Lecture Series

Democracy

The word democracy is derived from two Greek words – demos (meaning people) & kratia (meaning rule). It means rule of people. In politics, definition of democracy is given by Abraham Lincoln (16th president of USA) – it is a government which is of the people, for the people, by the people.

If we delve in history and find from where the idea has come out, it becomes very difficult because the history of human civilization is running alongside history of democracy. But still there are some bold markings & clear indications of when civilized humans started thinking about democratic ideas. The NCERT text book on political science says that, first glances of democratic ideas were exchanged at the time of Vedas itself. For example recall the famous line – Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam (the whole world’s a family). The concept of family makes a sense of equality & fraternity because in a family a talented and an ordinary are treated equally.

The Holy Quran says – kan naas o, ummatun wahidun (indeed humanity is one nation). The concept of nation is defined in aura of humanity and all of us know that humanity is boundless,it doesn’t know about the difference between creed, caste and boundaries. These are only two examples from history, but there are innumerous ones and no doubt examples given here are very much related to India.

Now, come back again to the politics. Ride on a time machine with reverse gear and come to Greece. The great Greek philosopher Aristotle who was champion in political science & science of government said that there are six forms of government—

1. Tyranny
2. Aristocracy
3. Oligarchy
4. Polity
5. Monarchy
6. Democracy

According to him – Polity is the best kind of government and democracy is worst form of polity. Polity reconciles all the good values of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. Tyranny is the worst kind of government where the king becomes oppressor and cruel above par. He does everything for self satisfaction. There are several examples of tyranny in history. Thus monarchy is the best form of tyranny. In other words, monarchy is pure from all the evils of tyranny because king is not an oppressor.

Oligarchy is the rule of few people. This is limited version of democracy, when only few affluent people rule over the nation.

Aristocracy is the government of the best. The best people like noble men rule the country. So it is also same as oligarchy.
Any how the debate of various forms of government ends at democracy because it is the rule of people and people here means each and every citizen of nation. Plato has said that democracy is rule of mob. The system of anarchy can be created from democracy. He advocated monarchy but he made one qualification, i.e. the monarch of the country must be the greatest philosopher of the nation but question raises here that who’ll decide on the verdict of the best philosopher of nation. Only the citizens of nation can answer the questions like who is the best philosopher, who is the best choice. And this they will tell by giving their opinion. And mode of giving opinion is voting. Hence, we return to democracy. It means anyhow till yet the democracy is accepted as the best form of government.

With monarchy a positive point is that if the king is a good human being then people of his state would be happy & prosperous. Examples in history are – Vikramaditya of India, Haroon Rashid & Hatim Tai of Baghdad. But serious drawback monarchy is that countrymen can’t catch him if he does wrong. He is unaccountable. It’s only up to him whether he does good or bad. Nobody can punish him.

In democracy people can punish the ruler for his corruption. Ruler has to be disciplined & honest otherwise he’ll be dethroned by people.

According to NCERT text book there are four incidents in modem history of world that gave great philip to the idea democracy they broadband & enriched it which is still getting richer day by day.

1. The first incident is the independence of America in 1776 & Philadelphia convention which held just after the independence. This convention showed the world what a democratic country is. It was first republic, its head was elected directly by government, it has got a written constitution which talked abut justice & equality

2. Second incident was French revolution in 1989. The public was in revolutionary mood; it killed the king & set the rule of public. This revolution has coined three basic concept of democracy called – liberty, fraternity, equality.

3. Russian revolution – in 1917 the proletariat revolution in Russia established the idea that labourers, farmers too have equal right in governance. They have equal right in each & every property of nation.

4. The independence of India in 1947 – It initiated a series of independence & self determination among third world nation. The biggest part of the world got the taste of democracy. Idea of right to development, right to practice one’s own culture, religion, and economic right was included in democracy. So, slowly & slowly democracy became broader & broader.
Now we’ll talk about sociological aspect of democracy. Till yet we’re talking about politics & governance in democracy.

Sociologically democracy means giving space to everybody. There are various kinds of men & women in the society & each of them has right to develop & pursue his desires. You can’t compress anybody’s space of creativity in a democratic society. Since world is changing everyday, new kind of ideas in field of science & technology, art & culture, politics governance are being developed. A democratic society will surely give each idea required space for its development.

Rule of road – there is a theory in democracy called rule of road. Imagine you are walking in the middle of the road, and other vehicles are being disturbed due to you. You are asked to walk on footpath or on left side of road but you say that you have right to walk on road anywhere because road is public property. Here the rule applies, you have right to walk on the road anywhere but you can’t snatch anybody else’s space to walk on the road. As you have right others too have. While enjoying or exercising your right you can’t encroach in anybody’s right. But alas nobody cares for that. Everyday we crowd out some part of other’s space.

Similarly, you are allowed to speak but you can’t defame anyone. But in India, we find that political leaders of various parties do not hesitate in defaming their rivals. The series of spitting on each once starts then goes on & on. They can say anything to anybody. Even they attack modesty of women with their words in public but no law prevents them. Extremist leaders with their speeches instigate people to kill somebody or set ablaze any religious shrine as it happened in Gujarat in 2002, and recently a Muslim leader in U.P. encouraged people to kill the person who made cartoon of Mohammed (PBUH). The failure of law is the reason behind these acts.

The marginalized groups like SC/ST, women, children often become victim of encroachment of rights. Among these biggest section is of women. Each & every woman feels compression of her space in her daily life. Men encroach in women’s rights everywhere like in work places, in homes, in market, even in vehicles though which they commute to other places. A man would enjoy in acquiring bigger part of seat when there is a women sitting beside her in a public carriage. He would try touching her hair or hand.

There is a example of famous case of Rupan Bejaj (IAS) vs K.P.S. gill (former DGP of Punjab) in which Mr. Gill was accused of pinching Ms. Bajaj in a party without her permission some fifteen years ago. She had fought case for fifteen years now she got judgment in her favour. Two points can be drawn from this case; first even high society intellectuals do not respect women’s position & her reservation. Even a woman IAS officer is vulnerable among men. She had to protect her rights at every single moment. Second, the justice is got after a long space of time and it loses its importance because memory of public is very short.

Similarly, children are also made victim of many violations of their democratic rights. Perhaps we don’t know that taking a child to a place where he or she doesn’t want to go is against his democratic rights . There are innumerous jargons and lessons of democracy which we have to learn to make a healthy and beautiful society. We have to test whether we are democratic or not. For example some of your friends are frank and show very light attitude towards you, you can pat him on his back or share any kind of joke with him or her. But there are some friends who have some reservation s about their public relations you can’t force them to share a joke (it doesn’t matter how much hilarious your joke is). And some time you have to tolerate other’s antics and nuisances (it doesn’t matter that you like them or not), this is part of a democratic society.

Politics in our country is not democratic in full measure but we can make it by our gallant efforts. First we have to become democratic in our personal and social behaviour. We have to rise from the level of petty values and feeling of self importance and think towards one better and bigger goal.

Prepared by:
Asim &Shahbaz