I

ndi
an Democr
acy
:St
rengt
hs
andWeaknesses

Weseemanyt
ypesofgov
ernancei
nthewor
ld,
butt
hemostpopul
ar
sy
stem amongal
lthosesy
stemsi
sdemocr
acy
.TheEngl
i
shwor
d
democr
acyhasor
igi
nat
edf
rom t
heGr
eekwor
d'Demos'
and'
Cresi
a'
.
Demosmeans'
peopl
e'
. And'
cresci
a'means'
rul
e'
,sodemocr
acy
means'
rul
eoft
hepeopl
e'
.

Themostpopul
ardef
ini
ti
onofdemocr
acywasgi
venbyAbr
aham
Li
ncol
ninhi
sGet
tysbur
gSpeech!Li
ncol
nsawdemocr
acyast
her
ule
oft
hepeopl
e,byt
hepeopl
e,f
ort
hepeopl
e
Anot
hert
hinker
,JamesBr
yce,
bel
i
evest
hat"
democr
acyi
sther
ulei
n
whi
chal
argepar
toft
hecount
ryr
ules"
.

Dev
elopmentofdemocr
acy

SamuelHunt
ingt
on,whi
l
est
udy
ing democr
ati
ccount
ri
es,di
vi
ded
t
hem i
ntot
hef
oll
owi
ngt
hreest
ages
1,Fi
rstPhase(
1828–1926)-I
nthi
sphase,count
ri
esl
i
keFr
ance,
Amer
ica,
Bri
tai
nwer
edemocr
ati
zed.
2,PhaseI
I(1943–1962)-I
nthephase,count
ri
esl
i
keI
tal
y,West
Ger
many
,Indi
a,Japan,
andI
srael
hav
ebeendemocr
ati
zed.
3,Thi
rdphase(
1974-
ti
llnow)-Spai
n,Por
tugal
,Chi
l
li
,Ar
gent
inaand
ot
hercount
ri
esofEast
ernEur
opebecamedemocr
ati
cint
hist
hir
d
phase

Ty
pesofdemocr
acy

1.Di
rectdemocr
acy:
-Thef
ir
stuseofdi
rectdemocr
acyoccur
redi
n
At
hensi
nUnaniYoga.I
tist
hei
dealf
orm ofdemocr
acy
,indi
rect
democr
acy
,iti
snotr
uledbyt
her
epr
esent
ati
ve,buti
niti
srul
edby
r
efer
endum andl
ocaluni
ts,
int
hemoder
ner
a.Theconceptofdi
rect
democr
acycanbeseeni
nthev
iewsofRousseau.Suchdemocr
ati
c
t
hinker
srej
ectt
heel
ect
oral
democr
acyoft
hepar
ty.
2.pr
ocedur
aldemocr
acy:
-Pr
ocedur
aldemocr
acyr
efer
stopol
i
tical
democr
acy
,pr
ocedur
aldemocr
acyi
sgov
ernedbyr
epr
esent
ati
ver
ule,
v
oti
ng,
adul
tsuf
frage,
etc.
3.Tat
kaldemocr
acy:
-El
ement
aldemocr
acybasi
cal
l
yli
esi
na
soci
ali
st,wel
far
e st
atei
n whi
ch,i
n addi
ti
on t
o adul
tsuf
frage,
el
ect
ionsandr
epr
esent
ati
ver
ule,peopl
ear
egi
vensoci
o-economi
c
r
ight
s so t
hatpeopl
e can be empower
ed,soci
aland economi
c
democr
acymeansI
tisonl
yar
adi
cal
democr
acy

Democr
acyi
nindi
a

Thel
argestofademocr
ati
ccount
ryal
sohast
oel
ecti
tsgov
ernment
byt
hepeopl
ether
e,i
tist
hel
argestdemocr
ati
ccount
ryi
nthewor
ld.
Oneoft
hepecul
i
ari
ti
esofI
ndi
a'
sdemocr
acyi
sthatt
her
eisuni
tyi
n
di
ver
sit
y,her
eiti
sdef
ini
teI
tsr
epr
esent
ati
vesar
eel
ect
edt
hrough
t
imel
y el
ect
ion pr
ocess,t
he par
li
ament
ary sy
stem has been
pr
omot
edi
nsi
deI
ndi
a.

