Essay on the Future of Democracy in India In English
India is one of the biggest democratic countries of the world. Democracy is an ideal form of government. It aims at socialisation of all institutions. India achieved freedom in 1947. Under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and his cabinet colleagues endeavoured to establish healthy democratic traditions.
India became democratic Republic on January 26, 1950. India is the largest democracy with an electorate of over 250 million adults. A poor country like India with a vast population, lost in narrow loyalties of caste, religion and regionalism could not be expected to make any headway in democratic ideals which encouraged freedom of thought, speech and action. Some pessimists thought that chaos, confusion and distruption would engulf India.
But their calculation be lied them. After several elections to the centre and the state, we can now safely claim that the essence of the democratic spirit has now taken root on the Indian soil. India is stable, democratic and constitutional, as a rare combination among the new Asian states.
Democracy still survives in India and appears to be safe as ever. In democracy, the voice of the people is the voice of God. The citizens are the architects of nation. They are not dumb-driven cattle but active citizens who take keen interest in the affairs of the government.
They have power to fail the government and even to reelect it if, it does not work well. Democracy is based upon the principles of equality, liberty and fraternity. It provides the people with the freedom of speech, thought and action. Young and old, poor and rich and officer and common man are equal in democracy. Everybody has a right to express his opinion frankly and frearlessy.
The people can criticize the government and condemn the policies of the government. India is a country of illiterate and ignorant masses. Indians are not politically awakened. They usually have a tendency to take law into their hands.
The administration in our country is corrupt. The too many small political parties are not in a position to provide a strong and stable government. The ugly and noisy scenes and exchange of blows have become the common features of the Parliament House.
We should not, however, feel complacent that all is well with our democratic way of life. Under the pretext of democracy some people misuse the freedom. There are certain drawbacks that we must try to make up.
The electorate is so large that only a rich individual or a rich political party can set up candidates from each constituency. Such people enjoy an undue advantage. The citizens of India should have a high degree of political consciousness, enlightened vigilance, honest and intelligent performance of civic duties, tolerance for others.
Dernocracy demands that every citizen, like his leader, should have the sense of nationality. Our legislators have forgotton public good, and they are busy in providing lucrative means to their own men in disregard of democratic norms. Democracy demands justice for one and all.
Today we see democracy passing through a critical phase. The remedy lies in improving the present set-up. For this, the electorate should be well educated and politically consicious so that they may not be exploited by corrupt political leaders.
All the opposite political parties, should make healthy criticism of the government and co-operate with it on all important fronts in the interest of nation. They should not create disorder and tension. India has established her claim to be a really democratic country.
However, there is a bright prospect for democracy in India inspite of our limitations. Both the rulers and the ruled have fully realized that there is no alternative to democracy at present time. The only alternative to democracy is the authoritarian rule which no thinking citizer can view with equanimity. Our elections, which are held peacefully, have demonstrated our faith in democracy.