Democracy - For The People, By The People

We have always been so proud of us being Indian, and of India being a democratic country. Ever boastful of our rights, of our power to elect and decide the fate of our country. We have shown strong emotions on every political, economic and social event that happened around us. We promote and praise NGOs that work for the betterment of under-privileged. Yes, we are a true democracy in every sense of it.

Yes, we do crib about social injustice and corruption that has crept in. We wonder what went wrong and what should be done. Let’s take a step back and look at it. Let’s look at the meaning of democracy and the premise it sets up. Let’s for once be truly proud and appreciate our constitution and the favours it has given to all of us.


Let us re-iterate our fundamental rights, as it should mean to me:

Right to Equality: “I am equal as any other person and so has a right to demand equal favours given to it irrespective of its beliefs, or abilities”.

Right to Freedom: “I am free and thus demand a favour to condemn and stand against any one who restricts my freedom. I am free to choose the way I want to live and where I want to live and thus demand that I be provided the necessities to do so.”

Right Against Exploitation: “I have to stand against any exploitation and thus demand a favour to punish the one who exploits. The specifics of exploitation be left to a moral court, with a basic outline as the gain of individual or small group of people as against the masses.(minority rights)”

Right to Freedom of Religion: “I should uphold my beliefs and thus demand a favour to denounce any one who contradicts it, and has the audacity to say it on my face.”

Cultural and Educational Rights: “I have the right to reciprocate by beliefs and thus demand a favour to help spread it. I demand a favour of admission to any house of knowledge, and thus demand a favour to understand my need and ability.”

Right to Constitutional Remedies: “I should be given a favour of justice against anyone who breaches my fundamental rights. Against the one who doesn’t treat me as equal or exploit me.”

Right to Property: “I have the right to own, and should always be willing to give it up for public purposes. And thus demand a right over any property that can be made to public use.”

The only word where you would have doubted my intentions is when I attached “demand a favour” with every sentence I have used. But isn’t it true. Doesn’t it come as a part of human nature and so is very natural to be in a constitution, by the people and for them? We always tend to create an exception for the under-privileged. We always tend to doubt anyone who has done more than average. Stand united against him to protect our fundamental right to live.

Favour, is what we demand in a democracy. Not as a bribe, but as a right. It is our fundamental right to live and hence no one can ask a “Why” against it. We have earned it because we are born as a human being. It is the duty of all to provide me a living. The one who is capable is not because of his will, intelligence or virtue. It is because I have given him the liberty by not matching or exceeding his abilities. It is I who has chosen to be average and thus provided him a chance to be above average. He has not earned it, but was there at the right time and right place, again not because of his virtues but luck. We cannot accept that someone within our reach has exceeded our abilities. We always denounce one who does not acknowledge us, because we demand an acknowledgement as a right for his success. We always tend to hide behind the screen of social equality to hide our own failures and for not giving us a chance to reach for our dreams. We demand the one with abilities to compare with us. We never ask or expect them to deal with us in anyway but to repay what they have earned from the society back to it.

Anyone famous should give us a right to peep into their life and expect the same to be done by him. We ask then to stand naked as we do in front of them. The problem comes when we encounter someone with lesser abilities than ourselves and he demands the same from us. It is then that we cry foul and start talking.


When choosing our representatives we do the same. The abilities or virtues of a human being do not matter because we cannot see through it. Abilities are nothing but a twist of fate that can usher on anyone and so should be discounted. Virtues are views and change from one to another. The one who denounces someone whom we are not able to condemn openly is virtuous. We expect our leaders to be human and so should be prone to human emotions and errors. We expect a promise of something that we have not earned, without realizing that it is taken away from someone who has earned it.

This is the basic premise set by democracy. A democracy is only as good as the people who make it, only as virtuous as its constituents. If we demand a favor by definition we should be ready to give it. We cannot allow someone to take anything from anyone unless we can volunteer the same from our side. We cannot hate someone for earning more than us unless asking the poorer to condemn us. A relation where one accepts without offering something cannot be real. It can only lead to a democracy like ours, created by us. What is given to us as favors is nothing but a small portion of what is taken away from us.

Let us analyze and see whether some of these events or thoughts have there roots in the way we define fundamental rights and where do they contradict with the way they are stated in constitution. Let us see how we have used the power called constitution

Partition: Well one may argue the role of constitutional rights in partition, But as I see it, it is one event which has its roots deep within. It tried to impart every single right to everyone, Right to Equality, Freedom and Religion. It is even more dangerous as it was done on morality of doing the right thing, justified by sacrifice. Sacrifice has always been the single most indicators of morality and being right.

Reservations: Unearned preferences given to backward classes in the name of equalizing status and in repayment against injustice done to them for generations is a straight forward noncompliance of the first and the very basic right to equality. It clearly shows why a democracy can never give equal rights. The irony is that it is done in the name of these fundamental rights and we believe in it.

Demand for separate states/ formation of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh: Why do we need to have different states if it is our right to move, settle and earn in any part of the country. The demand for new states does not come out of the need of administration but as public revolutions and a cry for a state of there own. Isn’t it a mockery of the right to freedom? Certain political parties and groups oppose others to live and sustain in some part of country in full sunlight solely on the basis of their origin.

