Democracy has been misused by totalitarian regimes and military dictatorships often claiming popular support by pinning democratic labels upon themselves.
Democracy is “government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.” Abraham Lincoln, condensed the essence of democracy to “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
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In the 75 years of India’s journey into democracy, the country has remained poor and underdeveloped. In the beginning of democratic governance in India, most Western academics were sceptical about the future of India. It succeeded beyond all expectations in mobilizing large-scale electoral participation especially among poor and illiterate voters. And yet today its very existence seems to hang in the balance as the country faces a deep crisis of liberal, secular democratic norms, values and institutional practices.
For a true democracy, the time-tested fundamentals are a constitutional government, human rights, and equality before the law. In such a society, the majority rules, and the rights of minorities are protected by law and through the institutionalization of law.”
Democracy is designed to address the fundamental problem in monarchies and oligarchies that is, the saturation of power among a few individuals, in democracy decision-making process allows for constructive debate, rationality in process, and perhaps less mistakes.
Governance for the people is the key objective and aim of any democratically elected government. But this ideal of governance has faced progressive degeneration in India, caused by multiple factors of Indian politics but the two outstanding factors are:
The political system based on political parties, whereingovernance and especially crucial policies are decided by the party functionaries and elected representatives including Chief Ministers and Minsters of an elected government are merely obedient subordinates, who have to carry out the party diktats if they want to be in power. If they oppose or have other considerations, they are removed and replaced by more obliging candidates. This has led to a system of “Yes Manship”, wherein the most preferred appointees to Chief Ministership and other Ministership’s are merely based on their willingness to be :“YES MAN”. A phenomenon that has eroded democracy right at its roots and has by subtle means brought in indifference and dictatorial attitudes in the governance of the States as well as the Centre.
The legislatures now a days move from one political party to other, or join hands with those whom they opposed during elections or adopt and follow diametrically opposite views, all because their considerations are no more the people they represent, but mere obedience/appeasement of their political bosses, who themselves are not elected representatives and do not owe any responsibility or allegiance to the people but merely exists to fulfil their party’s internal or unwritten agendas. Can they anymore be called public servants because all that they do or achieve are personal goals and ambitions?
The second and most evasive degenerative aspect is the system of voting by EVMs that is being practiced in India even though the most technology advanced nations have shied away from such an exercise mainly because of their awareness of the vulnerability of manipulation of EVMs. In this era of advanced wireless, Artificial Intelligence and remote technology, and remote manipulation of computers and other electronic devices have become common. EVM being a man-made machine with embedded electronic chips it is but susceptible to manipulations. Unfortunately, the Election Commission and Indian judiciary have turned a deaf ear to the many pleas and even evidences as to how an EVM votes could be easily and remotely manipulated. The question is how does one prove manipulation, when one cannot produce alternative evidence. The question is, is the judiciary considering probability or possibility.
The question before every voter is, can the judiciary assure them that their vote will be counted in favour of the candidate they have chosen? If they cannot then why should they validate or approve a machine which is possible to be manipulated? Is not manipulation of votes a blatant violation of the right to vote?
The end result is that the elected representatives do not owe allegiance to the electorate but to the EVMs and the party which sponsored him/her thus undermining the very concept of democracy.
As a result of this once elected, the elected representatives disconnects themselves from the electorate and never ever consults the electorate on crucial issues affecting the people, or the shifting from one party to the other, but becomes a mere dummy in the hands of the high command. Therefore, in their governance strategy, the priorities are: the dictates from party bosses, secondly areas and venues for wealth accumulation for themselves. They are just fake dream merchants in their avatars, who are in reality mere mercenaries of their party bosses.
There is huge chasm of conceptual mismatch as to what India as a democracy needs to achieve and what is projected as achievement. In democracy, the prime priority has to be providing means of guaranteed livelihood and shelter to every citizen, with protection of their health and the environment. Failure to achieve this prime objective is a failure of democracy. All those tall claims about conquering the moon or of building huge concrete structures or purchase of weapons of destruction are of no avail and can only boost the ego of leaders when basic requirements of a democratic governance remain unfulfilled. Democracy, therefore is a failure in India.
The political system and the politicians have remained a liability on the Nation. India needs a new direction, a new economic formula with focus on the people.
A determined electorate can change this trend and demand that people’s immediate and real needs are to be first met and environment be preserved for our children’s future.
(The writer is a Professor of Law & an education consultant)
