The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.
Winston Churchill Introduction The great Indian election is a sight to witness. Loudspeakers shout out campaign slogans without pausing for breath. Banners and posters deck the whole city, with pictures of smiling and confident men and women. There crawls a jeep through the narrow streets of the city, shouting out promises of a brighter future for the people, followed by little children who run after it, not knowing what all the hullaballoo is about but amused nevertheless. Villages are no less affected; villagers leave their work untended, to attend rallies where they get to see the men and women they shall have to choose from in a few weeks to come. Ironically all this is but a build up to the actual period of elections itself, which pales in comparison to the grand commotion that precedes it. In accordance with the rules set by the Election Commission of India, all form of election campaigning stops twenty four hours before the actual day of elections. Phase by phase, citizens of every town and every village of the worlds most populous democracy quietly go to their respective polling station to get that little black mark on their finger which signifies that they have entrusted their power to rule their country to the man they think shall do the most for them. And that is indeed what a democracy is, a government by the people, for the people and of the people. And after more than six decades of periodic elections, in which all adults are qualified to vote for the representative from their constituency, there is no doubt that democracy in India has taken root. India has seen over six decades of uninterrupted democratic rule, yet it is to realize itself into the social democracy that the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar envisioned India would develop into. India is still one of the poorest nations in the world and illiteracy exists in worrying figures in our country. These are trying times for Indian democracy, with Naxal violence at an all-time high and agitation for new states making newspaper headlines regularly. True, these problems to a certain extent are politically motivated but it cannot be ignored that these are signs of the people being dissatisfied with the governance of their country. What prevents democracy from delivering in India?
A democratic system is inherently good, the mandate of the people is supreme, and the elected representatives chosen to lead the nation are ultimately responsible to the people. However democracy in our country is plagued by various problems. According to the author the three most fundamental problems that reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of democracy in India are corruption, illiteracy and the passive rather than active participation of citizens in the governance process. India, according to a survey by the Hong Kong-based Political & Economic Risk Consultancy was ranked as having the least efficient bureaucracy in Asia, with the report further stating that working with Indian civil servants was a slow and painful process. According to a 2005 Transparency International survey, more than 50% of the people surveyed had first-hand experience of paying a bribe or peddling influence to get a job done in a public office. The author observes from personal experience that most of his fellow countrymen succumb to corruption and paying a bribe is an accepted and often convenient way out for his countrymen. Corruption at the lower levels promotes corruption in the bureaucracy higher up, and India has seen various cases of funds reserved for public use being siphoned off by the powerful and the influential. It is impossible to weed out corruption from any bureaucracy completely, but a vigilant and proactive civil society that fights back against and keeps in check corruption is always an impetus to successful democratic governance. Illiteracy is also detrimental to any civil society. It requires a literate, aware electorate to make well informed decisions while voting for their representatives as well as to keep a check on these representatives to ensure that they discharge their duties responsibly. According to the UNICEF India Statistics, India has a total adult literacy rate of 66% which is well below the international average of 84%. Illiteracy is exploited by the corrupt and cunning politicians to mislead the nave electorate and garner votes. Democracy cannot succeed without the active participation of all the citizens of the country. India registered a 58% voter turnout during the 2009 General Elections. The election process is one of the fundamental elements of a democracy. If each and every citizen does not realize the importance of his vote and does not come forward to exercise his right to vote, democracy cannot succeed. And a citizens responsibility towards his country does not end with the voting process. It is his responsibility to be proactive in matters of public interest and make his opinion heard. As Mahatma Gandhi once said,
Be the change you want to see in the world., citizens need to be the agents of change they want to bring about. What are citizens expectations of democracies and the governments responsibility towards its citizens? In a country whose population exceeds a billion, a country of diverse religions and cultures, the needs of the people and their expectation from the government are just as varied. But that is wherein the strength of democracy truly lies, in dealing with the wide and varied interests of the population of the nation. In a true and successful democracy the interests and rights of all the diverse groups that coexist in a nation are protected, no individual or group is oppressed, each man gets an opportunity to participate in the governing process and speak out their views by the process of electoral voting. As Abraham Lincoln has well put it, Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people. Democracies work on the premise that since the government is elected from amongst the people and by the people, thus they are responsible to the people as well. Democracy is not just a matter of ensuring basic civil and political rights to the citizens, each citizen has the right to be heard and have his needs addressed. A democracy can be called truly successful, only when there is a tangible change for the better in the life of each and every citizen. Even though India can boast of being one of the fastest growing economies in the world, second only to China, it cannot boast of substantive growth at the grassroots level. A 2007 report by the state-run