“That government is best, which governs least.”
– David Thoreau
The only form of government which maximizes people’s participation is a democracy. Everyone knows that A democracy is form of government of the people, for the people and run by the people. But, how much of this applies to the form of government prevalent in India today? A democracy is a government that aims to bring equality to every citizen and give them authority over the state’s affairs. It is not a law of the majority, a common misconception, but the protection of the minority. So, we can say, in a democracy, even a single opinion that differs from the rest matters i.e, A thousand no’s an be overpowered by a single yes.
In the past, we have seen so many revolutions occur just to achieve democracy. The French revolution lead by the ideals of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, changed the course of an entire country and influenced many more on its way. And in the present day, where there is no democracy, there is atleast a movement for it. Such are the timeless ideals of equality and liberty. As long as civilization exists, there will be a fight for democracy.
I’ve used the word democracy like a million times till now. But exactly, why is democracy considered the best form of government? Why is it so perfect? How are countries under monarchy or communist rule that are on par with democracies?!
The answer lies in the inherent meaning of the word democracy itself. A country is only as good as its government, and a government is only as good as its people. When you give people the freedom to rule themselves, it sort of ensures that the country is in good hands because people wouldn’t harm themselves unless they’re some sort of psychopath.
India being such a diverse country, still manages to pull through under a democracy. There’s a central government, a state government, and some sort of authority is ensured to people till the level of the gram panchayat in a small village.
An independent election commission ensures that nobody is influenced by the ruling party at the time of elections. I mean to say that the election commission officials cannot be manipulated or bribed by the ruling party to tip the odds in their favour.
A free press ensures that the right news is delivered and reported to the people, without any adulteration. However, we have seen in recent times, that this is not the case as most media outlets are money-minded and now we have an imminent threat of fake and unnecessary news. Like the recent Aryan Khan case which was hyped to shift the focus from the murder of farmers by a union minister’s son who ran over them.
An independent Judiciary ensures that justice is served, righteously and swift without any influence from the other branches of government or private interests. Sadly, the scales of justice are tilted today.
There’s something funny about democracy: If the state of affairs seems too perfect, that means something is wrong somewhere.
A democracy is a dynamic government. It changes with its people.People change over time, societies change over time, so the government has to keep adjusting to keep up. For this, institutions must function properly. If the voice of the common man is silenced, then that is a failed democracy.
The people govern themselves, and it is of utmost importance that everyone’s voice is heard. Minimum government, maximum governance is the need of the hour. It will be quite fatal if the common man shows apathy towards his rights by refusing to vote or take part in national politics because like the Greek statesman Perides said,” Just because you don’t take an interest in politics doesn’t mean it won’t take an interest in you.” You are affected by every action taken or not taken in a democracy, whether you like it or are aware of it or not. And that s exactly why we must ensure to speak up and voice our thoughts, if we want to make a change.
Now, to answer the question… Is India a successful democracy?
Well, India could be called a successful democracy in that it has withheld and stayed united all these years, even with such intense diversity. But, it also has a whole lot of unfulfilled potential to tap into. Its ” Unity in Diversity” is increasingly under threat. The Indian Dream of justice- social, economic and political, as laid out in the preamble remains to be realized.
The people’s power lies in the institutions, so strengthening them and making new ones where required will lead to more voices being heard and more changes being made, creating an infallible democratic government. So, it is you and I that decide whether the country is a successful democracy or not.
P.s: Just how many times did I use the words the democracy and government ?