THE VIABILITY OF DEMOCRATIC FORM OF GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

The largest democracy in the world is going through turbulent times which makes one to think whether it has become irrelevant or marching towards its dead end. The way things unfold to us day in and day out make us skeptical about the effectiveness of democracy. Be it the acquittal of the powerful involved in scams, suppression of civil rights movements (NGOs), hijacking of people’s movements by political parties (Sasi Perumal’s movement has been taken over by the politicians for scoring political points), lack of tolerance in the public (recall what happened a couple of days back. A Muslim suspected of eating beef was lynched by the mob), increasing of political cults (one only needs to see the way people bow to their leaders!). The political discourse in India is moving towards the ‘right-wing’ fundamentalism – creating myths and tearing down the secular fabric of democracy. What has led to the sudden and violent opposition to civil demands for justice? It is perhaps the right question worth asking. Those who loot, oppress and divide seem to know better the effectiveness of democratic process!

Democracy stands tall on the pillar of civil involvement. If it does not happen it turns out to be ‘mobocracy’ - destroying the very essence of democratic form of governance. We are not disillusioned altogether is the consoling thing to note. We have hope that sanity will prevail! Certain sections of the civil society has come of age to participate in the democratic progress, to challenge the lies-turning-into-facts. This is the threat to those who loot, to fanatics and to the propagators of social injustice. I don’t think there is another viable form of governance to such a diverse country such as India but what I do know is that only the strengthening of civil rights movements is the way forward to counter falsification of history and setting persons against persons. It is the right time to come together and unite as citizens to challenge all forms of falsity and fanaticism to ensure growth. 

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