Democracy, a simple word with a simple meaning and simple intent. But instead what have we done? Today it’s meaning fluctuates between fear and freedom, and a thousand implications in between. In the pursuit of power on one end of the spectrum, and the perpetual longing for peace and prosperity on the other, we continue to endure the unrelenting slings and arrows of an oppressive elite that mainly delivers injustice and chaos. What results instead are endless eruptions of turmoil and degradation dished out to all Societies under governance, for the oppressors and the oppressed alike, across the world.
Democracy, in truth is a most noble and all-encompassing word imbued with the hallowed and gracious intent of making life a joyful, pleasant and blissful experience for all humans, all living creatures, plants and animals alike, while we all share a brief existence on this most miraculous and wonderful planet, before our inevitable departure for our Happy Hunting Grounds.
For each of us as citizens of a society with predetermined geophysical boundaries, democratic principles prompt us to select and elect our leaders, men and women who will guide and govern with wisdom and justice, the population assigned to their charge for incremental intervals of time. Govern, not “Rule”, to Lead according to the dictates and wishes of the people. Once we officially have elected our individually chosen representatives by a majority of citizen voters, it becomes our democratic duty to support the Governing body of Legislators. The Rules for a true Democracy have been formulated by Natural Law and it applies to all, the Elected and the Electorate. EVMs are not “voting” machines, they only register and tally the votes, it’s the accredited citizen who actually creates the collective majority that will preside and decide the Laws that become binding upon the electorate within their jurisdiction. A democratic “dictat” that we must all abide by, regardless of whoever we have voted for.
But a seriously disturbing criteria involved here is the fact the people elected to run and operate the numerous life-enhancing activities and enact beneficial governing covenants for the specific jurisdiction under their charge, can very likely become perpetrators of mis- governance and incompetence, which could include anti-social and criminal conduct. We are all aware of what misdeeds transpire around us, but we must remember that the candidates we have so eagerly elected to deliver the good life, are just as human as the rest of us. Once elected and having taken that Sacred Oath, many soon become subject to unrelenting offers of wealth and other temptations, and are easily swayed by their greed and become slaves of their egos. Citizens too should not fall prey to the offers of Bucks and Booze when the next Campaign season comes around.
What are we left with that would help us correct any misdirection we may find ourselves in? There are legal checks and balances that could remedy the disease, a universal pandemic we know as Corruption. This confronts us with a huge mountain to climb, we have so bitterly learned that the forces that stand in our path and the formidable foes we need to encounter, law enforcement, the judiciary and the laws that protect the wayward elected members of the Assembly, are all bound together by a seemingly unbreakable bond, the Lust for Money and Power, and these elements need to support each other for protection from prosecution.
What next? Continuous criticism, exposure by newspaper reports, courtroom encounters, widespread protests by thousands who sacrifice their health and meagre resources, legal battles that drain the energy and money of activists, all this is happening every day. But how far have these demonstrations of descent and discontent brought us other than delivering more hardship, more misery. A victory now and then only conjures up a sense of false hope. Do we really believe that the Government has any sympathy or solace for the very people who provided them the opportunity to amass great fortunes? The unkindest cut of all is that the very wealth they accumulate comes from the same people who look to them for deliverance. But they too, our “Honorable Leaders”, suffer a life-destructing sense of unforgiving guilt, having to permanently look over their shoulder to get an inkling of when they would be caught, and then to live within the ruins of a shattered character surrounded by suspicious and perhaps innocent family members.
The Solution? It does not need to be emphasized that we all belong to the same State, the same Country, One Race, One Society, One Future. What stops us from finding the ultimate solution that will provide an ideal way of life for every citizen? We need to connect and combine with our Legislators on a human level and approach the powers that be with open arms, with a spirit of forgive and forget, (men will forget, but never forgive; women will forgive but never forget!) and an understanding that, yes, we are human beings just looking for survival and a better life. Let’s give it a try, why not, wouldn’t that be the best answer to end all existing strife?
Or, should we choose the other way?
George Orwell in his prophetic and universally acclaimed novel “1984”, written in 1948, describes a most vicious method on how to totally control another human being: threaten to do to him what he fears most. The one thing an MP, or MLA, fears most is losing his seat at the next election. To do this, we need to elect our own Government, our own Candidate selected from each of our forty Panchayats.
More on how to go about this crucial task on the third Friday of February 2023, in this space.
Democracy is like the Sun, the father of all life on Earth, and it shines with glory and abundance on every inhabitant: human, animal or plant living on our planet. What larger crime can we conceive of than stealing another’s Democratic Rights?
(The author is now a
permanent resident of Goa after many years of living in Mumbai, New York and London)