One Cheer for Democracy

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

In the last century E. M. Foster wrote Two Cheers for Democracy disapproving yet appreciating and accepting Democracy as the most viable form of government capable of keeping all men and women happy to a great extent. When Churchill heard a longish argument against the anti-individual, anti-liberal aspects of democracy, he replied: Yes I agree, Democracy is the damnedest form of government but what is your alternative? Certainly autocratic governments are not! The fall of Soviet Union had given the clarion call for democracy.   If communism has failed, it does not send us to Islamic theocracy where tongues would be cut if voices of individual belief are ever raised even in lonely rooms. The state capitalistic system of China has no takers. But a choice must be made between Anarchy and Tyranny. Is Democracy the choice?

 

Since the Wars the major democracies of the world have demonstrated their excellence in three sectors. Freedom, economic well being and equal treatment of all citizens: However it must be noted that in all these successful democracies there is one dominant religious faith and about 95+% of the citizens speak one language. The case of India, however, is very complex.  India does not have a national language for state stake claim for her own language to be the national language. Tamils do not recognize Hindi, Kerala and Karnataka too have little love for Hindi. In the Parliament elected members take oath in the language of their choice which is naturally the language the majority speaks in their respective states. This oath taking ceremony provokes laughter and provides some kind of relief. But the idea of one India, one people goes awry. A multi tongued cacophony emerges drowning all saner voices. If liberal democracy is the panacea for all human ills what about the saner voices which are always in the minority? The genius is always in the minority. If democracy is a number game the genius is the odd man out. This is definitely a tragic anomaly. India is the most noisy if not the most chaotic democracy in the world today. The Indian constitution is definitely an attractive document and its Preamble sums up all human aspirations in the world in five words: Equality, Liberty, fraternity, Justice and the lately added Secularism. But the legion castes, faith systems languages, cultural diversities, unequal histories of states cannot and have not been brought under one viable system of governance. Hence we have naxalism, terrorism, appeasement politics, protected groups, IsIs elements, free thinkers, lobbies. Left-wingers, rightists and what not? The private ideological groups, Shivsena, Karnisena, Bajrang dal, Popular front of India, Campus Front of India, Viswa Hindu Parishad, Student wings of different ideologies, khap Panchayats and hundreds of other group identities make the scene chaotic.

 

One may ask who represents India? The answer perhaps is every Indian. Unity in diversity has been our motto right from Independence, but every Indian has his own image of India. These images are half perceived through the prism of class politics. In India we have about 18% muslims and the rest are Hindus, Christians, Jains etc.  But the Dalits comprise a large part of the population and they do not claim to be Hindus. We now have Valmiki temples coming up everywhere. Gandhi is not the father of the entire nation after his death. His murderer Nathuram Godse is also worshipped now in some temples. No leader in India has an untarnished image. A south Indian leader is seldom accepted by the cow belt. All these self contradictory and mutually militating ideologies are in perpetual conflict. Democracy in India is a mere number game. Only elections matter and they are highly visible and naturally violent.

 

But what really pains is the willful devaluation of all institutions. If you love your country you are not a true Indian, for a true Indian believes in universal brotherhood. Those who preach liberal values oppose patriotism, nationalism, so much so that the Indian Army is targeted.  Certain political groups question the Army’s valour. In the present Covid ridden India when the Chinese PLA is at Ladakh, the people do not speak in one voice. Every institution is defamed by irrational challenges, vituperative criticism. Be it the Ayodhya, Babri Masjid demolition decision or Afzal Guru and Memon death sentence the Supreme Court is attacked for ‘judicial murder’. If the judgment on any case – Judge Loya, Ayodhya Ram Janam Bhoomi or any such sensitive case goes in favour of a party or person the aggrieved party criticizes, the Supreme Court and also the Judges become their targets. The freedom of speech which the constitution guarantees is abused by biased perceptions and irrationality. Even the Parliament which is the highest symbol of democracy is not spared. The irony is, a law passed in the Parliament by both Houses is criticized and protest marches by groups disturb the peace of the society.

 

To cap it all we have an all licensed media which acts as Parliament and Supreme  Court. Media is a law unto itself. The Chief Minister of West Bengal always talks of Cooperative Federalism, but always defies most central laws. The social media is another too free cyber empire to know its limitations. Reputations are slained by unthinking people who post their venom in bad language, that is, words and sentences defy grammar, logic, decency and culture. In this state of a physical and psychological tremulous atmosphere most sane people think of Indian democracy as illiberal and undemocratic. If you listen to some voices while the enemy poses a real threat on the north- western border you will feel cheerless. Even one cheer is too much.