Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
Democracy is one of the various forms of the government. But voices too have risen time and again whether democracy is a suitable way of governance. Today’s age is, age of transformation. We have come out of old mindsets of imperialism, colonialism and racism. Today world belong to everyone irrespective of his linguistic, communal, sexual or cultural orientation or choice. In such a condition, democracy is the most suitable form of government, as it takes into accounts every one’s need and aspirations. Democracy if percolated to roots it can help the masses and involve the general public information and execution of welfare schemes. It is the best thing which India has it as a wealth. It’s some of the corrupt politicians/people of our country, who are hell bent to give only miseries to the common mass for the sake of their luxurious life and not worthy fame. Our bad luck is that half of the country people are corrupted and this process leads ahead till now with no stop in between. The democracy after independence gave us various fundamental rights. We should require introspection that how much serious we are about rights and how many of us know about our fundamental rights. India is our home and we are the government (if we have to go by the definition of democracy “government of the people, by the people and for the people”) as well hence all citizens are responsible for the development of the state. In the case of India, every citizen who is 18 years old has a right to vote. There is vast strength of illiterate people who cast their vote for religious, cast influence and used to go in a wrong decision by their own will or by regional political threat. The government is unable to get them full welfare as mediator is everywhere to grab the money. Finally until and unless we choose the right government, we won’t be able to contribute to the development of the state. Even after sixty years of independence also in democracy, we can’t get jobs to people in India, food, and shelter, why? Because of corrupt politicians, their wrong policies and their money mind killing the patience. Why we can’t get some revolutions, like in other countries can’t we restrict politicians’ age (not the same family) people? Stop giving money to voting in rural or in slums. Educate the democracy, expose bribing to media; educate the people not to give bribe. We need politicians as, need to hear the problems being faced by the people at the gross root level. What makes democracy so much dangerous is that when we overthrow a bad leader to the power, the new elected candidate that we elect turns out to be of the same kind as previous manipulative and self serving? Democracy gives huge amount of power to the person in the rule which he uses against us and we cannot hold them accountable for it. Policies are made on paper and stay on paper. They hardly reach the public in need.
It is we people who are responsible for degrading the value of democracy in India. Democracy has enabled us to choose what is right and root out what is wrong. What only when we use the supreme power in right and honest manner. There are so many people in India, who really don’t know and understand the meaning of democracy; they play a wider role in electing a politician. So, our educational system needs to be strengthened so that everyone in our society is aware about wrong and right. Apart from that, even after each and everyone being aware of it, what is needed most is our honest attitude towards our country and its people, and then only we can imagine a development. But in actual, we, the people of India are indulged in overlooking the long term or broad viewed benefits by favoring the political party/persons in elections, who serves their own purpose either directly or indirectly, so we straight away say that voter also misuse their right in choosing their representative.
Democracy is a gifted choice for the people of India because they are having a chance to choose who they want to rule them. But we always fail to choose the correct person as our political leader. Moreover the leaders also fail to feel their responsibilities about which position they are and how much they need to do for the people. In my view, the leader must work for the people selflessly and they periodically review what they did and what they will go to do for the people. Further the plans and policies which the government make, never meet the low level people. It will be better that those policies should mainly focused on welfare of very low level-people, because nowadays “Rich become Richer and Poor becomes Poorer”. The Un-understood democracy is such thing which is bringing corruption in India and it is hampering India’s progress. People are unable to cast their votes properly. Money and Muscle power has become the main motive of almost all the political parties who are supporting criminals to win the elections. Secondly, there are so many people in India, who really don’t know the meaning of democracy, yet they play a wide role in electing a wrong politician. So, our education system needs to be strengthened so that at least everyone in our society is aware about right and wrong. It is not harming country but most of the people in country are self-centric. Nation comes second after their own interests. Role of democracy to give basic needs and we have to progress ourselves, but somehow we can’t do this in past because of our self-centric mindset. But when the nation came first in our mindset, there is no any other better system than democracy.
The Democratic government has given people lot of freedom to express their views and even to question their government. In that view through democracy each and every citizen is involved in the administration either directly or indirectly. So people get more concerned about governmental happenings and developments of the country. This is possible only through the democratic form of government. But at the same time, democracy hesitates in imposing serious laws on people which have given them much more freedom. The people use the freedom in wrong way and they even cheat the government. So as the famous saying goes by “Too much of anything is good for nothing”, So we have to introspect here whether the democratic form of government should give more freedom to people who in turn will ruin both the people and the country. Hence democracy should be maintained with some strict laws and rules. I am just mentioning what I feel needs to be done. First and foremost step is to impart education to all, be it literary or vocational so that employment is possible, people become able to at least meet their necessities. Secondly, alleviation of poverty thus alleviate the need to sell their vote in the spread of moral education will alleviate the greed due to which people sell their votes, as they work for a greater greed – for their long lasting welfare.
Concluding, the democracy not always guarantees the accountability of the elected representatives. Sometimes those who wield power may be corrupt. If democracy is to be effective, the people have to be alert. They must continuously keep track of the activities to those to whom they have given their votes. They must raise their voice against injustice and corruption. All we need to do is to spread education, both moral in literary/vocational. Rest all education will do and of course. It’s not will of the power house, which is hampering our progress, its lack of education, its poverty, its greed, it’s our inability to foresee , inability to think of even our own benefits wisely.
