Friday, May 12, 2006
The wheels of democracy run smooth
There are the elected forms of government and the rest. Common to the latter form of nations is a sentiment of latent unrest that remains fettered by force. The stranglehold of non-democratic forms of rule and civilian attempts to break free have resulted in bloody struggles - sometimes successful and at other times mere blips on the nation's radar.
Democracies, too, have not had it easy. Young nations have grappled with the institutionalisation of the practises of this form of governance (note: not rule). Middle-aged nations have been debating the fine balance of participation versus effeciency and older nations have needed resuscitation of its institutions quagmired in red-tape. The process is always bitter-sweet and usually leads to a satisfactory (if not fairy-tale) ending. As shown by India in the very recent past.
The elections in five states in India was the cynosure of the media for over a month now ( only deflected lightly when Pramod Mahajan (was) shot into the limelite!). TamilNadu, Assam, West Bengal, Pondicherry and Kerala together represents one-fifth of India's population (~200m). Elections to these state assemblies concluded May 7th. It brought mixed fortunes for the incumbents and the opposition alike. The frenzied fervour with which political opponents went at each other during campaign contrasted with unnatural calm during the counting. But, presto, once the verdict was out, the victor and the vanquished accepted their new positions with grace, the media spotlight moved from the battleground to the boardroom (aka assembly), the common man after a few hours of arm-chair psephology moved on to greater things in life, and the election commission breathed a sigh of relief !
Therein lies the beauty of democracy. It hangs by the single, delicate thread of the willingness of a 1 bn people to respect the mandate of the majority. It also revels in the untiring spirit of the people to hope and will the change.
I hope the rest of the world sees anomalies such as "Gujarat" as a mere spot on the otherwise spotless fabric of secular, democratic India.
There are the elected forms of government and the rest. Common to the latter form of nations is a sentiment of latent unrest that remains fettered by force. The stranglehold of non-democratic forms of rule and civilian attempts to break free have resulted in bloody struggles - sometimes successful and at other times mere blips on the nation's radar.
Democracies, too, have not had it easy. Young nations have grappled with the institutionalisation of the practises of this form of governance (note: not rule). Middle-aged nations have been debating the fine balance of participation versus effeciency and older nations have needed resuscitation of its institutions quagmired in red-tape. The process is always bitter-sweet and usually leads to a satisfactory (if not fairy-tale) ending. As shown by India in the very recent past.
The elections in five states in India was the cynosure of the media for over a month now ( only deflected lightly when Pramod Mahajan (was) shot into the limelite!). TamilNadu, Assam, West Bengal, Pondicherry and Kerala together represents one-fifth of India's population (~200m). Elections to these state assemblies concluded May 7th. It brought mixed fortunes for the incumbents and the opposition alike. The frenzied fervour with which political opponents went at each other during campaign contrasted with unnatural calm during the counting. But, presto, once the verdict was out, the victor and the vanquished accepted their new positions with grace, the media spotlight moved from the battleground to the boardroom (aka assembly), the common man after a few hours of arm-chair psephology moved on to greater things in life, and the election commission breathed a sigh of relief !
Therein lies the beauty of democracy. It hangs by the single, delicate thread of the willingness of a 1 bn people to respect the mandate of the majority. It also revels in the untiring spirit of the people to hope and will the change.
I hope the rest of the world sees anomalies such as "Gujarat" as a mere spot on the otherwise spotless fabric of secular, democratic India.
# posted by S @ 2:47 AM 
