Democracy. Put quite simply, it translated into Government by the people, of the people and for the people.In practice however, it is seldom that simple. Democracy comes in various forms and at different levels. In the US, for example, democracy translates into a Presidential style of government, in which both the executive and the legislature hold separate mandates. In the Commonwealth, it translates into an executive which derives its powers from the mandate of the legislature. In some countries like Ireland, the power of lawmaking lies not exclusively with elected representatives but also with local people. And in Switzerland, any citizen has the power to challenge a law by means of a request for a referendum.
Clearly then, democracy is hardly a catch-all term. But in an Indian context, democracy is probably the one glue that holds this vast and varied country together. Consider the most powerful of all implications: democracy has brought those who, for centuries, were relegated to being declared too impure to ever touch or look at, to the very seat of high power. No other force in the history of this nation has managed to bring the most downtrodden of people to the heights of power. In that sense, democracy has been a great blessing for us.
A Curse
But when one section of the electorate begins to feel sidelined despite having the power to vote, a deep sense of anger surfaces.That, perhaps, is the seed that germinated into hatred towards representative democracy. A system in which the electorate does elect its leaders every five years, but where that same electorate has to face innumerable hardships and a seemingly uncaring political class: few would actually call this democracy.
However, lets get down to this system from a managers point of view. Suppose we think of the nation as a company. Any company needs to have a top-level management. Now, being a country, that management needs to have the support of the shareholders (the citizenry, to be precise). And hence, the elections. Just as the Board needs to ask for endorsement from its shareholders at an AGM, representatives ask for voters' endorsements at the hustings. In the intermediate time, the management (politicians here) are given a free reign to do what they believe is in the best interests of the company so that they come back the Board at the next AGM.
Now, if we assume this to be true (and it is), the representative democracy is perfect. It follows concepts of management perfectly. However, the fallacy would be to look at a country as a company in the first place. For one, citizens are not merely satisfied by profit and loss: governance runs much deeper than that. You need to take people along at every step - every decision makes an immediate impact on every stakeholder. While a company may leave it to shareholders to take a call at every AGM, a country cannot be expected to suffer for five years before they get a turn to say something.
Apathy: The Real Problem
But what exacerbates the situation even further is apathy from the middle class. In general political theory, it is the middle class that determines the political fortunes of a country. The poor simply do not have the time to keep a check on representatives while the rich do not care: it is the middle class that holds that responsibility. But what we currently see is that the middle class has vacated its political space. Now, you have politicians who do not care about them, because they do not hold them accountable anymore. Instead, they look for the votes of the poor - the vast majority.
While nothing is wrong with seeking votes from the poor, the problem lies in that they do not have the resources to hold their representatives accountable. With a lack of accountability, politicians get a free run to do what they please and then come up with short-term methods (money) to become elected again. It is the criminalization and corruption of the system that has brought shame to our democratic ethos. But those who can affect change - the middle class - chooses to sit back and complain.
Clearly, representative democracy is the right way to govern a country. But it is not a spectator sport - people who can must participate. Not necessarily in electoral politics, which comes up once in five years. But in the process of accountability, of holding elected representatives to account every step of the way.
Some say that democracy in India has failed. Sections of the middle class - the laziest sections - actually coo for a benevolent military dictator! But the problem is the other way around - our representatives have not failed the democratic ideals of the Constitution. We have.
OTFS greets its readers on the 63rd Republic Day!
Clearly then, democracy is hardly a catch-all term. But in an Indian context, democracy is probably the one glue that holds this vast and varied country together. Consider the most powerful of all implications: democracy has brought those who, for centuries, were relegated to being declared too impure to ever touch or look at, to the very seat of high power. No other force in the history of this nation has managed to bring the most downtrodden of people to the heights of power. In that sense, democracy has been a great blessing for us.
A Curse
But when one section of the electorate begins to feel sidelined despite having the power to vote, a deep sense of anger surfaces.That, perhaps, is the seed that germinated into hatred towards representative democracy. A system in which the electorate does elect its leaders every five years, but where that same electorate has to face innumerable hardships and a seemingly uncaring political class: few would actually call this democracy.
However, lets get down to this system from a managers point of view. Suppose we think of the nation as a company. Any company needs to have a top-level management. Now, being a country, that management needs to have the support of the shareholders (the citizenry, to be precise). And hence, the elections. Just as the Board needs to ask for endorsement from its shareholders at an AGM, representatives ask for voters' endorsements at the hustings. In the intermediate time, the management (politicians here) are given a free reign to do what they believe is in the best interests of the company so that they come back the Board at the next AGM.
Now, if we assume this to be true (and it is), the representative democracy is perfect. It follows concepts of management perfectly. However, the fallacy would be to look at a country as a company in the first place. For one, citizens are not merely satisfied by profit and loss: governance runs much deeper than that. You need to take people along at every step - every decision makes an immediate impact on every stakeholder. While a company may leave it to shareholders to take a call at every AGM, a country cannot be expected to suffer for five years before they get a turn to say something.
Apathy: The Real Problem
But what exacerbates the situation even further is apathy from the middle class. In general political theory, it is the middle class that determines the political fortunes of a country. The poor simply do not have the time to keep a check on representatives while the rich do not care: it is the middle class that holds that responsibility. But what we currently see is that the middle class has vacated its political space. Now, you have politicians who do not care about them, because they do not hold them accountable anymore. Instead, they look for the votes of the poor - the vast majority.
While nothing is wrong with seeking votes from the poor, the problem lies in that they do not have the resources to hold their representatives accountable. With a lack of accountability, politicians get a free run to do what they please and then come up with short-term methods (money) to become elected again. It is the criminalization and corruption of the system that has brought shame to our democratic ethos. But those who can affect change - the middle class - chooses to sit back and complain.
Clearly, representative democracy is the right way to govern a country. But it is not a spectator sport - people who can must participate. Not necessarily in electoral politics, which comes up once in five years. But in the process of accountability, of holding elected representatives to account every step of the way.
Some say that democracy in India has failed. Sections of the middle class - the laziest sections - actually coo for a benevolent military dictator! But the problem is the other way around - our representatives have not failed the democratic ideals of the Constitution. We have.
OTFS greets its readers on the 63rd Republic Day!
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