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Commentary / Mani Shankar Aiyar

The Indian Democracy

H D Deve Gowda Our single greatest achievement in 50 years of Independence has been democracy. Yet, it would be stretching the truth to suggest that most Indians are proud of their democracy. Disillusionment with democracy is the prevailing mood. Or, at any rate, disillusionment with the institutions of our democracy. There is little respect for Parliament, even less for the state legislatures. Venality is equated with public life, moral turpitude with elective office.

The commencement of the golden jubilee year of our freedom gives no cause for any celebration of democracy. We are ruled by a political party, the Janata Dal, that has secured less than ten percent of the seats in the House. Along with its coalition partners, the UF commands less than half of the required majority. And the leader of the coalition has just disgraced himself and the institutions of representatives government by ducking the endorsement of even one constituency out of 542, preferring the wholly undemocratic route of confirming the legitimacy of his high office by seeking to manipulate a cabal in the Bangalore Vidhan Soudha.

The most ridiculous arguments have been trotted out in justification of this legerdemain. Indira Gandhi, it is said, was a member of the Upper House when she became prime minister. True, but she became prime minister in 1966 when there were just a few months to go for the next elections. Those elections were held on schedule and she was returned to the Lok Sabha with a huge plurality. (Or is this Deve Gowda's subtle way of saying there will be another election in a few months?!)

It is also said that Karnataka has no Lok Sabha vacancies. There were none in Andhra Pradesh either in 1991. One was created --- through the resignation of the sitting Congress MP for Nandyal, and Prime Minister Narasimha Rao was duly elected an MP from there, entering The Guinness Book Of World Records for the largest majority in world parliamentary history in a contested election. Curious that the chosen leader of this congeries of satraps is unable to find even a tiny corner of his state to proclaim, "Gowda, forever Gowda."

Continued
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