Licence Raj: For more than 4 decades after independence, we have seen the full wrath of licence Raj; it looted till there was not enough left. Although regulations are much reduced, it has left a permanent scar on psychology and philosophy of economics rather than economy of India as such. The crime once again done in the name of protection of public and supporting indigenous industries, saving right to freedom and against exploitation. It is one "overbearing, unfair, undemocratic system" gift of democracy.

The list is endless and I will continue to bring up the points and this blog has become big enough. So to conclude do we really understand the meaning of democracy and where is the current form leading us.

Time For Action

My pain on State of Affairs in India has not yet eased. In fact it has become worse. I have answered so many why’s to me and they all point to one place, The Leadership. It’s not the corruption or lack of will, but a lack of vision. A vision that none of the political parties have shown.

The root of the problem is in the quality of Indians, and in the attitude to adjust. The problem is in how we perceived independence and pampered the generation next. We believe we own this nation and have the right to exploit. We do not think twice before invading others space. The problem is not in being selfish, but in being foolish.

We demand favors, not as debts but as right, never ever thinking of repaying it. We don’t see the taxes we pay as a payment towards services or investment for a better tomorrow, but as a ransom paid to a mafia and are ok as nothing can be done.

In the name of equality we have created the best case of inequality. In the name of promoting talent we have made a system of awarding non-performers. Clearly something was wrong in the way Leaders have led the way.


Please feel free to correct me on any assumptions or facts I quote in answering the questions below:

Now let’s directly address the specifics:

Q: Repelling terrorists is another question but why has our government failed to address problem of local riots and communal unrest that have happened periodically in different parts of India.

A: The way I see it, most riots are catalyzed by employing local goons that live on unrest. These are mainly people who want to use force against week to live through. They are not concerned about the issue but are paid to do so to fulfill selfish aim for a few. Many are a result of revolution by people who have been oppressed for ages. A few incidents simply used the fuel of fear and aimlessness.

Q: Why do many Indians prefer to work in US UK and other countries?
A: This has little to do with patriotism or lack of it. In fact patriotism sometimes holds us back. Infrastructure and opportunities do form part of the argument but it’s mostly the lifestyle and the social environment that has attracted people. Esthetics of a place gives a big impression. The onus to keep our city, state and country livable is on every citizen and blame cannot be passed to anyone else. It is often said as a joke that “In US you can kiss your girl in the middle of a road but you cannot spit and pee. But in India it’s the other way round.” Yes government can impose penalties but it cannot be corrected if notconsidered by everyone else.

Look at the relative number of beggars on street. In India they feed on pity whereas in many other places people do road shows or offer services for public and thus accept what people feel like giving. They do not beg but they earn it. It’s a difference in attitude. Well one may advocate that the attitude itself is dependent on relative maturity and wealth of society. A country where everyone is stomach full can afford to chase dream and have the ‘right’ attitude.

When addressing these problems I tried to think of possible solution. Of many things one that is most needed is the change in attitude. We need an attitude to support ourselves, to deny any pity, to consume only what we earn, to stop undermining others and respect everyone for their ability and to stop the use of force of any kind.

To achieve this we need to take out the parasites. Those who do not want to produce those who need aid, not circumstantially but because that’s the only way they know to survive. We need to distinguish between the responsible and the not. But who has the right to do so?Well without a court to do so, we can say that those who cannot take care of themselves cannot support a family. So unless one proves worthy of supporting self should not be allowed to have a family. But how do you ensure that. Again it may be as simple by insuring that if the family cannot do so government can do so without taxpayers sharing the burden. This can be done by enforcing to buy a compulsory insurance by couples before having there first child, and let the insurance companies work out the details. Stop distributing free/subsidized rations. Deal use of any kind of force very strictly. Yes I am suggesting that let government be the one who controls all the force. Let police be the only and ultimate mafia.

So what happens to sick, old and disabled. Well it’s too simple and the most difficult to answer. Because the answer comes out of natural logic and opposes the age old habit of ours to show pity. Let different sections of society have their definitions and support who they want. Let them have their own criteria and pay for it. Different groups can support one or more NGOs and decide to support and pay for who they want to. It will promote one to save for future and in times of trouble, and will make one more responsible towards the society. This will deny a few worthy but will create a strong bonded society in a longer run.

We can then channelize our energy in giving proper infrastructure and opportunities of growth, without bias, let the best one grab the opportunity. Yes a lot will perish in this and only worthy will survive to live, but isn’t it the way it should be. Shouldn’t we just care and nourish for the future, led by the present and respect our past. It will ensure the future to groom in a competitive environment without worry. It will make one live for self and family and thus help the whole nation. It will give one time and resources to enjoy retirement. The one not willing to live will not be able to live. It will then make the administrators to deliver results and outperform their promises to survive.

It just needs a resolve on our part to:
Not give-in to the ‘OK’ attitude.
Not accept what we have not earned.
Pay for what we take from society.
Not allow someone to take something it has not earned.

Now the question is : Are we willing to do so?