TheSt
rengt
hesofI
ndi
andemocr
acy

I
ndi
aisasov
erei
gncount
ry:
-itmeanst
hatI
ndi
aisacount
ry
compl
etel
yfr
eef
rom i
nter
fer
enceandcont
rolofanyf
orei
gnpower
.
Ther
eisnoi
nter
fer
enceofanyki
ndbyanyheav
ycount
ryonI
ndi
a'
s
pol
i
cies.

Soci
ali
stel
ement
sar
eal
soi
ncl
uded:
-Al
ltheci
ti
zensofourcount
ry
hav
ebeenguar
ant
eedsoci
alandeconomi
cequal
i
ty.

Secul
arsy
stem :
-ie,t
hest
atehasnor
eli
gionofi
tsownandal
l
r
eli
gionsar
eequali
ntheey
esoft
hest
ate.Al
lci
ti
zensher
ehav
ethe
r
ightt
owor
shi
pthei
rrel
i
gionandchooset
hei
rrel
i
gion.

Feder
algov
ernancesy
stem :
-whi
chmeanst
hatt
her
ehasbeena
def
ini
teshar
ingofpower
sbet
weent
hecent
ralgov
ernmentandt
he
st
ategov
ernment
,butmai
nlyi
ntheshar
ingoft
hispower
,thecent
er
hasbeenmademor
epower
ful
.

Det
ail
edandwr
it
tenconst
it
uti
on:
-Asweal
lknow wel
lthatt
he
const
it
uti
onofI
ndi
aist
hel
argestconst
it
uti
oni
nthewhol
ewor
ld,
t
hisconst
it
uti
onwascomposedbyaConst
it
uentAssembl
y,whose
dr
aftcommi
tt
eewasheadedbyDr
.Bhi
mraoAmbedkar
,duet
owhi
ch
Ambedkari
sal
soconsi
der
edt
hef
atheroft
heconst
it
uti
on;i
ttook2
y
ear
s11mont
hs18day
stowr
it
etheconst
it
uti
on,outofwhi
chi
t
t
ook113day
satmostt
opr
epar
ethedr
aftoft
heconst
it
uti
on.

Vot
ingwi
thoutdi
scr
imi
nat
ion:
-Ev
eryper
sonwhoi
saci
ti
zenof
I
ndi
a,whet
herhei
samanorawoman,
aswel
laswhocompl
etest
he
age of 18 y
ear
s,has been gi
ven a f
ranchi
se wi
thout any
di
scr
imi
nat
ion.I
tal
someanst
hatI
ndi
anr
ule Toensur
eev
ery
one'
s
par
ti
cipat
ioni
n

I
ncl
usi
onofFundament
alRi
ght
s:-I
nor
dert
ost
rengt
henI
ndi
an
democr
acy
,Ar
ti
cl
es12 t
o 35 ofourConst
it
uti
on gi
vedet
ail
sof
f
undament
alr
ight
s,t
hesef
undament
alr
ight
sar
ever
yimpor
tantf
or
t
hedev
elopmentoft
hepeopl
e.Thet
angi
blef
orm oft
hesouli
sal
so
v
isi
ble

I
ndependentMedi
a:-Medi
aisconsi
der
ed t
hef
our
th pi
l
lari
na
democr
ati
ccount
rybecausei
tist
her
esponsi
bil
i
tyoft
hepeopl
eof
t
hecount
ryt
omaket
hem awar
e,i
tist
hemedi
athatcr
it
ici
zest
he
r
uli
ngpar
tyi
nthemostv
olume,Thef
earoft
hemedi
aonl
yfor
ces
t
heaut
hor
it
ari
anpar
tyt
odopubl
i
cint
erest
.

Fai
rJudi
ciar
y:-Tost
rengt
hent
hedemocr
acyofI
ndi
a,af
airj
udi
ciar
y
hasal
sobeenf
ormed.Thi
sjudi
ciar
ywor
kst
oenddi
sput
esatbi
rt
h
bet
weent
heCent
erandt
heSt
ateGov
ernment
s.I
tisal
sonecessar
y
t
oknow her
ethatatpr
esent Thej
udi
ciar
yisal
sot
ryi
ngt
osol
ve
manypr
obl
emsofI
ndi
abyadopt
ingj
udi
cialact
ivi
sm.Today
,the
j
udi
ciar
y i
s al
so sensi
ti
ve t
o i
ssues l
i
ke human i
nter
est
,
env
ironment
alpr
otect
ion,f
reedom ofexpr
essi
on,r
ightt
o sel
f-
det
ermi
nat
ion.

