law and propriety holds the answers to our cataclysmic times.At the same time we must not given into Cynicism. Let there be fresh efforts, new ideas and further investigation till we come to see the light at the end of tunnel.