India’s Democracy

Amjed Jaaved

Euphoria about India's democratic polity is not justified as some aspects of its democracy show that it is just a democracy in 'form', not in 'substance'.

"Democracy" is generally believed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people (masses, not classes). India is the "world's largest democracy". However some aspects of India's democracy reflect that it is just a democracy in 'form' (repeated elections), not in 'substance' (a corruption-free masses-oriented society and government). Some aspects of India's 'substantial' democracy reflect that euphoria about India's democratic polity is not justified. Let us look at these unsavoury aspects.

Poverty Eradication: India's finance minister says, "It will take 200 years to wipe out poverty". He made these erudite remarks at Chennai while participating in the ceremony marking release of the book titled "India Untouched: The Forgotten Face of Rural Poverty".

Here is a glimpse of the rural India. In most far-flung villages, families of seven children live on Rs 10 a day. Thus, no member of the family eats more than a rupee worth of food a day. The meals they eat are oil-less watery khhichri.

People commit suicides or die from starvation. But, the politicians or the health officials attribute deaths to "malnutrition". The lot of the poor in India will not improve even in a thousand year unless corruption is uprooted. The Transparency International's report alleges the sum of Rs 32,000 crore (equivalent to 1.25 per cent of India's GDP) was paid as bribes to government officials last year (The report ranks India as the world's twelfth most corrupt country). Last year's rating put India at 19th position. More than half the members of the Lower House of Parliament have assets of over 5 million rupees ($109,400), in a country where a quarter of the billion-plus population lives on less than a dollar a day. Some 260 million Indians still do not have an access to wholesome food, basic health or drinking water. India's Reserve Bank's chief economist says, "India must grow at 8% for 20 years to remove poverty. To eradicate poverty, dependence on agriculture should be brought down and more thrust should be laid to employment generation in the manufacturing and services sector."

Unity in Diversity: RSS-BJP-VHP-Bajrang Dal's combine influences elections (D. L. Seth, Crisis of Representation, p. 179). India is no longer an epitome of unity in diversity. It is now a cauldron of 'religious, communal or caste conflicts in every nook and corner of the country'. The net result of separatist movements by ethnic, religious or ethno-religious minorities is a demand for sovereignty which threatens India's territorial integrity'. Social unrest is due to the dissonance between the rulers and the ruled (Sunil Chandra, "Armed Forces: Terrorism, Secessionism, Socio-Ethnic Conflicts and Democratic Instability", p. 373; cited in Dilip H. Mohite and Amit Dholakia, India and the Emerging World Order, Delhi, Kalinga Publications, 2001).

Justice: Speakers at the National seminar on "Indian Democracy: Recent Trends and Issues" inter alia highlighted collapse of political institutions in India (K. S. Saxena and Anil Gupta (ed.), Indian Democracy: Recent Trends and Issues, p. ix.). Saxena was so pessimistic that he began his paper with an epitaph for India's democracy _ 'all hostile elements have conspired to put our democracy to death'.

Saxena claimed India's democracy had failed to ensure 'freedom, justice and social and economic equality' to all. Dissenters in India were dubbed as traitors and fascists'. Judicial relief in Indian Judicial System is well-nigh impossible to get. The Bangalore Law School has analysed that it takes three months to three years to serve a summons or an emergency notice. Filing of written statements takes from six months to two years and interlocutory applications, from four months to four years. The tragedy with Indian judicial system is that it is class-based, communal, anti-women, and anti-Dalits.

The judicial system is so oppressive that neither the civil nor the military authorities fear the 'long hand of law'. It took India's Central Bureau of Investigation three years to confirm that army was involved in killing of five innocent Kashmiris in a fake encounter at Pathribal (Anantnag-Islamabad district of South Kashmir in year 2000. The Indian army had justified killing them on ground that they had slain 36 sikhs at Chhatisinghpora on March 20, 2000. The even took place in year 2000. However, the Indian government handed over the case to India's Central Bureau of Investigations under mounting popular pressure in February 2003.

Fake encounters are a routine phenomenon not only in the occupied Kashmir but also in several other states. Thousands of innocent people have been killed in fake encounters staged in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi ("ab imamon par qehr", 'The Qaumi Awaz dated May 31, 2006) _(a) In a fake encounter, involving loss of lives, the Indian army 'even killed four porters in a fake encounter in the Lolab valley of occupied Kashmir recently' ("Fake encounter: Army begins probe", The Tribune, Jammu, September 21). The poor porters had gone from here to Srinagar in search of job in the Indian army. (b) Indian army has also confirmed that 'Third Rashtria Rifles was responsible for custodial killing of a Kashmiri motorcyclist near village Khanabal on August 1, 2005. (c) On May 9, Brigadier Suresh (Assam) was court-martialled for 'dubbing innocent civilians as terrorists and killing them in fake encounters'.

Besides the army and para-military forces, now even the "special task forces" have begun to kill innocent people. For instance, Maulana Mohammad Zubair, an alumnus of dar ul uloom Deoband, was killed in district Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh). He was picked up by 'task force' on May 4, 2006 and killed on May 9, 2006 (Qaumi Awaz, ibid, and the Hindustan Express, May 21, 2006).

The ineffective judicial system has now encouraged the army/security personnel to open fire in throbbing markets, if anyone resists their attempt at sexual assault. On May 12, 2006, two persons resisted assault attempt by the Indian 'soldiers' at Handwara (occupied Kashmir). The solders opened fire. They were grievously injured ("Protest in J&K after soldiers' fire at residents, the Asian Age, May 13, 2006).

Indian armed forces regard women as an easy catch. The high-ups in state's administrations hush up the cases. For instance, on May 18, 2006, deputy chief Minister (also law minister) of occupied Kashmir alleged, "Some powerful elements are trying to scuttle the ongoing CBI probe. The sex-abuse case is only the tip of the iceberg" ("J&K sex scam, VIPs in govt. scuttling robe: Deputy CM", The Indian Express, May 18, 2006).

Nowadays, wives of India's army and military-intelligence chiefs are busy in making a movie to portray a valiant (not brutal) image of the Indian soldiers. To their chagrin, India's defence ministry has rejected their husbands' requests for permission to act in the movie.

Mr Amjed Jaaved is a law graduate and specializes in business administration. His current areas of interest include organizational behavior and development, international affairs and conflict studies. He can be accessed at ajmalik123@hotmail.com