Where is India, heading?

India is a vibrant democracy, having moved spaces to become a dominant power in the World. India has been described as ‘world’s largest democracy”, thanks to the pillars performing their role in the Constitutionalism of the Country. Despite its vast masses, variety of babel of tongues, religious heritages, cultures dating back to BC, India’s unity in diversity makes it a highly democratic country. India merged independent from the ‘sun never set empire’ on the mid night of 14th August 1947. Its founding fathers believed in Republicanism, wanted a vibrant democracy and bequeathed a written constitution after hurricane discussions lasting two years before it was adopted. Called the Constitution of the 20th century, there was a Centre and states carved out on linguistic basis. People prefer to call themselves as Malayalis, Tamils, Kannadigas, Kashmiri, Bihari, Maharashtrian, Gujarati, forgetting the Indian ness in them. I am a Britisher, German, Russian, American, but the Indian is a Malayali, Gujarati, and Maharashtrian. Is it an identity crisis? What have we become? Are we, a nation of people with liberty, equality, justice for all or a bunch of opportunists stepping on each other’s liberties to achieve self centered happiness? Where is the unity that binds us in diversity? The Mullaperiyar dispute between Kerala and Tamil nadu? Kaveri water dispute between Karnataka and Tamilnadu? Telugana problem? Belgaum, Karwar, should be part of Maharashtra. Idukki, part of Tamilnadu? Metropolitan cities, which has international and blue star companies must only employ locals is the cry of some political parties. Tamilnadu has been largely developed economically and industrially with telecom companies, auto components and automobile industry, heavy industry, textile mills and garment manufacturing industries. Good 6-way lines, number of SEZs, new Ports, increased railway lines, investments from MNC, Blue chip cos, etc. Gujarat was another beneficiary when influx of companies both national and international made it economically strong. Developed states invested in infrastructure building, which reduced the gaps, constraints and costs, inviting new companies. They had a reduced unemployment problem. There were many under developed states, which could not manure industrialization due to plethora of reasons. Unemployment rose. Disparity between states caused low plan allotment and central assistance. People’s anger manifested in the form of ‘Occupy Wall Street, Occupy London, Arab Spring movement, and in India the greed of the market, disparity in income and human development”. There are two India’s. One, called the Below Poverty Line whose expenditure is limited to Rs 32/- per person per day& another Indian Corporates in the Forbes list of first twenty. Is it not what we call technocratic governance driven by arrogant credentialed experts? Laissez faire policies should not disrupt orderly economic growth. What is very uncommon in the world is common in India. Neither are WE in the past, nor in the Present. WE expect the future to redeem us. Indian Constitution has three Pillars as its foundation- the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Each is independent of one another and cannot encroach upon each other. The demarcation is clear and in perfect language which gives no ambiguity for confusion. The Constitutional institutions have suffered a trust deficit, more so, in recent times. Political paralysis, lack of direction and leadership, weak political system, political parties without decisive philosophy, has made the Political elite losing touch with their democratic base. The Political gridlock has resulted in Parliament’s stalemate. Policy making body ceases to function. Executive running away from legislature, the Opposition group preferring to stall the House for a whole Session, yet both of them wants Parliament to discuss. Politics of confrontation. The disruption is pre-determined and not on the spur of the moment decision upon some deadlock. If the House does not function, legislative business suffers, bills get delayed, and policy decisions get hung. The majesty of Parliament must be restored by the sane elements of all Political parties. The Parliament member can record his dissent. The party can walk out, expressing its resentment. They can agree to disagree. But the Parliament should continue to run. Is it not the thrust of the democracy? The Prime Minister is the head of the Executive. The Opposition calls him as a weak prime minister, asks him to resign, says he is controlled by remote control, he does not have Political will, etc. This is most unfair. The Ruling party members criticize the PM. The Coalition parties in the ruling group oppose what he proposes. The Regional satraps, the Chief Ministers, wantonly disgrace him forgetting protocol for political reasons. The Cabinet team is not decided by the prime Minister. They are decided by the Leaders of the Coalition parties. If one minister resigns, the minister ship should be given to another party man. Short term gains which are the vision of the Indian polity occur; country misses the long term benefits. Cash for Question scam, Cash for Vote, 2 G scam, CWG scam, and many other scams, scandals and corruption at high places, have sent down shock shivers among the people. This has been exaggerated by the TV channels, one competiting with another, and there are expert opinions pouring in by truck loads on various sides of various issues. Civic Society, NGOs, group of People has taken to the streets complaining about the democratic procedures not being applied sufficiently and stringently to vicious corruption. People have expressed their distress against the Political class as a whole. Is democracy safe in their hands, question these silent protestors. Another Policy, the ruling elite obsessed is with the emotions of minorities. Quota is often used as a Political tool even though the founding fathers used this safeguard to improve educational and employment opportunities alone. Another Pillar of Constitutional safeguard is the “judiciary” with covenants, rules, and procedures. The three important cardinal pillars like Legislature, Executive and Judiciary have to work in tandem; one does not have overpowering power over the other. Every one of these pillars justifies the ends and means of getting their way over the Constitution by usurping more powers. Are they constitutional? Matters of policy, administration, appointments, governance, are the functions of the Executive who needs to address them, and the responsibility of legislating, questioning the government’s justification, laying down rules are overseen by the Legislatures. The Courts have entered their domination into every thing, including the realms of Policy making. We should strictly follow the Code of Civil and Criminal Procedure, according to the statute, otherwise Rule of Law will get a back seat.

Democracy is for the People

The Athenians, was a Country which followed the democratic norms just when the Christian era was about to commence. Periclus, was an important functionary of Athens, and under him, we had the “the age of Pericles under Athenian history was a golden age, 2000 years ago.” Athens practiced democracy, or the form of collective decision, in the remote age of History. After the Athenias had driven out the tyrant Hippias in 510BC, they tried to work out methods to prevent the establishment of anther tyranny. Once a Year they set up an opportunity for a vote that was aimed not at electing someone, but at exiling someone. Each Athenian could write down the name of a Politician whom one felt was growing too dangerously powerful for the good of the State. If a total of 6,000 votes were cast and one man received a majority, he was forced to remain away from Athens for ten Years. It was not a disgraceful exile; his property was not confiscated, his family was not mistreated, and, when the decade was up, he was welcomed back. He understood that he had been sent away to be kept from the temptation of trying to upset the democracy. Athenians practiced democracy, when they had no Constitution, and even perhaps a similar one to Act of Settlement of 1701. They did not have the ‘Rule of Law’ which connote that no body was above the Law. They practiced democracy, 2000 years ago in the spirit of for the People, by the People, to the People. In modern day India, a democratic Republic, with a written Constitution, and a Powerful judiciary, an active media, could not practice the perceived democracy which Athens professed and followed! The commitment to democracy of Athens was inborn while Indian democracy is enthused. There, lies the difference. Yet, some protagonists wanting moderation in electoral reform by introducing, Recall of Elected Representative, Referendum to gauge Public opinion, have failed to perceive that we have universal adult franchise in India. Even the percentage of voting in an election is generally below the 50% of eligible voters. We can move with the times, but we cannot run ahead.