It is a sad paradox that although India has a stable democracy, though governments may be unstable, the people holding it in place are of doubtful credibility, to say the least.
The recent elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal highlighted Indian democracy at its worst. While in Tamil Nadu, a woman barred from contesting elections on corruption charges ascended the throne of Chief Minister, the intense rivalry between the CPI (M) and the Trinamool Congress unleashed violence and terror on the common man.

A Sad Paradox

Democracy may have its flaws, but among all the available systems of governance, it has been acknowledged as the best. Logically, it should work very well, because it is the only system in which the people have a say in their own affairs. It is also logical that the people, in their own interests, should choose clean and dedicated candidates to serve the nation. But India is a land that has defied logic time and again. It is a sad paradox that although India has a stable democracy, though governments may be unstable, the people holding it in place are of doubtful credibility to say the least. Our politicians have been accused of murder, abduction, rape, extortion, corruption, and sometimes convicted, of every crime in the book. And yet, hooligans and criminals find their way into representative bodies everywhere from gram panchayats to the Central government. Why?
The answer lies largely in our gullibility. Unscrupulous politicians promise us the impossible and we vote for them. They shout inane slogans like Garibi Hatao and our votes are theirs for the asking. Neither they nor we realise that the principles of economics deny this Utopia. They demand votes in the name of caste and religion and their demands do not go unfulfilled. Well, so much for secularism. If none of these tactics work, the options of booth capturing, poll rigging, and rioting are always open.

The Government We Deserve

Over half a century of gimmicks has gone by and we are yet to learn our lessons in democracy. It is now time to stop thinking of democracy as a process in which every adult gets to vote once in five years and gets to slip into complacence in between. We need to realise that we have the power not just to elect our representatives, but to decide the way in which we want to be ruled. If the Tamilians choose to turn a Nelson’s eye towards the petty squabbles between Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi, it is not surprising that the two use their power to settle personal scores at the cost of development. If the Bengalis find nothing wrong in the strong-arm tactics employed by the Trinamool and the CPI (M) workers, small wonder then, that flash points are low and the state reels under violence.
If we Indians take governance to mean violence and corruption, it is only natural that nothing changes from election to election and the electorate suffers. Because, ultimately, we get the government we deserve.
Don’t Our People Care?
So, don’t our people care? Actually, by and large, they do. Because, a bad government affects their daily bread. It determines the level of security in their lives. On it also depends their standard of living. And our people know this only too well. One has only to look around and talk to anybody with a grievance. Their words are proof enough that they know who has added to their sufferings. Most rant against the sarkar for not having any sympathy with them and doing precious little in their interests! We voted for them and now they have turned their backs on us, is the common refrain.
Surely, the malaise is known to us all. What eludes the common man is the cure. The real culprit, then, is the people’s ignorance of their rights and the power that democracy bestows upon them. In fact, they are not even sure that they are in a position to do anything at all. There is a sort of helpless resignation among them over the state of affairs because they are certain that whatever happens up there, they have no role to play in it.
On the other hand, there is a small section of society whose level of awareness is quite high. Let us call it the elite group a small minority with a progressive outlook and access to good education, people who can make a difference if they so choose. Unfortunately, this is the group that doesn’t really care. The probable reason seems to be that since these people are well educated, and are quite well to do, changes in governments, riots, high incidence of crime do not really affect them in any manner. So, it doesn’t bother most of them much, that things are not the way they should be. They consider their duty as citizens done once they have expressed their concern and they go about their lives, without attempting to do anything constructive.

Futility of Cynicism

There is also a lot of cynicism among these elite of our society. These people know they comprise a small minority and cannot hope to change anything on their own. To make a difference, they need the help of the uneducated minority. Since this is not forthcoming, helplessness, and ultimately, cynicism set in. However, this elite group must wake up to the fact that it is they who have to make a beginning. The huge gulf between the haves and the have nots needs to be bridged. If these two sections of society come together, much can be done.

Active Citizenship

To begin with, cynicism will get us nowhere. On the contrary, active citizenship can bring about a radical change in the present situation. If Indian democracy is to thrive, the elite have to start taking a healthy interest in it. They should ponder the fact that they are a privileged lot in this country, and that they are at least partly responsible for the rampant ignorance that is the albatross around India’s neck. Our people should be made to understand the importance of even a single vote. Further, they should also understand that politicians are not their masters, but their servants, and as such, can be fired if their services are not satisfactory. Given the inadequacy of our education system and the high rate of illiteracy, this kind of education in an individual’s rights and privileges can best be imparted with the initiative of the elite.

Networking

Above all, networking is vital. One can only do so much in one’s capacity as an individual. A common platform, bringing together people from all over the nation with the good of the people at heart, will be more effective in tackling problems. But since this will take time and resources, a viable alternative would be for like-minded people in smaller areas to merge interests. Pressure groups can be formed at a local level, and they can serve a dual purpose. First, they can keep tabs on local administrative bodies by persisting in demands for development, accountability, and more transparency in money matters. Second, they can identify problems specific to their respective areas, and chalk out possible solutions, which can be conveyed to the general public. Thereafter, it becomes a collective responsibility. Whatever action is to be taken, should be taken with the help of the laity. Politicians who use the electorate as a short ladder to high success should thus be weeded out carefully and systematically.

School for Netas

Our problems are plenty, and there are very few immediate solutions. But in a largely dismal atmosphere, a ray of hope comes from a novel project currently being carried out in the newly formed state of Jharkhand. Netagiri, a school for future politicians, launched last April by a former politician, Raj Ranjan, is a school with a difference. It teaches its students the ABC of governance and imbibes in them a sense of moral right and wrong, which is so sorely missed in today’s crop of politicians. The idea is to train young blood in such a way that they look upon politics as a means to serve the people rather than as a means for personal gain. When changes at the grassroots level are effected, they will automatically be reflected on a larger scale. But until such changes become widespread, the onus of sweeping our politics clean lies with the people.

Change is Possible

As things stand today, we are deep in the muck of corruption. To add to our woes, we are easily swayed by those who seek to incite us for their private gains. Our representatives are taking undue advantage of the very people who voted them to power. Under the prevailing conditions, India cuts a sorry picture abroad, and discourages foreign investment, which in turn compounds our problem of poverty. All this can be changed. Two sections of society, which stand poles apart today, need to join hands. One is the minority with the means but without the will to change things and other is the majority with the will but without the means. When these two come together, the rest, even though not easy, won’t be impossible any longer.
ANJALI PATIL-GAIKWAD, a member of the Indian Liberal Group, is a lecturer in communication skills and gives talks regularly on the Nagpur station of All India Radio.