WeaknessesofI
ndi
anDemocr
acy

Execut
iveI
nter
vent
ionofLegi
slat
ure:
-Thi
sist
hebi
ggestdr
awback
ofI
ndi
andemocr
acyt
hatt
her
eisi
nter
fer
enceoft
heLegi
slat
urei
n
t
hewor
koft
heexecut
iveher
eduet
owhi
cht
heexecut
ivei
snotabl
e
t
odoi
tswor
kpr
oper
ly.

Const
ant
lyi
ncr
easi
ng st
arv
ati
on,pov
ert
y,unempl
oyment:
-The
si
tuat
ioni
nIndi
ahasbecomesucht
hati
tisget
ti
ngr
icherandr
icher
her
e,t
her
eisnochangei
nthecondi
ti
onoft
hepoor
,ther
ehasbeen
f
orceddemonet
isat
ionandGST ont
hiscount
ry. Thi
smoathas
wor
kedt
owi
dent
hismoat

St
ressi
nther
elat
ionsbet
weent
heCent
erandt
heSt
ates:
-The
f
eder
algov
ernmentsy
stem hasbeenpr
omot
edi
nIndi
a,butwear
e
al
lawar
ethatt
hecent
ralgov
ernmenti
smor
eef
fect
iveher
eand
manyt
imest
hei
nter
vent
ionoft
hecent
ralgov
ernmenti
sseeni
nthe
st
ategov
ernment
sel
sewher
e.I
fiti
sdr
opped,t
hent
her
eisnohel
p
pr
ovi
dedt
othest
ategov
ernment
sany
wher
e,duet
owhi
cht
her
eisa
l
ackofst
rengt
hint
hedemocr
acyofourcount
ry.
Pol
it
icsofr
egi
onal
ism andsepar
ati
sm :
-Duet
othedev
elopmentof
ourr
egi
onandi
tsl
anguagei
sdi
ff
erent
,insomest
atesweal
sosee
t
het
endencyofr
egi
onal
i
sm whi
chi
snoti
nthei
nter
estoft
heent
ir
e
count
ry,f
orexampl
einPur
vanchaldemandi
nUt
tarPr
adesh.Ri
se,
demandf
orBodol
andi
nAssam,Gor
khal
andi
nBengalet
c. The
demandf
orr
egi
onal
i
sm orf
undament
ali
sm i
srai
sedduet
opol
i
tical
,
cul
tur
al,hi
stor
ical
,li
ngui
sti
c,admi
nist
rat
iveand r
eli
giousr
easons
wher
eregi
onal
i
sm demands a separ
ate st
ate,whi
l
eti
redness
demandsasepar
atecount
ryf
ori
tsel
f,asepar
ateKhal
i
stanbyt
he
Akal
iDal
. The demand f
ort
hisi
s an exampl
e oft
his,bot
h
r
egi
onal
i
sm and separ
ate,dev
alue t
he democr
ati
cval
ues ​
ofa
democr
ati
ccount
ry.

Ci
ti
zens nott
o be l
it
erat
e and awar
e:-A weaknessofI
ndi
a'
s
democr
acyi
sthatmostoft
hepopul
ati
onher
eisnotl
i
ter
ate,aswel
l
asaboutt
hei
rhumanr
ight
s,t
hei
rfr
eedom ofexpr
essi
on,t
hei
rri
ght
t
odeci
de,
thei
rfr
eedom.Notev
enknowl
edge

Pol
it
icsbasedoncast
eandr
eli
gion:
-InI
ndi
a,cast
eandr
eli
gion
hav
eexcessi
vedomi
nancei
npol
i
tics,
thev
oterher
edoesnotchoose
hi
srepr
esent
ati
veont
hebasi
sofhi
sabi
l
itybutonl
ybecauseofhi
s
bel
ongi
ng t
o hi
scast
eorr
eli
gion. I
tiswor
thnot
ing t
hatwhi
l
e
sel
ect
ingt
hei
rcandi
dat
esbypol
i
tical
par
ti
es,
candi
dat
esar
esel
ect
ed
ont
hebasi
sofcast
eandr
eli
giononl
y.

