Is it time to REVIVE our DEMOCRATIC system?

While it is proposed to revive the Indian democratic system, here is why ...

1. Voters do not have a way to dictate an election agenda. They can only select/elect from the agendas put out to them by different parties.

2. Limited information available on the history of candidates contesting

3. Difficulty in finding accountability for an issue as confusion prevails between party ideology, individual’s merits, local MP, local M.L.A , local municipal councillor or local gram panch

4. Limited power for voters to make politicians implement their agendas/promises

5. Limited control for voters to deal with a weak/inefficient/wrong politician once he or she is elected

6. Disengagement of the political class from the citizens

In short we have a complicated democratic system causing confusion in basic comprehension of relation between voting, agendas of political parties, governance and how it can affect a voter’s life. This has resulted in diminishing importance of voting and hence weakening of an already complicated democratic system. Democracy has no meaning without education. It does not mean democracy is only for the ‘qualified’ class. But it means democracy is only as powerful an instrument as the education of using it to the voter’s advantage would make it.

Next, we are a majoritarian democracy. It means that a majority opinion is considered for government formation. It also means a minority opinion which could be as high as 49% is rejected. The risk is almost half the people and opinions could remain unrepresented in nation building. This contradicts the essence of the term democracy which means people share equal power.

This calls for a debate on the very basic nature of democracy that exists in India.

Does the Indian democratic system need to be relooked at?

Does it need to undergo some adaptation? If yes what?

Does it need to be completely redesigned?

What would be the essentials required to redesign the system?

What could be the new Indian democratic system that could make ordinary people as powerful as the political class?

Please debate...

DISCLAIMER - Read carefully

* This blog does not support or oppose any political interest/party.
* This blog or its author, Jay Solanki is not against democracy.
* This blog is does not have any hidden agenda or any vested interest.
* The information on this blog is true to my knowledge. If found inaccurate, please bring it to the author's notice.
* Most of the information on this blog comes from
en.wikipedia.org
www.india-elections.com
Other random books and websites
* The blog is not funded nor is looking for any form of donation.
* The blog's goal is primarily to have a nationwide debate on the nature of Indian democratic system, thanks to the present state of democracy for making this possible.
* The blog or its author is not responsible for the comments and views of different members on it.

BASICS

STATE
A state is a political territory.

GOVENMENT
A government is the executive machinery that governs the state.


What does DEMOCRACY mean?
Democracy means people’s rule.
In a democracy people and the rulers share equal power, freedom and responsibility.
Subjects of the state appoint their administrators to run the state
Subjects of the state rule their state through their elected representatives


Democratic system
People elect representatives to run the government.



Lok Sabha constituencies
543

Number of States of India
28

Number of Union territories
7

Concerns with current state of democratic system

Present issues faced by people in the state of the India

1. Basics – Food, Shelter, Clothing, Security and Peace
2. Inadequate and inconsistent provision of Water, Power & road network
3. Increasing corruption in system
4. Improper social development
5. Slow Overall Development – Below average standards of living
6. Lack of availability of quality education system
7. Poor emphasis on Health infrastructure
8. Poor law and order, delayed justice
9. Not so citizen-friendly bureaucratic processes
10. Slow and inefficient bureaucratic systems
11. Slow improvement in communication, transportation and aviation infrastructure
12. Low emphasis on rehabilitation programmes
13. Low awareness on basic provisions of laws within Indian constitution and low awareness of citizen rights amongst citizens
14. Unemployment
15. Improper channels of 2-way communication between the state and its subjects i.e. government and its citizens
16. Poor focus on tourism within the country
17. Poor focus on environmental issues
18. Poor implementation of wildlife protection, poor restoration of ecosystem
19. Poor restoration/promotion of traditional, ethnic and cultural value-forms like ancient art, literary forms, sciences and systems
20. Sub-standard luxuries for the wealthy and privileged
21. Inadequate disaster management education and systems
22. Respect for the country and its people in other nations

Broadly, these issues would gain different priorities depending on different individuals, regions, societies and economic classes.


