Politics is the most common phenomenon in the world today. Politics is the concept which provides the manner and the rules to govern a state and country. Its approach is to provide good governance. The persons who are related to this phenomenon are known as politicians. They are supposed to be the persons with all the qualities needed for the good governance. But the present scenario has completely been changed. Now the person who are in the politics appear to be the criminals. They have a number of criminal cases under trial against themselves. Still they rule the state and the country. They are being elected as public representatives for Assembly and Parliament. Whether they win or snatch victory in elections no one can say. It seems that politics has became synonym for crime.
Criminalization is a term which comes of the word 'crime' which appears to be very unpleasant and devouring politics in the name which is given to the art of governance. While on one hand crime is an unlawful act of handling anything, politics f is the legal way which takes or deals anything socially. Thus, these two terms are quite contrary to each other but in the present scenario they appear to be synonymous to each other particularly in India.
Criminalization of politics means molding politics in a criminal shape. This trend has been growing fast since a few decades in our country. .Our Constitution provides that the representatives elected by the citizens of our country will govern it. The representatives should be ideal and they should have the qualities of a social servant. They must think and work for the welfare of the people at large in the interest of the nation. Our constitution ensures a Socialist, Secular State and equality, fraternity among its citizens. Our country has a democratic set-up which is by the people, for the people and of the people. It means the peoples' representatives should always be conscious of the good governance so that the ideals of constitution must be achieved.
For a few decades there has many changes in our politics. Good governance is not the prime concern of the governing people,. They are guided by their own interests and whims. Persons belonging to criminal background are becoming our
representatives. A new trend of giving tickets to the confirmed criminals and history sheeters or even to the persons behind the bars has grown very rapidly. More than that the situation appears to be more alarming when we find such persons being elected for the State Assembly or Parliament. Elections are won not by right but by might. It seems that we are living in a 'jungle raj' where there is no law.
Though democracy implies 'rule of law' and the holding of free election to ascertain the will of the people. But it has been much vitiated. The criminalization of Indian politics and consequent cult of gun has created great threat to the life of the common people. The great leaders of all political parties and intellectuals deliver eloquent speeches expressing their abhorrence at the infiltration of criminals into the electoral area. Stress is laid on eliminating the use of muscle power in the electoral process. Yet, the majority of the parties remain satisfied with expressing such pious sentiments. No one is seriously concerned to check this process of criminalization.' The House of State Assemblies and Parliament always witness with the abuses and quarrels among its members.
This criminalization has moved all the ideals of democracy. No one can say what will be the end of this alarming situation. It becomes the duty of the genuine mind in this critical situation to make efforts to save our democracy from this menace. If the criminals continue to flourish in this way, nothing will remain intact. No one will be spared even the creators of this situation. Hence everyone must take it seriously.
