Democracy Does not Imply Only Elections - Essay, UPSC MAINS | Course for UPPSC Preparation - UPPSC (UP) PDF Download

Democracy Does not Imply Only Elections

structure

(1) Opening    —    Quote Gandhiji

(2) Body    —    What is Democracy? Rule by consensus, majority or adjustment.

    —    Importance of election

    —    Problem with elections today.

    —    Even if fair elections—healthy opposition, committed leadership, aware citizens.

    —    Violence and intolerance. Even with elections, democracy reduced to a farce.

(3) Closing    —    Quote Lincoln

‘Democracy is the art and science of making use of the resources of the citizens—physical, economic and intellectual—in the common good of all.’

—Mahatma Gandhi

Democracy is not just a concept. It is a way of living. It is reflected in the way we tend to treat others and the way we think. It is not a rigid or static concept bound by rules and regulation. It is, in fact, dynamic and ever changing. The essence of democracy lies in the welfare of the people. Everything that is sought to be done in a democracy has one goal—happiness and welfare of all. Here it can be distinguished from dictatorship or kingdom wherein the primary objective is to keep the ruler in power. In fact, this is why elections become one of the basic tools to distinguish between a democracy and a dictatorship.

Elections are the most important means by which democracy’s sustenance can be ensured. They give real power to the people—the power to choose. People take decision after a fixed period of time whether they want a particular party or person to continue the governance or do they want a change. Elections act as an important means of keeping the rulers under check and preventing abuse of the authority. Elections also give a chance to everyone to become a representative of the people. Thus, they help in keeping alive the spirit of democracy.

Unfortunately, however, now a days democracy has been made synonymous with elections. Election are just one component of the huge machinery of democracy. For democracy to be meaningful, a number of other requirements must be met. Enlightened and aware citizens, honest and committed leadership, a healthy opposition and above all, a spirit of tolerance, understanding and adjustment go a long way in making democracy successful. So much so that without them, the whole election process may itself reduce to a farce.

The right to choose gives a very potent weapon in the hands of the citizens. However, this weapon is powerless, if the citizens lack the understanding of what is good to them. Such citizens remain gullible and are exploited by the politicians. They may be enticed with attractive slogans, gifts or may be driven to vote on caste or religious lines. This may convert elections to a very harmful exercise. Instead of bringing in stability, it may bring divisive and fissiparous forces to the fore. Criminal-politician nexus may get strengthened and money power and muscle power may be used to win elections. So even with elections, democracy ceases to have any meaning.

Another requirement is the presence of a healthy opposition which offers a practical alternative to the party or person in power. The opposition should not be there to just oppose but should provide a constructive platform which can be considered by the citizens as an alternative. For example, in the erstwhile USSR, elections were held but lack of any effective opposition reduced them to a farce. Along with a healthy opposition, it is important that the leadership is honest and committed. A man should enter political area out of the spirit of service and not for any selfish motive. Scrupulous politicians make elections a battlefield to settle their personal scores or blackmail and pressurise their opponents. What happened in Italy, where elections were held regularly but did it really create a democracy? With most of the politicians neck deep in bribery scandals and crime, and money power became so strong that most governments lasted hardly a year. People today have rose against such suffocating ‘democracy’, if we may call it so.

Democracy stands for the goal of a welfare state. Its objective is to improve the lives of the citizens. And this spirit applies not just to political field but to even social and economic fields. Tolerance and freedom are its hall marks. It is not a state where the weak are pushed to the wall, instead as in Gandhiji’s words—”The prince and a pauper will enjoy equal rights. That for me is Ramrajya”. Especially, in a country with diversities, the spirit of understanding and tolerance is most important. It implies that elections are not held on caste or religious lines. Also, the rights of minorities and the weaker sections are not trampled upon. Elections held under any fear—of gun or of majority backlash—

are counter-productive. So, non-violence and fearlessness is required if elections are to have any meaning.

By the above discussion, it is clear that democracy is much more than simply elections. While elections are absolutely necessary but if other requirements are not fulfilled, they reduce to simply a periodic ritual signifying nothing. For democracy to become meaningful, everyone should have few basic rights—the most important being the right to be heard and the right to choose. Only then the spirit of democracy—Government of the people, Government by the people and Government for the people—can succeed.