National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) found that 77% of Indians, or approximately 836 million people, lived on less than 20 rupees (approximately USD $0.50) per day. India ranked a shameful 147 in the list of countries by literacy rate as included in Human Development Report 2009 published by the United Nations Development Program. The Government is responsible for providing basic services, such as education, security, health related services, justice, and so on. The Government is also responsible for ensuring overall economic growth, growth which does not only benefit the elitist class but improves the economic stature and standard of living of an ordinary man. It is the responsibility of the Government to play a proactive role and be aware and sensitive to the evolving needs of the population. The crucial point of difference between a democracy and other forms of governance being, in a democracy growth cannot be restricted to any particular class of society; everyone has a right to improve the conditions of
his life and it is the governments responsibility to ensure such all-round development. Analysis of certain provisions in place and their role in ensuring democracy that delivers: Right To Information Act The Right to Information Act (RTI) is a law enacted on June 15th, 2005 by the Parliament of India "to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens. The Act applies to all States and Union Territories of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir which is covered under a State-level law. Under the provisions of the Act, any citizen (excluding the citizens within J&K) may request information from a "public authority" (a body of Government or "instrumentality of State") which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to proactively publish certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally.
How it has helped? It has helped introduce transparency in the governance process as well as increased accountability in administration, by making the government process more open to public scrutiny.
The Right to Information Act, 2005 has brought forward a new wave of civil activism, with stories of how villages that had been denied civic amenities have used the Right to Information Act to change their lives for the better1 and citizens have brought forward cases of government irresponsibility2.
o What more can be done?
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The whole process of obtaining information which as of now consists of submitting a written request to the Public Information Officer of the concerned department from where the information is sought can be computerized in order to expedite the process. Also the Right to Information Act is only a tool, and the real power to bring about change is in the hands of those who use it. Awareness needs to spread and citizens should be encouraged to be proactive and use the Act to keep a check on bureaucrats and prevent corruption. Right to Education Act The Right to Education Act which was passed by the Indian Parliament on 4th August, 2009 makes it a legally enforceable right of all children between the age of 6 and 14 years to demand free and compulsory education under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution.
o How it will help? This provision came into force very recently on April 1st, 2010. How effectively it is going to be implemented is yet to be seen. However if the Act delivers its intended goal of delivering free and compulsory education to children between the ages of 6 and 14 years, it will help in increasing literacy in India. This in turn will lead to a new generation of educated and aware youth who will be in a position to question policies of the government and take part more actively in the governance process.
o What more can be done? The government has to adopt a proactive role and ensure that this initiative is implemented successfully and not lost to infinity. Also general awareness has to spread about the importance of education as there are many households in India that do not send their children to school, instead forcing their children to seek employment to supplement the family income. Such people
need to be explained the importance of education and how an education shall help in their own upliftment as well as the advancement of the country. Suggestions to the Government of India A dedicated anti-corruption helpline to deal with complaints A centralized helpline should be set up to record complaints of people who have had to pay a bribe to a government bureaucrat. Complaints should be investigated into thoroughly so that the persons guilty of accepting bribes are punished. E-availability of politicians The email addresses of all members of Parliament as well as members of the state legislatures should be made available to the public. Awareness programs would be held to encourage the citizens to address their grievances to their elected representatives. Information kiosks need to be set up to allow people without internet access to be able to contact their politicians.
School children should be educated about the political process Political education should be incorporated into school curriculums and children should be imparted relevant information in order to increase their role in the governance process. Topics such as the election process, filing complaints against corruption cases, etc. should be taught in every school.
Inclusion of younger people in the political process There should be a program wherein college students can undertake internships with political leaders. This will help sensitize the younger generation to the political process as well as make them aware of shortcomings that exist. There exists a belief amongst the youth in India that politics is a job wherein one requires a certain amount of dishonesty to succeed. This belief can only be changed and the youth will be encouraged to participate in the political process only when they experience the political process firsthand. Also, there is a need of a few young political leaders to act as role models for todays generation and convince them to take up politics as a career.
Use social networking sites in order to spread political awareness Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube can be used to disseminate information about the ongoing political process in the country. Important political events such as Presidential or Prime Ministerial addresses should be uploaded onto Facebook. Political leaders can use online media in order to be in touch with the younger electorate. This will increase youth interest and participation in politics.