8/10/2015 DemocracysessenceOPINIONTheHindu

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Published:August10,201500:00IST|Updated:August10,201505:50IST
August10,2015

Democracysessence
Indiasfundamentalbeliefindemocracyisoftentakenasagiven,butitisinstructivetounderstandthebasisandstrengthofthisbelief.A
newnationalsurveybytheCentrefortheStudyofDevelopingSocietiesshowsthatin2013,underhalfthecountryunequivocallypreferred
democracyasthebestformofgovernmentinallcasestheoutcomewasthesamewhenasimilarsurveywasconductedin2005.The
proportionofthosewhobelievethatanauthoritariangovernmentisacceptableinsomecaseshasgrown,butat11percentitremainsa
minorityview,andsignificantlylowerthanthosewiththesameviewinneighbouringPakistan.Amongthepoor,theScheduledCastesand
theScheduledTribes,thepreferencefordemocracywasnotwhatwassignificantlyhigher,butindifferenceastothetypeofgovernment.
SatisfactioninthefunctioningofdemocracyhasdeclinedsharplyinIndia,andwithit,presumably,thebeliefthataformofgovernmentin
whichonenotionallyhasavoiceisthemostdesirable.Preferenceforauthoritarianismwashigheramongthosewiththehighestmedia
exposure,thosewholivedinmetros,thosewhowererichandthosewhowerecollegeeducatedgroupsforwhichdemocracyhasdelivered
muchmorethanforthemarginalisedsections,yetamongwhomsuchconservativeviewsaregrowing.Evenamongthosewhoidentify
themselvesasdemocrats,manybelieveastrongleaderwoulddowelltotakedecisionsonhisorherownanddoawaywithelectionsand
Parliament,thesurveyreveals.Perhapsthisreflectsfrustrationwithasystemwhichwhilerepresentativeissimplynotdeliveringequallyand
efficientlytoall.

Indiawoulddowelltowatchoutforthegrowthofsuchauthoritariantendencies,especiallywhentheycomeinthegarbofpatriotism.Thisis
evident,forinstance,inthebrandingofcriticismofthedeathpenaltyasantinationalandinsupport,evenamongsomejournalists,forthe
governmentsmovetogoaftertelevisionchannelswhichairedviewsagainstYakubMemonshanging.Simultaneously,thegovernmentwould
dowelltonotmisunderstandthenatureofitsdemocraticcompactwithitspeople,especiallythepoor.Topamongtheessential
characteristicsofdemocracyasratedbyrespondentsinthesurveywasthefreedomtotakepartinprotestsanddemonstrations,evidenceofa
countrythatholdstherighttodissentdear.Severalwelfaristidealsprovisionofbasicnecessitiessuchasfood,clothingandshelter,aswell
asanarrowinggapbetweentherichandthepoorandjobopportunitiesforallcamenextinthelistofmostcherishedtenetsofdemocracy.
Theeverydayexperienceofdealingwiththestatefortheseisnodoubtfrustratingrationshopsarerankedasbeingamongthemost
corrupt,andthepoliceareseenastheleasttrusted.MajoritarianandjingoisticnotionsofdemocracyarenotwhatthepeopleofIndiaare
lookingfor,butawelfaristdemocracythatdelivers.

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