India is well known for its democracy across the world. It is known for its largest democracy that conducts general elections every 5 years. Elections are the heart of its democracy which depicts the democratic nature of the country. In India, there are a total of 3 types of elections namely Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. The Election Commision of India is responsible for conducting these elections and also to ensure transparency. Before the elections, campaigning by various political parties also forms an integral part of elections because during this time period, social issues and society needs are highlighted.
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Democratic Practices in India
General Elections
Elections represent the rule of people in a country. When people participate in the governance, they vote and choose their representatives. In India elections occur at various levels and the Election Commission is the only body which is responsible for administering the election process whether it is at local level, state level or national level. In India the first-past-the-post system is followed in which the candidate with the highest votes wins.
Role of Media
Media is considered to be the key link between the government and the people of a country. There are 4 pillars in every democratic society- the executive, the legislature, the judiciary and the media. Through the media only the people get to know the policies of the government and how effectively it is implementing it for their welfare. It is the media only which informs the public, what is happening in their country, and creates or breaks the opinions of the people about the government. Therefore it becomes crucial to have an independent media.
The constitution of India states some of the responsibilities of the Media in India-
i) provide the citizen with neutral information. The media will not tarnish the truth; they will present them as they are.
ii) To play an important role in disseminating the thoughts of the citizens through empowerment with knowledge. In countries like India where there is a significant rate of illiteracy, it is the responsibility of the media to impart knowledge and expand their perspective.
Judiciary of India
In India the constitution is considered to be the supreme, while judiciary is considered its guardian. It is the responsibility of the judiciary to make sure that justice is carried out impartially. Judiciary monitors the powers of the two pillars as mentioned above - the legislature and the executive. The judiciary also holds the power of declaring any law null and void if it violates the provisions of the Indian constitution. These are the characteristics of an independent judiciary.
Instances of Dictatorial Instances
Emergency Period of 1975-1977
The emergency period from 1975 to 1977 is considered to be one of the most controversial periods of Indian history. The emergency was declared by Indira Gandhi when she was serving the country as the prime minister. The reasons to impose emergency in the states of India proposed by Indira Gandhi were imminent external and internal threats to the Indian states.
In 1975, the Allahabad High Court held Indira Gandhi responsible for misusing the powers. It also declared her election null and banned her from contesting any election for an additional six years. This led to the imposition of Emergency in India for two continuous years.
The downgrading of India’s Democracy
According to the Democracy Report 2023 India has been ranked 108 in the Electoral Democracy Index out of 202 countries. The report listed India as one of the top 10 autocratizing countries in the last 10 years. The rankings blamed current prime minister Narendra Modi because he has been serving as the prime minister since 2014. The report was released by V-Dem and it said "diminishing of freedom of expression, the media, and civil society have gone the furthest" during Mr Modi's rule, and that far as censorship goes India was "as autocratic as Pakistan and worse than its neighbours Bangladesh and Nepal".
However, the Indian government has said that the political judgments of the report were inaccurate and distorted.
Opposition on Dictatorship
The elections are about to begin in India, on this the opposition is saying that this could be the most one-sided elections in India. BJP has also put Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, behind the bars before the elections in connection with a long-running corruption probe.There has been reactions from the international community on Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. The US has said to ensure a fair and timely legal process, Germany has said that it hopes for a free and impartial trial for Mr. Kejriwal.
Before elections the opposition is coming together and showing unity through rallies and accusing BJP of destroying the democracy and the opposition by jailing the leaders and sealing the bank accounts of rival parties.
Final thoughts
Whether dictatorship should be there or not, it depends upon the people of India. As dictatorship comes at the cost of individual freedom. India which is a country of diverse culture and religion might not fit under authoritarian rule. Democracy in India has shown resilience in upholding the stability in the country in terms of fundamental rights. The system also allowed the representation of the opposition's opinion on the ruling government’s policies.
The effectiveness of both the systems depends upon various factors including public opinion, political culture and leadership quality.
Written by Shivani
This article has been authored exclusively by the writer and is being presented on Eat My News, which serves as a platform for the community to voice their perspectives. As an entity, Eat My News cannot be held liable for the content or its accuracy. The views expressed in this article solely pertain to the author or writer. For further queries about the article or its content you can contact on this email address - shivanikoli367@gmail.com
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