What do we usually get from Politicians?
1. Promise of political empowerment of caste, culture and religion at a hidden cost of security, peace and development
2. Change of rulers / government without any change in nature of governance or bureaucracy
3. Limited addressing of real issues like basic necessities, corruption, poor systems and inefficient bureaucracy. This is followed by even poor implementation of the decisions.


What causes this to happen?


1. Voters do not have a way to dictate an election agenda. They can only select/elect from the agendas put out to them by different parties.
2. Limited information available on the history of candidates contesting
3. Difficulty in finding accountability for an issue as confusion prevails between party ideology, individual’s merits, local MP, local M.L.A , local municipal councillor or local gram panch
4. Limited power for voters to make politicians implement their agendas/promises
5. Limited control for voters to deal with a weak/inefficient/wrong politician once he or she is elected
6. Disengagement of the political class from the citizens


In short we have a complicated democratic system causing confusion in basic comprehension of relation between voting, agendas of political parties, governance and how it can affect a voter’s life. This has resulted in diminishing importance of voting and hence weakening of an already complicated democratic system. Democracy has no meaning without education. It does not mean democracy is only for the ‘qualified’ class. But it means democracy is only as powerful an instrument as the education of using it to the voter’s advantage would make it.

Next, we are a majoritarian democracy. It means that a majority opinion is considered for governance. It also means a minority opinion which could be as high as 49% is rejected. The risk is almost half the people and opinions could remain unrepresented in nation building. This contradicts the essence of the term democracy which means people share equal power.

This calls for a debate on the very basic nature of democracy that exists in India.

Does the Indian democratic system need to be relooked at?
Does it need to undergo some adaptation? If yes what?
Does it need to be completely redesigned?
What would be the essentials required to redesign the system?
What could be the new Indian democratic system that could make ordinary people as powerful as the political class?

Please debate...

The ‘Great’ Indian democracy

Individuals who believe in specific theory of developing India come together to form a political party. The theory becomes the party ideology. Party puts forward different representatives who present that ideology to the people. These people are voters. If voters believe in that ideology can benefit their constituency, issues or the nation they elect them to run the nation with that ideology.

These ideologies could be based on different issues –

1. Religion based – BJP, INC
2. Region based – Telangana Rashtriya Samiti, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, PDP (J&K)
3. Linguistic culture based – Shiv Sena, MNS
4. Caste based – Bahujan Samajwadi party, Republican party of India
5. Economic policy based – CPI, CPM

... and more


Another great democracy, United States of America follows a 2 party system whereas India has unlimited political parties. India has about 7 national parties, over 50 regional parties and more than 1,000 registered but non-operational political parties. Does that make us a fragmented nation? No.
India is a country of diversity. We have been learning that since standard I. We have people belonging to different tribes, ethnic profiles, economic sections, regions, religions, sects, castes, languages, dictions, migration histories, etc. Each of these have their cultural and emotional issues.
Also there are different geographical conditions in India like there are deserts along the western frontier, mountains along the north, flooding rivers along north-East and Coastline in the south. There are jungles, barren lands, fertile patches, and hilly plateaus. People living in different terrains have their specific set of problems that the terrain or the region gives rise to.
Then there are different levels of education, practices, cultures, beliefs, economic classes which means relevant set of concerns for each.
With the disparity that exists in India, it throws up different concerns and aspirations. To address this heterogeneity it becomes imperative to have different political parties represent different aspirations. Hence the multi-party democracy.

Secondly, the nature of democracy is majoritarian. It means that a majority opinion is considered for governance.

Transitional & Devolved States

Transitional state

States which have a system of government which is in transition or turmoil and are classified with the current direction of change.
Eritrea (presidential republic)
Somalia (semi-presidential republic)


Devolved

States in which the central government has delegated some of its powers to self-governing subsidiary governments, creating a quasi-federation.
Spain (17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities)
United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Theocratic state

A religious priest of highest order rules the state based on the religious ideology.
Iran – Muslim theological state
Vatican City – Christian theological state

Presidential Democracy

Presidential democracy


Full presidential democracy
In full presidential systems, the president is both head of state and head of government. There is generally no prime minister, although if one exists he or she serves purely at the pleasure of the president. One country have at least vice-president that have an active role in the Government USA.

