Exploring the History of Democracy in India
The Indian civilization is one of the oldest in the world, but as a nation, India is fairly young. The country is massive (the second largest in the world, and with the second biggest population too), but even so, democracy is quite a new concept for it.
The Constitution of India was officially recognized on the 26th January, in 1950. The constitution is a very long document –the longest written constitution in the world – and it details what democracy in the country entails. Given that it is such a detailed record, one would think that the country’s democracy would be functioning incredibly well, but that is not always the case. There are many things in the constitution that India is struggling to realize.
The Constitution of India
The constitution pledges to make India operate as a democratic republic. It aims for equality, liberty and justice, and it promises that all citizens will enjoy that. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go before India achieves true equality. Even today, more than 60 years later, there are a lot of Illiterate people in India, and those who are rich exploit those who are disadvantaged and unable to get themselves out of poverty – because of their illiteracy.
India has a diverse population, with people speaking many different languages and following many religions. Because of this, casteism is common, and there is a lot of regionalism too. Geographically, India may be massive, but it has divided itself into several smaller sections, with a lot of tension between them.
India has many political parties that are active – and as a democracy, the ideal would be that people could choose which parties have a say. This is, on the surface, true, but there is a lot of corruption in any political system, and India is not immune. Between strikes, bandhs, and terrorist threats, the democratic ideals of India have faced a lot of challenges. What makes India such a likely place is that they have managed to work through those challenges, and are continuing to improve the country for themselves.
In Spite of The Challenges Democracy in India Prevails
While India has certainly faced an uphill battle, and there is a lot of work to be done before it could be considered a utopia, overall, democracy has done a lot for the country. Since democracy was made official, the laws of the country have seen many changes to make life better for the population, and India is generally a lawful place to live – there are some advantages to being rich and being able to ‘bribe your way out of trouble’, but the law is there to defend the power too, and things like the Right to Information Act exist to help everyone enjoy equal treatment.
India struggled for a long time against imperialism, and today it is anti-authoritarian and anti-fascist. Democracy is clearly a strong choice for the country and given that the main ‘other’ choice, communism, has proven to be a failure when other countries have tried it, so the population of India understands that democracy is most likely the best choice for them. The Indian people can see that even if they are struggling with Rural poverty today, there is hope of a way out for their children, and maybe even for them. Democracy in India is not just some abstract idea, it is here, and a part of having the ability to vote can say that you want to see change, and then have that change happen.
India’s government wants to keep constitutional morality in check, and it intends to ensure that India actually is growing not just concerning economic output, but also as a proud, culturally significant country – one that is safe, equal, and positive, with low unemployment and crime. There is a long way to go, but the country has come a long way since the 1950s, and it is making real progress. With investment in the right places, that growth can continue, and India can become not just an emerging market, but one of the world’s superpowers. Democracy in India is doing a lot of good.
