Three Question of Indian Democracy.

Democracy?

Democracy, one of the most self-sustainable, desired and opted form of government in the world is facing serious setbacks in the past few decades in our country, where it is being followed since the birth of our Nation. Born in Athens of ancient Greece, Democracy has been an idea, a way of life, and an ideal which provides enough freedom, liberty and opportunity. Embraced by the so-called liberal nations, Democracy stands as a symbol of universal human fraternity and progress of modern thought.

The Museum of Australia (a country that is considered as a Full Democracy, wherein India as a Flawed Democracy) states the following four principles as the most essential for a democracy to be full and proper:

1. A belief in individual: since the individual is believed to be both moral and rational.
2. A belief in reason and progress: based on the belief that growth and development is the natural condition of mankind and politics the art of compromise.
3. A belief in a society that is consensual: based on a desire for order and co-operation, not disorder and conflict.
4. A belief in shared power: based on a suspicion of concentrated powers – whether by individuals, groups or governments.

Democracy is a system that is based on both political activity and the civic participation of the citizens of a nation. The government should ensure the following aspects to be a politically democratic nation:

1. A pluralistic system where at least two legitimate political parties to co-exist.
2. A free and fair electoral process.
3. Transparency in governance.
4. Free and independent media.
5. Liberty and human-rights for the citizens to have control over their own lives.

The civic participation is the cornerstone for the working of a democracy. As a system that is based on opinions, beliefs and also fears of people; what people think, how they examine things, what they believe, what they tend to choose, and how they envision their future determines the outcome of the elections from their part, and thus would the nation be driven forward. Participation is the major duty of a citizen, in social and political arenas. Simply thinking, discussing, debating and being able to grasp the circumstances can change the course of a nation and set a new destination for it. The following few acts can be called as the duties of citizens of a democracy.

1. Utilizing the right to vote.
2. Believing in reason and progress.
3. Unhampering the fundamental and human rights of fellow citizens.
4. Civic participation.

It is not asking much, but just to be conscious and knowledgeable of the happenings of their country. Not conscious, the nation might just slip away into undesirable hands.

Now.

Here comes the first question, may be not tough to answer, but it is to admit:

Are people of our nation ready for democracy?

Democracy on both the ends (of leaders and people) needs to be a conscious process of dispassionate thinking, keeping our biases, stigmas, superstitions and even personal beliefs aside, and see what is really proper for people (and at many times, for a particular person) and what is not. Democracy is a process that cares for all the individuals, not just a cluster or a mob, and it takes keen intent on the part of both ruling and ruled to provide liberty, in its real sense, to any of their nation’s citizens.

Liberty and having the right towards liberty doesn’t have barriers. Gender, religious, regional, lingual, class, or economical barriers should not hinder the equal distribution of liberty.

Now, I’d like to pose my second question:

Is India/are Indians doing it?

Let us build the third, and the most important, question in a more constructive manner.

J. P. Sudha, a political theorist, in her 1960s article, ‘Indian Democracy at Crossroads,’ says that India was considered as Athens of ancient Greece for modern Asia [italics mine]. What she meant was that India was seen as a nation that could uphold the heavy ideals of democracy, by upholding and promoting its values.

It could well be the truth. She adds that the records state positively about the democratic institutions of the 1950’s and early 1960’s, calling them a great success in India. The elections of 1952 and 1957 were held peacefully. The governments at the centre and state were mostly stable, and the promotion of welfare for the masses was relentlessly pursued.

The ideals behind the framework of ideas such as Adult Franchise, Representative Institutions, Responsible Government, Democratic Socialism and Planning, Community Development, Panchayat Raj etc were very noble, and when compared to the other nations of Asia, such as Pakistan, China, Indonesia, and Burma, India was upholding its democratic spirit high.

But.

Along with the passage of time, the set-backs of an underdeveloped nation have caught up with India too, and there was a rampant increase of bribery, corruption, nepotism, favoritism, and immorality in both the ruling and the ruled. The decline of this moral consciousness has decided the fate of the present and the future of this country. India has failed to build citizens with the kind of character that is fit to run a democracy, and that had a heavy toll on the system, and on the society. I am not envisioning the past as an ideal world, but in a way, the number of visionaries working for the nation in various respects had declined, and thus are the opportunities laid before the young nation are being missed or insufficiently utilized.

With such downfalls, many undesired elements have entered the society, or have gained pace in the recent years. Polarized ideologies, overtly strong conformism, religiously bent governments, incompetent leaders, nepotism in politics and entrepreneurship, favoritisms in almost everything, infiltration of power into press, bribery, corruptions, and the list goes on!

Wait!

My wife thinks I am imagining an anti-Democratic Dystopian. I am not. Of course, today the infiltrations might not be controlling the whole system. But the attitude has been developing. It is being okay to be immoral, bribery has become a part of everyday life, corruption shocks no one anymore, political biases are common, grudging against the members of other parties is expected, dozens of politicians-owned-media channels are conquering the mind of a common man, propaganda is forcing polarization, both in center and state a single party holding (almost) absolute power, government tampering the personal choices of love and marriage, and the list goes on! If not today, as I said earlier, if we are not conscious, the nation from slip from the weakening holds of democratic values.

Now, I am putting forth the last question, for you to provide me with a solution and some solace.

What is the solution?