DailyPost 2665
AN EVENTFUL DEMOCRACY!
What does an eventful democracy mean? It means the vibrant functioning of a robust democracy punctuated by democratic events, which add meaning to our existence and can proudly be treated as milestones in our journey to a democratically developed nation. How much of that has been happening is left your tryst with democracy? Are we moving in a calibrated manner to towards that goal? Has the quality of parliamentary debates taken a leap forward? Has the quality of laws improved? And equally importantly been in tune with the times? How many of our leaders can be treated a messiah of democracy?
Democratic events were to become the mainstay of our existence and was expected to improve our existence in every field. Democracy besides the constitution and the laws entails a quality of life, an attitude, a thought process and a delivery mechanism quite different from any other form of government. Democracy is a progression where you have to traverse a journey from the nascent stage to a developed one. How much have we been enabled in our democratic journey because of these milestone events? This question can put anybody, at a loss of words. Might be at a loss to even think?
The reality has been that events, mundane and otherwise have taken over the democracy of this nation. It’s like finding the road between two speed breakers in many rural parts of the country, or the capability of navigate potholed roads in many parts of urban India. Events, events and more events have pockmarked our democratic surface as nothing else. It has reached to such an extent that even the most serious activity of democratic functioning, elections, have been brought to the level of an event. Even worse, it is declared as a festival of democracy. It means fun and frolic attached to it.
The democratic intent and practice of an electoral stamp on political manifesto and good human resources (elected representatives) to bring it to reality has been lost completely. The sanctity is missing. Come to think of it, the parliamentary and legislative sessions, have been transformed into an event, for sure, for a variety of reasons and for a variety of purposes. Even serious debates finally end up in a similar manner. May be live TV coverage has also played a role. Instead of serious mandated legislative work, they start playing to the gallery, covered by the TV viewership. Come to think of it, what would be left of our democracy, if we didn’t have foundation laying ceremonies, bhoomi pujas, inaugurations, commissioning of projects, different levels of conferences, party jamborees, road shows, elections victory functions, and list is endless. Endless are the speeches too. We have redefined democracy. This is where we have brought it to.
WHAT WOULD BE THE LIFE OF THE POLITICAL CLASS WITHOUT EVENTS?
Sanjay Sahay