James Bond had entered into local language cinemas very artificially and also quite late; he should have entered more openly instead of remaining a secret agent only for the crown or for only powerful political parties. But that was too much of an expectation in an electoral democracy like ours (I realised with much futility and much more entitled naivety).
But unfortunate as it is, Bonds could not be so open and accessible to all and in all local languages. Otherwise, VIPs will become common people, and common people will find the police in service for them instead of VIP security. Then the law and order will go in favour of common people and crime against the weaker sections will reduce, and national crime records will reflect a reduction in crime against women and children.
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The sex ratio will become better, and because of the good social security, women will become better educated and study better, serve in the army and airforce, and even become astronauts. Laws like the PCPNDT may become obsolete, and doctors can then declare to their patients that it’s a female baby which is going to be born, without the fear that it may be aborted or killed by their parents. But wait, just a few weeks back, the defence department was asked by the Supreme Court not to discriminate against women. (I realise again with much futility and a little lesser naivety.)
Electoral bond enters the scene here, much stronger than James Bond and much more significant than the female members of parliament and way more powerful than the common people or their female babies in their wombs or absent babies in their wombs or their doctors. The electoral bond works in ways that often benefit the interests of influential groups. The electoral bond is definitely not a vagabond as it makes sure that significant legislative decisions reflect the interests of its backers like the ART regulation bill and its backers.
Secret bonds are supposed to be secret, so they don’t work for individuals directly; they probably use other more circuitous routes. For instance, the trans-pharmaceutical route is noteworthy, as seen when a pharmaceutical company like Intas Pharma purchases a substantial amount of secret bonds, 20 crore rupees to be exact as per the affidavit filed by SBI in the supreme court after much dilly-dallying by the bank which is famous for its long lunch breaks.
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Now, the non-glamorous, not-so-secretive people of South Asia will ask what’s the relation between a healthcare company’s (Indira IVF) owner and his son getting a notable position, and a pharmaceutical company (Intas Pharma) buying secret bonds for political parties?
Well, as odd as it may sound, many individuals affected by such bonds may be found among employees, patients, and even amongst healthcare professionals. There are instances where job consultancy firms persistently pester individuals to join such companies as Indira IVF, and after joining, employees may notice that all prescriptions are automatically converted into profits for a specific company like Intas Pharma.
During pre-pandemic times, there were instances where representatives from such a pharmaceutical company like Intas Pharma would visit healthcare facilities and assert influence, which seemed unusual. It raised questions about the relationship between the healthcare provider and the pharmaceutical supplier, leading to speculations about secret agreements.
To know more about the intricacies of such relationships, one can find that pharmaceutical companies sometimes like Intas Pharma supply medicines at surprisingly lower rates to certain healthcare providers like Indira IVF, leading to questions about the nature of these business dealings. This relationship often remains unnoticed by the public seeking treatment.
With the pandemic as a backdrop, some employees faced challenges, including warnings about potential health crises that went unheeded. Legal recourse was sometimes sought, but the judiciary’s responsiveness varied.
Given a chance, a South Asian with democracy in their DNA would rally for justice, even in difficult times. There were efforts to ensure rights were upheld, though these efforts often encountered significant obstacles. The pandemic underscored the need for vigilant and responsive systems especially in the health sector to protect the vulnerable. Unfortunately, the socioeconomic fabric seems to be against medical science as a priority sector and more in favour of non-scientific pursuits like blind beliefs.
It would not be surprising if one’s counsel calls up one fine day and say that the damaged DNA (of democracy) has to withdraw its case from the courts and go for alternatives instead of hoping for the judiciary to work for it. Even after almost five years, the hard-earned pennies may be gone, but the spirit of resilience endures.
The ongoing struggle against entrenched powers of dollars and cronies like Indira IVF and Intas Pharma continues, again the virus exposes the complexities of democratic governance in the face of powerful interests.