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Right To Recall
tsubba - 7 July, 2009 | Reforms | Analysis | judiciary | Gujarat
rahul chimanbhai mehta stood for loka sabha elections in gandhinagar, where LKA won by more than a lakh votes. RCM came a close 4th, just behind Mallika Sarabhai, who received a lot of media attention. RCM had no media, no money, no party, no caste. All he had was the power of his ideas. More than 7000 people actually got up on election day and voted for him and his ideas in Gandhinagar.
http://www.rahulmehta.com/
churumuri had this article. judiciary is one of the principle points of focus of rcm. please see section 13 of this website. improving courts.
i suggest you read through the contents of his website. he is no fancy theoretician. he has solid, well though thought proposals, including mundane details like the amount of fees for an application. very procedural very systemic guy he.
From his website:
5. What is Right to Recall
Right to Recall means procedures by which citizens can expel/replace PM, CM, judges, Police Chief etc. This system came in US in 1800 AD. Today, corruption in US police and courts is much less than India. And the only reason is that citizens in US have procedures by which they can replace Governors, Police Chief, judges, Govt lawyers etc. In Europe, Karl Marx had demanded Right to Recall in 1871. In India, 1946 M N Roy in his book "Draft Constitution of India" had put utmost emphasis on Right to Recall. M N Roy had said that that election alone without recall is of no use. Between 1960-77, Jayprakash Narayan demanded Right To Recall 100s of times. The 1977 Janata Party manifesto by which Advaniji and Vajpayeeji became Minister for the first time had promise of implementing the Right to Recall.
Many problems of India are because we citizens cant expel PM, CM, judges, Police Chief etc. eg :
- In 2008, Jammu agitated for 6 months, Why? Because the plot given to Amarnath temple was taken back. Why did he dare to take back the land? Because we citizens of India dont have procedure to expel/replace PM
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In 2008, two kids in Asaram's Ashram died. In Shilaj, a rich car owner killed 3 men in a hit and run. In both cases, the police ruined the investigation. Why did they dare to do so? Because we citizens dont have procedures to expel District Police Chiefs and we dont have procedures to stop his transfers.
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How could our MP dare to praise Jinhah? Because we citizens of Ahmedabad dont have procedure to expel MP.
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Why didn't Vajpayee in 1996 rename Ahmedabad to Karnavati? Because we didn't have procedure to expel MP.
There is a Gujarati saying "garaj patee ke veree" i.e. "I dont need you anymore and so I am your enemy". Why is it that the moment election ends, the Ministers become enemy of citizens and friend of the rich? Because we citizens dont have procedures to expel them. Our Right to Recall Party is the only party in India, which has provided the drafts of the procedures by which we citizens can expel/replace PM, CMs, judges, District Police Chief, RBI Gov etc. We request all voters to ask BJP, Congress, independents etc to state whether they support Right to Recall PM, CM, judges or whether they oppose Right to Recall PM, CM , judges? If a candidate opposes Right to Recall, he is insulting all us citizens, insulting democracy. Recall is the only tool against corruption. So opposing recall is supporting corruption. Voting for an anti-recall candidate is asking for 5 years of slavery. And if a candidate says that he is pro-recall, then please ask him to provide the drafts by which citizens can replace PM, CMs, SCjs, District Police Chief etc. If the candidate does not provide the drafts, please do not trust him. Many intellectuals are saying that the drafts we have proposed are unconstitutional. Its a lie - our drafts are 100% constitutional.
COMMENTS
Before anything
silkboard - 7 July, 2009 - 01:55
Welcome back. We have missed you here, dearly.
TS, welcome back!
kbsyed61 - 7 July, 2009 - 02:02
TS, Welcome back and nice to see your posts again on Praja. Right to recall is also as good as the citizens who would be using it. I think it is time Indian voters have taste of it. If it doesn't work, we can always repeal it.
Recall is an extreme step
sanchitnis - 7 July, 2009 - 02:56
Recall is like a divorce which is needed when things have gone too far. What we also need is PROACTIVE transparent interaction with the citizens.
We need provision for citizen voting on critical issues, open reviews of policies, plans, information on which decisions are based etc., decentralized decisions on budget spending etc. (like Panchayati raj).
see "Federalism, Urban Decentralisation and Citizen Participation" http://www.janaagraha.org/core/EPW_Ramesh_Ramanathan-fdcp.pdf
Sanjay Chitnis
Legislation is one of the 3 important arms of the civic triangle
psaram42 - 7 July, 2009 - 03:30
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson, 1816.
The BBHQ Great American Civics Quiz tests your knowledge of the foundation and fundamentals of our government. We firmly believe it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable about the government that offers you the greatest opportunity in the world for freedom and individual success.
The civics triangle about civilized society has three arms and three nodes. The nodes are
- Legislature
- Judiciary
- Enforcement
The right to recall is one of the ideas fundamental to enforcement aspect. Proper legislation is the tool to be created and enforced. To be knowledgeable, to have civic sense, being literate could help to a great extent. However being literate is not a sufficient condition in itself to be a worthy citizen. Worldly experience and common sense IQ etc are some of the familiar jargons relevant here.
The point is for an idea to succeed it requires more than 50% of the population in a democracy to be honest, civilized and worldly wise. This is possible for humans because of the abundant knowledge which is accessible to only those who are literate. Hence my point is that literacy is the basic building block for any civilization to succeed.
Welcome Back TS!
Total-ly back recall
Rithesh - 7 July, 2009 - 03:47
Wonderful concept. Quite a few civic organizations have been pushing for such a provision in the municipal council (or may-be there is already such a system in the ward committee level) It is neither too drastic nor unrealistic. It will bring accountability into the system. It will force our elected representatives to constantly work for the people and avoid making false and un-realistic promises. Why should the people suffer for 4-5 long years before they can vote out a non-performing candidate?
Electoral reforms
Vasanthkumar Mysoremath - 7 July, 2009 - 04:55
Everybody is saying WELCOME TARLE... Let me also say the same and welcome Shri Tarlesubbanna, we will meet someday.
We need our netas to be more transparent and accountable - this is the crying need of Indian diaspora for decades because these temporary politicians are taking everything for granted with the motto - I can do anything and everything and get away with it' because prajegalu are kurigalu saar, kurigalu.
With providing a better political systemic improvement and a mandate in this 15th LS, voters have a right to demand and get the much deliberated and delayed ELECTORAL REFORMS to be enacted by setting up of a high level committee within these 100 days for examining the pending issues of electoral reforms as suggested by luminaries like LK Jain and others and including the ECI members over a period.
Right to recall is the need of the hour and it should be made as the law of the land because we need a better system and governance in this greatest living democracy in the world.
The following link is pending for a logical conclusion:
http://praja.in/discuss/forums/2009/04/electoral-reforms-transparency-and-accountability-public-life
- Vasanthkumar Mysoremath
thanks all.
sachin, i agree with your suggestions they are important characteristics of a good system. but without the option to divorce one of the concerned parties is captive.
without this option. all sorts of nexus within and across the various arms of governance have developed, and this extends to media too.
Welcome back, Tarle, and
murali772 - 7 July, 2009 - 09:40
Welcome back, Tarle, and therewith taking the PRAJA debate quality levels a few notches higher, strightaway.
May be we could start an online petition addressed to PM/ Soniaji/ Rahulji/ President, or whoever or all of them, to introduce such a bill.
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