Comparing Democracies
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‘Mysore’ Satya, known so for having owned and run a local newspaper in Mysore – Mysore Samachar — has had a chance to experience first-hand the working of a democracy other than India. He was in New Zealand, to be more precise, in Auckland. He was in NZ to be with his daughter who was having her child. Being a journalist, he could not stop himself from getting a first-hand feel of the politics of New Zealand. It was the general elections there. He got to see how exactly parties canvassed. He canvassed for Helen Clark’s Labour party. He was surprised by the lack of interest among the Kiwis in the elections. So we need not fret about the low turnout, he said. “We are at least more aware of the politics in the country and a greater proportion of people participate in the electoral process.” But, happened to Helen Clark’s Labour Party he campaigned for? Her party had lost the 2008 general elections. But, he didn’t seem disappointed. “India is a far superior democracy.” The elections here are so colourful and participatory, despite all efforts to check excess spending by the Election Commission of India this time. Despite the restrictions and curbs this time, Mysore Satya is a delighted man. |
(2 votes, average: 1.5 out of 5)
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June 1st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Mr. Satya and Me Reddy, may be your generation can pat its back for achieving or maintaining minimal democracy but mine is quite fed up with it.
Democracy is minimal.
Democratic procedure is minimal in India.
The procedure is effective in the minimal sense that it can be used to change the government, assuming there is sufficient support for that change.
The procedure does not ensure accountability or answerability of the executive, legislative, or judicial branches.
Legislators are changed but never brought to justice.
A wrong judgement can be overrules by another judge but the one who delivered wrong judgement is free to do so again.
As for the executives, they are only transferred or at max temporarily suspended.
May 31st, 2009 at 9:24 pm
You are right Mr. Reddy, we must have faith in our people. They showed their will to give a stable government in this Parliamentary election, after seeing how some of the smaller parties tried to pull the Government in different directions. In the meantime, civil societies need to create an awakening among the people to vote for people with clean image for leading the country to greater heights.
May 30th, 2009 at 7:35 am
To certain extent you are right : India is perfect democracy. Every one has right to voice his views. I lived in Malaysia and Singapore and both of them looked like controlled democracies. They either use Internal Security Act or costly Legal suits to quite opponents and remain in power for length.
Regarding questioning of Leaders, well its not practical to question every decision by Govt. Democracy doent mean to govt run by people it is govt run by leaders elected by People. The Govt rule will be get feedback from people only in next run of elections.
Regarding money and crime in elections, well as I said everyone has an oppurtunity in democracy : rich men, buisiness people, contractors, criminals, good men, educated, illitrate, leaders of the mass, fundamentalists, radicals, secularists, socialists, communists…etc. No regrets. People will take care.
A great multi-rainbow country.
Cheers.
May 29th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Thanks Mr. Praveen Bose for writing about my experience during Parliamentary elections in New Zealand. Helen Clark won from her home constituency, Mount Raskel, where I did the door-knocking for her and her party on the day of polling. I did not see the kind of enthusiasm or queues we see at the polling stations in India. One can experience a whip of election mood to a great extent in India during the elections, which I found lacking there. Overall, I found democracy more vibrant in India, than in NZ. To my pleasant surpirse, a car garage owner was all praise for Indian electorate for chosing alternative political parties, whenever they wanted, unlike in his country where the Labour Party remained in power for three consecutive terms, despite steeply increasing taxes.
May 28th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
If the Indians were better educated and better informed that Indians would not have elected the present Govermment. There is a dichotomy in the above article,somewhere???.
May 28th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
“India is much more democratic and people are better informed and better educated about elections. Indians also participate more in the polls. Kiwis are disinterested when it comes to politics.”
People are more informed about the elections but less informed about the issues.
Indians participate more in the polls, but not in questioning their leaders.
Indians are disenchanted by politics.
If India was much more democratic, it would be much more prosperous.