Ramu Manivannan’s Vellore Declaration to clean-up politics of freebies, cash for votes
Talking to reporters about the initiative in Vellore, the noted academician said daily meetings would be conducted en route to make people understand that their vote was their right and priceless, encourage them not to sell it off
Ramu Manivannan
VELLORE: In an effort to ensure polls without the enticement of freebies and cash for votes, former head of the Political Science Department at the University of Madras Ramu Manivannan launched the Vellore Declaration initiative and said he would undertake a pada yatra from Kanniyakumari to Chennai in the first week of March to raise awareness in this regard.
Talking to reporters about the initiative in Vellore, the noted academician said daily meetings would be conducted en route to make people understand that their vote was their right and priceless, encourage them not to sell it off. The political scientist said his yatra might take two months to reach Chennai from Kanniyakumari.
Informaing that pamphlets and handbills would be distributed to the public during the yatra to highlight his goals, he said that college students, social activists, and those interested in a clean electoral process were expected to join the yatra.
Elaborating on how the freebie and cash-for-vote culture have vitiated the present election atmosphere, he highlighted the importance of improving public services.
Manivannan stated that if the government provided medical services and education free of cost, both sectors highly privatised at present, it would go a long way in bringing in the change. “The public should be educated that they could and should purchase their home needs such as fans, mixers and grinders themselves and not expect freebies from the government,” he said.
Responding to a query on how a change appears difficult as political parties are presently forced to dispense cash to seek votes and the public sees it as their right to get money in such forms, he pointed out that it was a vicious cycle that would need some time to do a clean-up.
Citing how Aam Aadmi party succeeded in Delhi without offering freebies and cash, Ramu Manivannan said his mission was also aimed at the same goal. “The present situation has resulted in those interested in working for the people being unable to participate in the electoral process as they lacked money to fund poll expenses,” he added.
The political expert called upon the voters not to choose candidates who were inimical to nature and plundered river sand, forests, hills and the shores. He also appealed to the political parties not to force fascist or fundamentalist candidates on people.
