Democracy means that the people rule themselves. Political parties are there only to serve the people. They are not rulers themselves.

Political parties have a place in a Democracy only to educate people and to run the governmental machinery when they have been voted to power. When such a government by representatives of people is in place, there should not be any room for street wars and violent agitations. It is illogical.

In many democracies, the political parties behave like cut-throat businessmen. They misguide and divide the people, create troubles on one ground or the other, and carry on their fights in the streets, making the services of the criminals in their pay rolls; they cause loss of lives and properties with impunity.

Recently the Andra Pradesh (India) High court has told a student (?) arrested for violence during the Telengana agitation to deposit Rs. one lakh for the damage caused if he wanted bail. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Anil R Dave and Justice C V Nagarjuna Reddy has asked the government counsel whether any cases were booked against political parties and damages recovered so far from any of them in connection with the recent violent agitations. It has instructed the government to formulate guidelines within three weeks to recover damages from political parties for destruction of properties during bandhs and hartals.

It is somewhat satisfactory that at least occasionally the judiciary voices against the atrocities of the political parties. But this is not at all enough. And, it will not take long for the political parties to suppress judiciary also, if they are not legally prohibited from having criminal connections.

The Election Commission should consider de-recognition of the political parties whose agitations result in loss of lives and public properties. They should not be allowed any role in the governance of the country.

K S Venkataraman
http://toostep.com/insight/disciplining-political-parties#p=0*1**