Peopl
epr
essur
eandcor
rupt
ionont
hebur
eaucr
ati
cdomi
nance:
-
Ther
eis mor
e pr
essur
e on t
he bur
eaucr
acyofpeopl
e who ar
e
i
nfl
uent
ialanddomi
nant
,ev
ent
hebur
eaucr
ati
cact
ionsar
eint
erf
ered
byt
hel
eader
s.Thi
sty
peofbur
eaucr
acywasdomi
nat
edf
ort
hef
ir
st
t
imedur
ingI
ndi
raGandhi
'
stenur
e.I
tisseenwher
etheyf
acesuch
al
l
egat
ionst
hatt
heyusedt
hebur
eaucr
acyt
oful
fi
llt
hei
rpol
i
tical
i
nter
est
s,aswel
last
ellt
hatcor
rupt
ionhasdeepenedi
tsr
oot
sin
I
ndi
a.

Cr
imi
nal
izat
ionofpol
it
ics:
-Manyt
imes,bysomepol
i
ticalpar
ti
es,
suchpeopl
ear
eal
somadet
hei
rcandi
dat
es,whoar
efaci
ngmany
t
ypesofser
iouspr
osecut
ions,whi
chmanyt
imeswi
nel
ect
ionson
t
hebasi
soft
hei
rmoneyandboot
hcapt
uri
ng. Al
sogobuti
thas
beenv
erydanger
ousf
orI
ndi
andemocr
acy

I
ndi
anDemocr
acyandt
hecur
rent
cent
ral
gov
ernment

TheBJPandi
tscoal
i
tionNDAar
ecur
rent
lyi
npoweratt
heCent
er
si
nce2014.Si
nce2014,t
hedemocr
ati
cval
ues​
ofI
​ ndi
ahav
ebeen
cont
inuousl
ydev
aluedbyt
heBJP,f
rom t
hei
ndependenceoft
he
count
ryt
il
lnow,mostoft
hej
okesandl
i
eshav
ebeenusedbyt
he
pr
esentgov
ernmentt
omani
pul
atet
hepeopl
eandbecomet
hepr
ime
r
epr
esent
ati
ve of t
he cur
rent pol
i
tics. The pr
esent cent
ral
gov
ernmenthascr
eat
edsuchascenar
ioi
nwhi
cht
hepol
i
ticsof
r
eli
gionandcast
eisbecomi
ngst
rongerdaybyday
,thebuy
ingand
sel
l
ingofl
eader
sandmi
nist
ershasbeenseenmostf
ori
tspol
i
tical
gai
ns,usi
ngt
heCBIt
ocr
usht
heopponent
sand I
tisbei
ngdonef
or
t
hepeopl
ewhospeakagai
nstt
hei
rpower
,aswel
laswhatwecal
lthe
f
our
thpi
l
larofdemocr
acy
,inst
eadofr
emov
ingt
heshor
tcomi
ngsof
power
,inst
eadofquest
ioni
ngt
hepowerdayandni
ght
,itt
ri
est
o
showt
het
rut
hoft
hel
i
eoft
hepr
esentgov
ernment
.Remai
ns,
whi
ch
i
sthebi
ggestt
hreatt
oanydemocr
ati
ccount
ry

Suggest
ionsf
ori
mpr
ovementi
n
I
ndi
anDemocr
acy

Wehav
elear
nedaboutt
hemanyshor
tcomi
ngsofI
ndi
andemocr
acy
whi
ch can al
so be i
mpr
oved.These r
efor
ms i
ncl
ude pov
ert
y
al
l
evi
ati
on,pr
omot
ionofl
i
ter
acy
,keepi
ngcast
eandr
eli
gionpol
i
tics
out
,reduci
ngcr
imi
nal
i
zat
ioni
npol
i
tics,cr
eat
ingconsci
ouspubl
i
c
opi
nion, Cent
er And t
o cr
eat
e coor
dinat
ion among st
ate
gov
ernment
s, medi
a wor
k wi
th i
ts r
esponsi
bil
i
ty, El
ect
ion
Commi
ssi
on can under
stand i
tsr
ole et
c.Wi
tht
hese r
efor
ms,
democr
acyofI
ndi
acanbest
rengt
hened.