Electoral Bond: Gift, Or Scam? by Avik Podder [Paperback]

Post-independence India has witnessed various forms of economic fraud over the years. Some scams relied on informants and whistleblowers, while others lured people into intricate financial traps with lucrative schemes. However, the Electoral Bond scheme presents a different and far more terrifying picture. Its reach extends deep into the core of political parties, infiltrating even the highest levels of administration.

When development becomes an excuse for forced donations through intimidation, when administrative power is wielded with surgical precision to benefit a select few, or when national projects and human lives are treated as bargaining chips—such a scenario is nothing short of alarming.

In a democracy, when money—not the people—becomes the ultimate driving force behind political parties, it turns into an enemy of both the nation and its citizens. The duty of the media, the fourth pillar of democracy, is to question such issues and demand accountability. But when mainstream news outlets conveniently sidestep these matters, the responsibility of asking questions falls upon us—upon you and me.

Because true democracy does not thrive on blind agreement, but on the power of dissent.

If the people are sidelined in a democracy,
Then the right to question belongs to us all.