Can we afford to sit at rest after installing a
process of seemingly fair elections for electing rulers and making it run
without disruption for a few decades or centuries, believing that best possible
system for the welfare of people has been identified?
Are
the elected leaders, in general, committed and competent enough to serve the
people without discriminating them in any way; or, do many of them prefer to
serve those who had been instrumental in electing them more than the others? Do
the elected leaders spend major part of the time granted to them for serving
the people or do they waste most of it in activities that benefit them or the
groups and parties that helped them in getting elected? Does the democratic
process help the leaders, their followers and the general public in seriously,
impartially and sincerely investigating into practices, happenings and things
that appear to cause immediate harm or have potential to cause harm in future
to the people; or, they view each problem from an angle that gives them
political mileage so that they can gain or stick to power and derive person
benefits or benefits to the classes they belong? Has the democratic system
brought about substantial change in social environment to make it more just,
less discriminatory, less violent, safer, more congenial for growth of the
qualities of compassion, truthfulness, courage, self respect, self dependence,
honesty, forgiveness, mutual respect and cooperation, and, the absence of
deceit, hatred, arrogance and oppression? Has the democratic process tapered
down the shameless and cruel selfishness of the man and made him more civilized
in true sense?
Has
the democratic system helped all, without discrimination, in empowering them to
think and work for the welfare of all including themselves; or it has simply
distributed power in the hands of a larger number of probable rulers who can
play a power game at the risk and cost of the people?
Before
we try to answer such or similar questions, we must remember that since the
time the man began to implement the political systems based on democratic
systems he also busied himself with the process of nurturing and enjoying
blinding glitter of technological progress diverting his attention from
humanitarian principles that sustain life. The man thinks that he has done what
he was made for; but has he really done it? The news that we get twenty-four hours
in a day and twelve months in a year does not allow us to stay in peace,
despite the immunity that we have developed against all kinds of turmoil and
turbulence.
A
lot more is yet to be done by the people to establish a rule upon themselves
that really serves them.
PROMOD KUMAR SHARMA
[The writer of this blog is also the author of “Mahatma A
Scientist of the Intuitively Obvious” and “In Search of Our Wonderful Words”.]
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