Is India a democracy?

We the people of India would like to believe that ours is the largest democracy in the world. Is India truly a democracy? I think we are a democracy only on paper but in spirit we vacillate between autocracy and oligarchy.

To start with at the highest level we don’t have a democratic mindset. Our leaders do not think independently and give their opinion on each issue. They rather follow the instruction of the party president and keep the interest of the party ahead of the nation. We can see open display of sycophancy that cuts across all areas within the country. On occupying power our leaders behave as if the state were their personal fiefdom. In the democracy you should see your position as a role within the system. Outside that role everyone is equal and has no special status. That is the spirit of democracy. Where are the leaders like Lalbahadur Shastry who was not able to pay the monthly installment for his car loan? I was quite impressed or rather delighted to read that our current PM Manmohan Singh went to the RTO to renew his driving license. Unfortunately he has been portrayed as a weak Prime Minister. I think he is one of the few leaders who have strength of character. Just look at the confidence with which people at high places (not just the politicians) do as they please including killing others. In the recent past a few cases have gone against such powerful people largely owing to the involvement of the media. However, such cases are few and far between. The general feeling is that if you have the right contacts you can do anything and get away with it.

The second level is the democratic process. A few days back I was pleasantly surprised to see Prof. Trilochan Shastry giving a speech to an august gathering in one of the channels. He was one of the most respected professors in IIM Ahmedabad and was deeply involved in the social work. He made an excellent point on the selection of party candidates for the election. Currently it is decided by the goodwill of the party bosses. He also made an interesting point that we have guidelines for all kinds of organization except a political party, but who will bell the cat? Surprisingly, when it comes to their own benefit the politicians from different parties, who always fight amongst one another, present a united front. No wonder India as a country has got maximum deposits in Swiss banks and no one is interested to know the names of the account holders though these guys are more dangerous then the terrorists. I think the current practice of ticket allocation itself gives rise to sycophancy and autocracy. In this kind of scenario personal loyalty takes precedence over capability or character. We all know that only mediocre and incompetent people will agree to be yes-men. What kind of people will fall on the feet of the party supremo in full view of public and media can only be left to the imagination.

The third level is the implementation or the experience at the ground level. Not having the right people or the process is one thing but even after you have selected from the limited options that you have the actual distribution of power can take you by surprise in the prevalent coalition politics. Jharkhand is an interesting case from that perspective where an independent candidate could dictate terms and become the Chief Minister. Look at the recent results in J&K. PDP actually managed to get more seats this time but went to the opposition. Last time with only 15-16 seats they happily ruled for around three years. In centre also RJD or DMK or even LJP have few seats but exerts considerable influence due to the typical structure of the government. In this kind of scenario honest politicians are unlikely to do well. This kind of situation provides a field day for the unscrupulous and manipulative leaders. Our leaders are expert in playing the game of one-upmanship and the easiest way to play the game is to show off who can cause how much inconvenience to the hapless public. If leader x can hold the traffic at peak hours for 10 minutes to provide him a clear road and then the others can try for 20. If x can have 10 bodyguards for less protection and more display then others can try for at least 15.
No wonder that increasingly our judiciary is getting involved in many issues that should have been resolved by the executive as part of their normal duties. But the recent news that the judges used the PF funds of junior staff to buy luxury items for themselves makes the situation really hopeless for the ordinary citizens of this country.

There is an urgent need to deal with corruption at all levels as strictly as in China where one official was awarded death sentence recently for his involvement in corruption. That may be a little too harsh but quick and exemplary punishment can only save this country from this cancer.