Freedom fighters are a disillusioned lot. They believe things have gone awry in the present political system. Those at the helm of affairs lack credibility to speak out boldly against vices such as corruption and misdeeds in the government. “Do we have any candidate chosen by the people? They are selected by different political parties,” says H.S. Doreswamy, freedom fighter.
He told The Hindu that a “change [in government] is a must; people are disgusted. They are craving for change and the youth can be a major force in ushering in that change”. People too should make up their minds to welcome the much-needed transformation from a corrupt regime, he added.
“Even if Mahatma Gandhi was alive today, he would have expressed his inability to clear the muck from the political system. Political parties have lost credibility,” Mr. Doreswamy said. He spoke against fielding candidates facing charges. “Winning the election by some or other means should not be the ultimate thing,” Mr. Doreswamy said.
D.S. Jagadish, president, Mysore District Freedom Fighters’ Association, said money, liquor and muscle power had taken precedence over all other factors. “We had not witnessed chaos, vitriolic statements, cacophony and violence in elections during our times,” he rued.
The aim of the party in power then was to provide a clean administration. “There are no genuine leaders in the country, we see a lot of power-mongers and money-mongers,” Mr. Jagadish observed.
M.N. Jaisimha, freedom fighter from Mysore, felt that people chose leaders of integrity in the past. He said electoral reforms were needed to bring in more transparency by ensuring the participation of all citizens to perpetuate the process of democracy.
C. Narayanappa (91), freedom fighter from Chickballapur, said money and caste play key roles in polls now, something unheard of in the past. “We had towering leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Today’s leaders are self-seeking,” he said. A survivor of the Vidurashwatha massacre, Mr. Narayanappa, recounts his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi at Nandi Hills when he was a schoolboy.
