INDIA - A DEMOCRACY ??

It is high  time the Indian media and we all  stood up and asked ourselves this question - IS INDIA   REALLY A  DEMOCRACY ? Or an OLIGARCHY - a Govt by a few , for a few !
 

A democracy is where the government is “ for the people ,by the people and of the people “.In the case of India , does the government in power  fulfill any of the 3 criterias ?

Are they a government by  the people ? No. They are in power with a mere 17-20% of the total electoral votes . So definitely it cannot be a government “by the people .”

Are they a government of  the people “? . Definitely no . The scams being unearthed  everyday now and the  indifference or  reluctance of the governemnt to heed the voices of the people and  the media to punish the guilty proves so.  Where the views of the Opposition are  totally brushed aside and a choice imposed on the people  through a process of  steamrolling of the kind that has been witnessed in the FDI retail bill ; the 2G investigation and  CVC Mr. Thomas's case, is surely  a sign that its not a  government of the people  .

Are they a government for  the people ? Again its a big NO . It seems like  a governemnt serving only the  corrupt business class, corrupt political class and the corrupt executive . The   government plannning amnesty for tax offenders  and arrests for those protesting against rape, black money, high prices & corruption proves so . The govt protecting and elevating ministers who protect moneylenders that thrashed the poor farmer proves so .  The govts inability or unwillingness to bring to book those or even just one person who was suspected of having committed irregularities in handling state funds  proves so . When a govt willingly operates and supports a system whose logic and rules are  designed to allow maximum profits for those with real connections only ,while the  people or common man is punished , brutalised or even  murdered for raising a voice of dissent on the governments corrupt policies , it can no longer be a government for the people.

What about the citizens ?The key role of citizens in a democracy is to participate in public life. In  INDIA'S PUBLIC LIFE,  GOOD PEOPLE SHUN PUBLIC OFFICE AND ONLY THE MOST CORRUPT & RAPACIOUS ONES  SWARM AROUND IT WITH GREAT RELISH . IF DEMOCRACY IS TO WORK, CITIZENS MUST NOT ONLY PARTICIPATE AND EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS.  THEY MUST ALSO OBSERVE CERTAIN PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF DEMOCRATIC CONDUCT. WE INDIANS ( MOST )DONT. 

And finally where most of the   media - the fourth pillar of democracy , also  is unwilling to  check those in power and instead is willing to be  manipulated by the politicians and corporate  to misguide and  mould the public opinion for profit , then is there any semblence of true democracy left in this country ?.

This is what is happening in India today and yet we all proudly say that India is a symbol of real democracy . It’s high time we stopped blindly celebrating a “Democracy India’s  success story”  that is not real  and paid attention to actualy what’s happening to people’s lives , ........to our own lives , our society and our country in general .