As political parties make plans for rolling out their campaigns for the next Parliamentary elections, its time for citizens to revisit our beliefs before we decide who to entrust the next five years of our future.
Please add your views to this article and share it with others. Let common man’s voice rise above the marketing campaigns of political parties. I share because I care. Here are my thoughts on the future of democracy in India.
The only way a nation can progress is if every citizen, regardless of his or her religion, caste, tribe, or social status feels included in shaping the future.
Diversity breeds a creative society. On the other hand homogenization of cultures leads to complacency and chauvinism. While diversity makes a society vibrant, homogenization makes it lethargic.
A key role of people’s representatives in a democracy is to negotiate for equitable distribution of resources.
Just as mother earth provides an environment conducive for co-existence of diverse elements of nature, a democracy must provide egalitarian environment for a vibrant, confident and innovative society of diverse cultures and ideas to evolve.
A leader will fail if he or she begins to let his individual will and vision to prevail over the collective interest of a diverse society.
In a society where resources are limited and claimants to the resources too many, corruption is bound to creep into public life. It is important therefore to remember that “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”.
Every time an election is announced the voters must defeat the representatives who use political influence to amass personal wealth. Only then people’s power will prevail over ambitions and greed of leaders.
Free flow of information decentralizes power, education empowers people with knowledge and imagination, and technology gives them the tools to co-create a better future. Rather than depending on the information dished out to them by political parties and broadcast media, people must depend on their own social networks.
My earnest request to India is, please do not be swayed by the promises of a powerful leader, no matter which party he or she belongs to- When people mobilize on the streets for a cause they have greater power than leaders who pull strings from the comforts of their palatial bungalows. A leader is more likely to succumb to a corrupt system. On the other hand, mobilization scares corrupt people in the administration.
Do not believe anymore in promises made in manifestos or TV campaigns of political parties. They are worth nothing more than marketing materials of corporations. Do not vote for someone because you or your parents have voted for him or her- they have become a part of the system. Rather look for someone who is angry at the system, has a passion for a cause and a positive outlook to the future.
In essence leaders have failed us. Its time to take charge, demolish the system, put new people in, and participate in the democracy with fresh ideas.
Jai Hind.
