Democracy in India is like a coin with two facets, the good and the bad. The positive aspects are: Basic human freedom is right of each and every Indian. Immaterial to any cast, creed, color, religion, social status and well being each and every Indian is entitled to have power of casting vote. Any individual above the age of eighteen can select his representative at local bodies, state legislative assemblies, and Parliament. In a broader perspective elections in India are free and fair. People in India give mandate to political parties to form government, and this is a periodic issue, party (coalition) can lead nation only for five years. After five years it is the voter who decides future of nation.

India, as an ancient and at once diverse and somehow unified civilization of more than one billion people, deserves recognition for making steady progress under democratic governance without trampling on its neighbors. India achieves greatness by maintaining a democratic rule-of-law government and living in relative peace. India achieves greatness by improving the quality of life of its free citizens. [aa]

India is fully democratic nation where citizens have fundamental rights that include right to freedom [bb], this ensure that people can raise their concerns against wrong polices that are followed and get them corrected; it is next to impossible to suppress voice of masses in India.

Democracy in India is defined as “of the people, by the people and for the people”. It has been observed that no government has ever ignored the suffering people in draughts, floods or any other calamity.

Seeing the other side of the coin…

Democratic politics of India has resulted generating many problems and a fewer solutions (see, for example, Zakaria 2003)[cc].

Current 15^th lok sabha 2009 (lower house of parliament) has hundred and fifty  members having  criminal background (exhibit rediff), such cases can never make one feel proud of brand India. Both big giants Indian National Congress and Bhartiya Janata Party have forty plus MP(s) (Member of Parliament) with such background.

As on date India is one of the poorest countries in the world; infact economic progress has been slower than in several authoritarian countries (Singapore, South Korea for that matter even China). While on other hand there are more than three hundred MP(s) having assets valuing more than 10 million INR .(exhibit rediff).

Parliament itself has become in disciplined, inefficient parliament proceedings of August 2004 is clear example of that when parliament was reconvened specifically to discuss budget proposals and pass the finance bill.( Bimal Jalan, “The Future of India”, Penguin Books, p.58)

In fact as per National Commission “If there is a sense of unease with the way the parliament and the state legislatures are functioning, it may be due to a decline in recent years in both the quantity and quality of work done by them. Over the years the number of days on which the houses sit to transact legislative and other business has come down very significantly. Even the relatively very few days on which the houses meet are often marked by unseemly incidents, including use of force to intimidate opponents, shouting and shutting out of debate and discussion resulting in frequent adjournments. There is increasing concern about the decline of Parliament falling standards of debate, erosion of the moral authority and prestige of the supreme tribune of the people.” [dd]

Bills that are in favor of politicians are passed with utmost care; recently a bill was passed to revise salaries of all MP(s), ministers and president.  The bill was passed in a day.

Current state of Indian democracy cannot be improved until and unless common man takes part in contesting elections, but the biggest problem faced by common man is Entry barriers are very high. There is news before elections every time that constituency tickets are being sold.  (Exhibit Alva)

[aa]. Perkovich, G. (2003), “The Measure of India: What Makes Greatness”, Annual Fellows’ Lecture, The Center for the advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania, 23 April 2003, p.17

[bb].  Constitution of India-Part III Fundamental Rights.

[cc]. Zakaria, F. (2003), The Future of Freedom, Penguin-Viking, New Delhi.

[dd] Report of the National Commission to Review the working of the constitution (200), Government of India, New Delhi, p.105.

http://election.rediff.com/report/2009/may/17/loksabhapoll-rise-in-criminal-turned-mps-report.htm

http://election.rediff.com/report/2009/may/17/loksabhapoll-rise-in-criminal-turned-mps-report.htm