U.S.A.
Republic of the Congo
Madagascar
Peru
Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Tanzania
Uganda


Semi presidential democracy

In semi-presidential systems, there are two power heads. While it is the President who is the head of the state and the and the executive powers are shared with the Prime minister. The prime minister is the head of the legislature.

Algeria
Angola[1]
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Bosnia and Herzegovina[2]
Burkina Faso
Cape Verde
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa)
Egypt
Finland
France
Georgia
Guyana
Haiti
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Lithuania
Mali
Moldova
Mongolia
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Palestinian National Authority (Palestine)
Peru[1]
Romania
Russian Federation
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic[3] (Western Sahara)
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Serbia
Sri Lanka[1]
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Tajikistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Some of these are no longer democracies. They are already dictatorial states.

Parliamentary Democracy

In a parliamentary democratic system, people elect representatives to a body called, the parliament. The parliament elects a prime minister as the active head of the executive branch of government and also leader of the legislature on the basis of a majority vote. A Prime minister appoints his ministers to oversee various functions of the executive machinery.

The president's degree of executive power in a parliamentary democracy may range from being
reasonably significant (e.g. Pakistan)
to little (e.g. India)
or none at all (eg. Ireland).

India

Monarchy

Constitutional monarchy

It is a case where a king/ruler sublets his powers to a democratic system within monarchical realms. The monarch hence becomes a constitutional authority and heads the state. The Prime minister is a part of the elected government that is responsible for the executive organ. A constitutional monarch, unlike an absolute monarch exercises his powers after consenting with the government and/or the elected bodies.

Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Barbados
Belgium
Cambodia
Canada
Denmark
Jamaica
Japan
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Papua New Guinea
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Spain
Sweden
Thailand
United Kingdom



Constitutional monarchy with active monarch

In countries like Bahrain, Bhutan, U.A.E., etc a constitutional monarch exercises more powers and plays an active role. Some powers are shared with the nation's active executive, Prime minister which is solely at the discretion of the monarch.


Absolute monarchy

The king is above the land, law, executive and its people. He is the supreme head of state, government and legislature.

Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia

Mixed republic

The head of the legislature, Prime minister is also entitled as the President. He hence is the sole head of the state and executive.

Kiribati
South Africa
Switzerland

Military state

The nation's military control the organs of government and all high-ranking political executives are also members of the military hierarchy.

Fiji (until 2010)
Libya
Myanmar
Mauritania
Guinea

A Federal State

Federal state

States in which the federal government shares power with semi-independent regional governments. In many cases, the central government is (in theory) a creation of the regional governments; a prime example is the United States.



Argentina (23 provinces and 1 autonomous city)
Australia (6 states and 2 territories)
Austria (9 states)
Belgium (3 regions and 3 linguistic communities)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Brčko District)
Brazil (26 states and 1 federal district)
Canada (10 provinces and 3 territories)
Comoros (Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mohéli)
Ethiopia (9 regions and 3 chartered cities)
Germany (16 states)
India (28 states and 7 union territories)
Iraq (Currently 18 governates and 1 region)
Malaysia (13 states and 3 federal territories)
Mexico (31 states and 1 federal district)
Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap)
Nigeria (36 states and 1 federal capital territory)
Pakistan (4 provinces and 2 territories)
Palau (16 states)
Papua New Guinea (18 provinces, 1 autonomous region and 1 capital district)
Russia (46 oblasts, 21 republics, 9 krais, 4 autonomous okrugs, 2 federal cities, 1 autonomous oblast)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (14 parishes)
South Africa (9 provinces)
Switzerland (26 cantons)
United Arab Emirates (7 emirates)
United States (50 states, 2 commonwealths, 1 federal district, and 14 territories)
Venezuela (23 states, 1 capital district and 1 federal dependency)