But looking at the present condition of democracy in our country, the painstaking work of our Constitution makers would make them squirm in their graves.

The Preamble of our constitution very clearly lists out the basic values of democracy. It states that India is a democratic country that secures its citizens social, economic and political justice. Well, I am pained to say that despite being independent for so many years, we still have demons of social injustice looming large around us. Dalits are still being denied to function despite being appointed as Sarpanch in panchayats of many villages. Untouchability and killing of girl children are some evils still very prevalent. There is no economic or political justice either. The gap between the haves and the have nots is ever increasing!

Today, what we have is a democracy of elections. After winning an election, political parties become brazen and arrogant. Scams, scandals, embezzlement, misuse of public money, ironically, have become many a politician’s ‘Democratic Value’. Many will agree that this is not the true face of democracy.

Our Constitution gives the right to every citizen to get elected in Parliament and State Assemblies. There are examples of well intended groups or independents trying their hand in elections but failing miserably. This is because the chances of winning an election depends on the number of goons and guns you can line up or which political family you belong to. Yes my friends, this is the stark reality of democracy in our country.

Let us not forget that a true democracy ensures EQUALITY. Equality before law, equality in terms of opportunities and equality in social streams. However, what we have today is rampant discrimination. Money and the right connections can help you surmount any barriers. You need a godfather to get a job or even admission in kindergarten.

Parliament and State Assemblies are the temples of democracy and none should be allowed to defile these. However, the conduct of our elected representatives sometimes compels us to lower our heads in shame. Quality debates on serious issues turn out to be noisy and unethical. Fighting, quarreling, shouting, hurling of chairs, politicians ducking, what a scene! These are the members of our august houses and many of them come with serious criminal backgrounds.

You would agree with me that transparency and accountability are the hallmarks of any democracy. Is there any transparency in government dealings? Corruption has seeped into the very roots of our democracy. Favouritism, nepotism, etc, have now taken over as hallmarks of our democracy.

Today, in India, democracy is a government of the corrupt, by the people and for the corrupt. I would urge everyone to help us fight against this malice and add flesh and bones in terms of values to the skeleton of democracy in India today.

Is Indian Democracy truely Devoid of Democratic Values?

By Jagriti Jhunjhunwala

‘Indian democracy holds no good’, ‘Crumbling Indian democracy’, ‘Is Indian democracy all about goons and guns?’ - These are the common thoughts in most of the Indian minds today. However I feel, what we Indians really need to do is to reinstate our faith in our very own democracy. Here is an attempt to highlight the strength of the democratic values of our democracy.

I turned 18 a few days back. If I have a voter identity card and want to vote in the coming Parliamentary elections, can anyone stop me? Our Constitution guarantees us the right to equal opportunity, to carry out any profession with necessary qualifications, one of the ideals of democracy, and you still choose to believe that our democracy is devoid of democratic values?

I am free to pen down my thoughts on this subject which shows how democratic our system still is. The very fact that democracy still prevails in India in spite of the various challenges it has faced in the last 64 years since independence reflects how deeply rooted our democratic values are. It is a shame that where other countries are admiring our democracy, India’s very own citizens are criticizing and questioning it.

There are basically three democratic principles I would like to focus on here - equality, liberty and justice.

In our country, it is a common argument that equality before law is only in black and white. If that is the case then I wonder what was the daughter of Mr. M Karunanidhi, a seasoned Indian politician, doing in jail...Passing her time? People may point out the widespread corruption in India but name me one democratic country which is 100% free of corruption? At least we have the RTI which is a sign that wrongdoers are now not above the law. Scams and scandals are coming into light. Had India done away with all democratic values, then these scams and scandals would have forever remained hidden.

We have many critics pointing out social injustice in India. Nobody is stopping a Dalit woman from wearing sandals worth lakhs, what injustice are you talking about? Did anybody stop A.P.J. Abdul Kalam from holding the highest post in our set - up then? We have women empowerment programmes successfully working in many states of India, government schools giving free education to girls. Everybody enjoys political justice with his right to contest elections and we have the equal wages for equal work act to ensure economic justice.

Coming to liberty, I think the best example of this is the media which has today truly become the fourth pillar of democracy. From the Prime Minister of the country to a peon in any office, everybody is scared of ‘janta janardhan’ because they know the real power is in the hands of the people. People talk about muscle power which influences decision making; I wonder what Anna Hazare’s muscle size is.

For all those who still think that our democracy is no good, here are a few questions. Are the Sikhs punished for wearing turbans? Are the Tamils put behind bars for not speaking Hindi? Has going to mosques become illegal? Are these not examples of the resonation of freedom of religion and choice? Are liberty, equality, fraternity no longer democratic terminologies? Have teachers stopped taking value education classes? Is India truly devoid of democratic values? I rest my case… democratically.