India gained independence from British Control in the month of August 1947. From that point onwards there was some unrest of which type of government should control the country. For years, India was under the control of monarchs who held the sole authority and the right to exercise power over their citizens. India decided to pursue the democratic form of government because it was a government that our leaders felt would be good for the people of this country. A democracy in general, allowed the people to be involved in the workings of the government.
The experiment of democracy by India has received its share of ups and downs over the years. However it is regarded as a highly successful experiment and India is in fact, The World’s Largest Democracy.
One of the major reasons why the Indian experiment of democracy has worked is because of a strong constitution. The constitution is the lengthiest constitution in the world. The constitution makers have succeeded in making a constitution that is open ended as well as flexible. It is a document that is adaptable to change.
The constituent assembly of independent India had the representation of Hindus, Muslims and other cultural minorities as well as people from backward castes and tribes. With a very diverse focus group, they were able to draft a constitution that was fair to all.
The constitution makers also managed to incorporate details from other constitutions as well. The concept of parliamentary democracy has been borrowed from England’s constitution. The principles of LEF( Liberty, Equality and Fraternity) has been borrowed and implemented in the preamble(first page of the constitution). All the concepts and ideas borrowed from the various constitutions in the world has been very beneficial for India.
There are other reasons as well that has allowed India to continue with a democratic form of government year after year. Unlike Pakistan, India has never witnessed a military coup of sorts. There has always been a certain level of stability among all governments. The only exception is Indira Gandhi government which declared emergency in 1975, because it was a period in which many had lost faith in the government. Unlike its neighbors, India has never undergone a severe political crisis.
India already had extensive civic administration which made the progression of democratic principles before and after formal independence easier to establish. An orderly transition, instead of a violent revolt or catastrophic collapse, also reduced the likelihood of thugs setting up their own government. The British already had held provincial elections which gave people the exposure to the process of electing. The experience of both allowed the first general elections to take place without any hassle at all.
India at that time had almost 17 crore registered voters, 3200 MLA’s and 489 seats in the parliament. Only 15% of India’s population at that time were literate. An election with that many people involved was doomed to be a failure, but somehow it worked in the favor of India.
After India has gained independence, in the mid 1950’s started a global conflict anything unlike the world had ever seen. The Cold War. It was purely an ideological war, a competition of who organized social life better. Both the superpowers made allies in their own spheres and in turn imposed their ideology on them. The USSR managed to influence almost every country in Eastern Europe to join them. These countries gave up their sovereignty to join them.
India was also too large a country for the US and USSR to directly tamper with during the Cold War; whilst many smaller countries around the world had their democracy undermined or overthrown entirely. Moreover, with the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s foreign policy allowed it to maintain cordial relationship with both the super powers. This has allowed India to seek help from both the super powers too.
India is a land of continental size and diversity. Our people follow different cultures, speak different languages and also practice different religions. We are a country whose diversity is our strength and weaknesses. Democratic form of a government is possibly the government that works for all type of people.
The idea of representative democracy, where certain groups elect their own representatives is a very fair situation for everyone. All in all, the structure of our constitution as well as the stability shown by all governments that has ruled India, has made the experiment of democracy in India a major success.
However there are some sections of the population who still believe that Indian experiment of democracy is a failure. They argue that the elections in India are sometimes not conducted in a fair manner and the elected representatives are not qualified enough to be holding office in the first place. This is true to a certain extent. Politicians such as Lalu Prasad Yadav, who were involved in a lot of scandals were still elected, by the people.
However it is important to note that people still hold power in a democracy. People have punished those governments which have been very irresponsible in the next elections. The historical example is of the Indira Gandhi government, which faced a crushing defeat in the next elections against the Janata Party. The most recent example is of the Congress majority government, which lost to the Modi Led BJP in 2014, after a embarrassing term which involved scam after scam.
In conclusion, democracy has seen its fair share of ups and downs in India. It is not perfect, but it is here to stay.
The experiment of democracy by India has received its share of ups and downs over the years. However it is regarded as a highly successful experiment and India is in fact, The World’s Largest Democracy.
One of the major reasons why the Indian experiment of democracy has worked is because of a strong constitution. The constitution is the lengthiest constitution in the world. The constitution makers have succeeded in making a constitution that is open ended as well as flexible. It is a document that is adaptable to change.
The constituent assembly of independent India had the representation of Hindus, Muslims and other cultural minorities as well as people from backward castes and tribes. With a very diverse focus group, they were able to draft a constitution that was fair to all.
The constitution makers also managed to incorporate details from other constitutions as well. The concept of parliamentary democracy has been borrowed from England’s constitution. The principles of LEF( Liberty, Equality and Fraternity) has been borrowed and implemented in the preamble(first page of the constitution). All the concepts and ideas borrowed from the various constitutions in the world has been very beneficial for India.
There are other reasons as well that has allowed India to continue with a democratic form of government year after year. Unlike Pakistan, India has never witnessed a military coup of sorts. There has always been a certain level of stability among all governments. The only exception is Indira Gandhi government which declared emergency in 1975, because it was a period in which many had lost faith in the government. Unlike its neighbors, India has never undergone a severe political crisis.
India already had extensive civic administration which made the progression of democratic principles before and after formal independence easier to establish. An orderly transition, instead of a violent revolt or catastrophic collapse, also reduced the likelihood of thugs setting up their own government. The British already had held provincial elections which gave people the exposure to the process of electing. The experience of both allowed the first general elections to take place without any hassle at all.
India at that time had almost 17 crore registered voters, 3200 MLA’s and 489 seats in the parliament. Only 15% of India’s population at that time were literate. An election with that many people involved was doomed to be a failure, but somehow it worked in the favor of India.
After India has gained independence, in the mid 1950’s started a global conflict anything unlike the world had ever seen. The Cold War. It was purely an ideological war, a competition of who organized social life better. Both the superpowers made allies in their own spheres and in turn imposed their ideology on them. The USSR managed to influence almost every country in Eastern Europe to join them. These countries gave up their sovereignty to join them.
India was also too large a country for the US and USSR to directly tamper with during the Cold War; whilst many smaller countries around the world had their democracy undermined or overthrown entirely. Moreover, with the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s foreign policy allowed it to maintain cordial relationship with both the super powers. This has allowed India to seek help from both the super powers too.
India is a land of continental size and diversity. Our people follow different cultures, speak different languages and also practice different religions. We are a country whose diversity is our strength and weaknesses. Democratic form of a government is possibly the government that works for all type of people.
The idea of representative democracy, where certain groups elect their own representatives is a very fair situation for everyone. All in all, the structure of our constitution as well as the stability shown by all governments that has ruled India, has made the experiment of democracy in India a major success.
However there are some sections of the population who still believe that Indian experiment of democracy is a failure. They argue that the elections in India are sometimes not conducted in a fair manner and the elected representatives are not qualified enough to be holding office in the first place. This is true to a certain extent. Politicians such as Lalu Prasad Yadav, who were involved in a lot of scandals were still elected, by the people.
However it is important to note that people still hold power in a democracy. People have punished those governments which have been very irresponsible in the next elections. The historical example is of the Indira Gandhi government, which faced a crushing defeat in the next elections against the Janata Party. The most recent example is of the Congress majority government, which lost to the Modi Led BJP in 2014, after a embarrassing term which involved scam after scam.
In conclusion, democracy has seen its fair share of ups and downs in India. It is not perfect, but it is here to stay.
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