India is the biggest democracy in the world today. The leaders of the world are all in praises for India. But, we Indians should take some time to analyse this fact. India is for sure, the biggest democracy. But is it a successful one? That’s the million dollar question!
The very essence of democracy is, as the famous slogan goes, “To the people, for the people, and by the people”. Does the government we elect, work for the people? Is it by the people? We do vote, but when the politicians play the number games in the aftermath of elections, when they change their loyalties to parties, in the quest for the ultimate power, we, ‘The people’ only wait and watch helplessly. The voting then turns into a mere formality. What sort of a democracy are we talking about?
Democracy in India has become a mere competition between political parties. Every party is trying to outwit the other. Personal attacks, allegations and harsh words is what the politicians find themselves busy with. And in the realm of all this, the nation is forgotten. The recent political episodes in Goa and Jharkhand only strengthen this fact further. And moreover, any developmental works done by a ruling party is rubbished away and criticized by the opposition for no reason. Otherwise, how would anyone explain the opposition of the POTA, the terrorism act during the NDA regime? And for what petty reason! That it would be misused? Give me a break!!! Then there was a lot of hue and cry made about the IFFI Goa. It was heartening to see as a goan, the developmental works being criticized.
And the real makers of democracy, the public are also moulded in this kind of attitude. The public sees the elections as an entertaining cricket match. They support a political party, blindly vote for the party, irrespective of whether the candidate is a deserving one or not. Then on the counting day, sit in their couches in front of TV sets, cheering for the number of sits won by their favourite party. One should know that it’s our nation’s future that is in stake during elections. This raises the question, is India mature enough for democracy??
First of all, we need to introduce a discipline in our political system. Qualification should be made mandatory for politicians. The parties should be selective in giving tickets to the candidates, and those having a criminal background should be permanently barred from contesting elections. Secondly, the attitude should change. The parties should have a ‘nation-first’ approach. The parties, ruling and the oppositions should work as a team, instead of locking horns. A more solid anti-defection rule should be implemented, not allowing the politicians to change loyalties between parties. The public should also change their attitude towards politics, viewing it as a means to brighten their future, and not as a means of entertainment. The public should support good leaders rather than political parties.
Perhaps, switching to a bi-party system should lessen the problem. Today, Indian politics is virtually a bi-party one, with NDA and UPA. But these alliances themselves stand on frail foundations.
The initiative to change the political scene in India should right now. Both the public and the leaders should have a vision for our country. Let’s make India a matured democracy.
The very essence of democracy is, as the famous slogan goes, “To the people, for the people, and by the people”. Does the government we elect, work for the people? Is it by the people? We do vote, but when the politicians play the number games in the aftermath of elections, when they change their loyalties to parties, in the quest for the ultimate power, we, ‘The people’ only wait and watch helplessly. The voting then turns into a mere formality. What sort of a democracy are we talking about?
Democracy in India has become a mere competition between political parties. Every party is trying to outwit the other. Personal attacks, allegations and harsh words is what the politicians find themselves busy with. And in the realm of all this, the nation is forgotten. The recent political episodes in Goa and Jharkhand only strengthen this fact further. And moreover, any developmental works done by a ruling party is rubbished away and criticized by the opposition for no reason. Otherwise, how would anyone explain the opposition of the POTA, the terrorism act during the NDA regime? And for what petty reason! That it would be misused? Give me a break!!! Then there was a lot of hue and cry made about the IFFI Goa. It was heartening to see as a goan, the developmental works being criticized.
And the real makers of democracy, the public are also moulded in this kind of attitude. The public sees the elections as an entertaining cricket match. They support a political party, blindly vote for the party, irrespective of whether the candidate is a deserving one or not. Then on the counting day, sit in their couches in front of TV sets, cheering for the number of sits won by their favourite party. One should know that it’s our nation’s future that is in stake during elections. This raises the question, is India mature enough for democracy??
First of all, we need to introduce a discipline in our political system. Qualification should be made mandatory for politicians. The parties should be selective in giving tickets to the candidates, and those having a criminal background should be permanently barred from contesting elections. Secondly, the attitude should change. The parties should have a ‘nation-first’ approach. The parties, ruling and the oppositions should work as a team, instead of locking horns. A more solid anti-defection rule should be implemented, not allowing the politicians to change loyalties between parties. The public should also change their attitude towards politics, viewing it as a means to brighten their future, and not as a means of entertainment. The public should support good leaders rather than political parties.
Perhaps, switching to a bi-party system should lessen the problem. Today, Indian politics is virtually a bi-party one, with NDA and UPA. But these alliances themselves stand on frail foundations.
The initiative to change the political scene in India should right now. Both the public and the leaders should have a vision for our country. Let’s make India a matured democracy.
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