Before embarking upon an analysis of the present state of democracy in India, it is important to first define democracy. No other explanation is better served than the one aptly said by the former US President Abraham Lincoln in that classic way and style of his own,"Democracy is the Government of the People, by the People and for the People." This definition clearly defines and explains the evolution or formation, its functioning and the ultimate goal of the democracy and its representative nature and characterisitics of democracy.
The Constitution of India, as devised by its authors, also meant to serve and safeguard democracy in India. But the real trouble to democracy actually lies in the process or functioning of democratic institutions.
The legislature, executive, judiciary and indepedant press are considered the four pillars of a democracy. Since India has adopted the parliamentary form of democracy, the popular sovereignty lies with the people, the sovereign power lies with the Prime Minister and the cabinet or his council of ministers is considered as the defacto sovereign power, atleast in theory. But in practice, the multi-party system prevailing in India, though playing a vital role in the parliamentary form of democracy, wreaks havoc on society and and it is one of the banes of Indian democracy.
Since the Indian constitution does not impose any restriction on any individual in forming a political party, of late, India has witnessed a mushrooming growth of political parties, especially at the regional level, making it very difficult for an average Indian voter to choose an affiliation. The net result is, India often witnesses hung assemblies and parliamentary elections, making it very difficult to the constitutional heads, whom they have to invite to form a government.
Suppose the single largest party is invited to form a government, allowing it reasonable time to prove its majority in the floor of the assembly, as was the case in the recently held Megalaya Assembly elections. The net result was horse trading, floor crossing, bribing, hijacking and more. India has witnessed an unprecedented parading of MLAs, all the way from Andhra Pradesh to unknown destinations in the North of India.
Such hung assemblies also result in multiplicity of court proceedings. Above all, the result has been ignominoius exits and the resignation of ministries, like Mr. Vajpayee’s resignation after 13 days of forming a ministry. Witness also Karnataka, and the BJP’s recent ignominious exit from the government within seven days from forming the ministry. All these unceremonious exits or ousters were because of the defects in India’s multi-party system of democracy.
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