Future of Democracy in India

Seventy one years of independence is undoutedly a significant milestone in the history of a country, even as ancient as India. But the golden jubilee of independence is not only an occasion for celebration but also for serious introspection. The introspection is about how we have conducted ourselves and how we haveufared during this period.


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Knowledge : From Books or Experience?

Democracy in India

There is no‘denying the‘fact that India has achieved noticeable progress in some fields since independence. We have established and maintained democratic, governance with regular elections. We have attained self-sufficiency infood and now can feed ourselves. We have made rapid stride in economic and industrial development. Our achievement in science and technology is no less remarkable. These are no mean achievements.

Equality and Justice

Future of Democracy

Though it is a matter of gratification that the nation state is still intact, there is a genuine fear in the minds of discerning people that the nation is on the verge of collapse. Something is now “rotten” on the State of India. The rot set in with the waning of influenceof the stalwords of the freedom struggle after their death and the rot has now reached its nadir with all-round degeneration. Our basic national institutions Parliament, State Assemblies, Party system, Cabinet svstem of government, Civil service, Judiciary - have all failed miserably to discharge their functions properly.

Future of Democracy

The basic premises on which we built our polity have gone haywire. Out concepts of federalism, parliamentary democracy, welfare state, secularism and planned economic development have turned out to be basically wrong. We have adopted the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy, envisaging a two party system, which is totally unsuitable for a predominently illiterate country like India. One party dominance at the Centre, coupled with one-person dominance and dynastic succession, had a disastrous consequence on the political system. The end of the dynastic rule brought about a swing of the pendulum to the other extreme with the bizlaree phenomena of minority, and coalition gevernments working at cross purposes. The inherent weakness of all these governments is a great hindrance to strong, stable arid effective governance which is essential to national progress.

Future of Democracy

The disintegraticn of national parties has led to the emergence of regional parties, which lack a national perspective and often undermine national cohesiveness. The fractionalisation of the polity has been accompanied with the rise of politics of caste, community and backwardness. Being backward has become the new badge of distinction. We have abandoned merit, concrc-tiscd the divisions of caste and community and created a vested interest in being backward. There is an ever increasing demand for more and more communities being declared backward and for reservation.

Indian flag

Future of Democracy

The political system in the country has been totally vitiatcd by money and muscle power and misuse of government machinery. Criminalisation of politics has reached such a stage that it has becomeimpossible for people of honesty and integrity to suwive in politics. Politics has become the full-time occupation of criminals. The unscrupulous and the dishonest and our legislatures now shelter the dregs of society. Criminals and corrupt politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats have joined in an unholy alliance to make a veritable loot of the public money. The criminals, who ought to have been behind bars. move about confidently without any fear of law or punishment.

Democracy in India

Political horse-trading and defection for money and ministerigl berths has made a mockery of democracy. The electoral process has been subverted by misuse of money and abuse of power. There has been an explosion of corruption in the last few years. Bofors opened up a new chapter in corruption. soon followed by sensational scandals like the share market scandal. hawala scandal. fodder scandal. urea import scandal. telecom tender scandal, sugar scandal. JMM bribery scandal and many others, involving thousands of crore of rupees.

Democracy

The exposure of these scandals in courts has tarnished the image of politicians, political parties and of the government as never before and has undermined the authority of the government. The judiciary has correspondingly become assertive and is dictating terms to the executive. This has affected the balance between the three organs of the state. Judicial activism is no substitute for good government.

Our Democracy

All this has led to a complete loss of faith in the political class, the political system, in democracy itself and the rule of law. The people now feel that the rule of law exists only for the common people and not for those in power and authority. The mood among the ordinary people is one of widespread frustration,cynicism., helplessness, sullenness and anger. The people are now yearning for a change of the system of government which can save them from the corruption and maladministration of the present day rulers.

Conclusion

The systematic loot of the nation by politicians elected to provide a clean and efficient administration, their assumption that they are heaven-born. with a fundamental right to cheat and to loot, the blatant abuses of power-Fall these are not cause for celebration but for introspection about what has gone wrong. It will need long and strenuous efforts to set this nation on the right course for its tryst with destiny. It will take a lot of doing to clean the system of the liars, cheats and thieves who have been holding our beloved country to ransom. But efforts in that direction must begin in the new millenium.


But we do not give up because the people can change everything. If we change our mentality, our country's democracy must be protected.