“People’s Democracy”. Wait, Whose?!

Democracy represents the will of the people.

The most ostentatious description of democracy, in my view, is ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’ but agreeing to the question raised by Professor P.O Espejo, who ARE the people?

The process of electing representatives by the “people” for themselves, if we may call it so, is a well-known outcome of a democracy. Naturally, beating the other is more important than one’s own victory which is on every contender’s mind. If one of them announces that he ‘clearly understands the wishes of people’ then contrarily, the other in contention, on behalf of the people, points out an absolutely opposite list of their needs and wishes.

‘People’ here is nothing but a shallow word. The present form of democracy is OF the select-few-shallow citizenry, BY the select-few-shallow citizenry and FOR the same. Now that ‘people’ is nullified, with reference to the very first phrase of this article, democracy is becoming to represent the will of nobody.

Apparently democracy is losing its very essence: the will of people!

As per Professor Espejo’s theory such a case would more justifiably fit into an American or, in my opinion, any country other than India’s context as here the diversity easily succeeds in creating different groups with pre-supposed opposing needs.

In India the people are segregated by a range of cultures, religions, castes and creeds. The politicians effortlessly target a particular group of people the ideas of which would certainly differ from those of another group. Hence, in the Indian context our controversial term people may no longer exist to be so (i.e., controversial!).

And this is where, in my utopian view, the present institutions might need to focus on by respecting the people and not abusing their very existence. Politicians will have to let go of their vested interests and stop disengaging individuals while paying more attention to common basic problems.

In a country as vast as India perhaps the work can only be done easily from a level not higher than the state’s to take steps to comply with their people’s necessities.

Time and again through mass media as films the idea of solidarity and oneness is propelled amongst the people. Chak De India, a commercially successful film tried to discourage association of individual’s identity with the state he belongs to but with the nation, India, as a whole. The Indian National Movement for independence is the best example of unity (against the imperialist power).

Although different social and environmental issues based on various geographical changes have to be addressed as per its area-specific requirement but other than that agendas on uniting a community by going against another must strictly be given a miss.

Brake and don’t break!

This is where I draw a thin line for the political figures.

Focussing back to people-

People vote. By constitution’s grace everyone over eighteen years of age is eligible to vote. Isn't voting the only role the people are bestowed with in a democracy! This is the sole and supreme power in hands of people. 

Whom to cast their vote for is the next big question in every mind which is generally to be figured out on the basis of past work done by a contender instead of watching over brotherhood, hierarchy and other false deciding-factors.

Rather, a vigilant eye must be kept open for well-substantiated work done by an incumbent minister.

People are regularly robbed off their hard earned money in the name of income taxes for the sake of societal development which never takes place. Every day they walk by the same road, street, seeing the same battered bus stop, dug up roads; wondering where his money went and for what purpose.

However, if my previously elected representative built roads in my area during his tenure, erected working street lights and took other visible steps towards societal upliftment then next time I see a puddle I would be sure that our minister will look after it. And such incidents would form the basis of who my vote goes for in the next elections.

Simply put, a democratic system can only work if both of its main actors – the politicians and the people are effectively doing their job. This way a system could truly be called democratic where the representatives serve the people and the people reap benefits out of their efforts.