Experts discuss challenges before democracy
LUCKNOW: Hailing democracy as the “best form of government”, speakers at a conference organised here on Saturday pointed out the challenges that democracies world over were facing.
“Globally, there are clear and certain threats to democracy. Changes are being experienced,” said a speaker at the ‘Future of Democracy’ conference.
Prof Abhishek Mishra, former UP minister and founder trustee of the Progressive Council that organised the conference, said, “Our Indian democracy is no exception.The global threats confronting natural freedom can be seen here too.”
Articulating with statistics the changing pattern of Indian politics, Gilles Verniers, assistant professor of political science at Ashoka University, said, “Earlier, just about 7 to 8% MLAs (members of legislative assembly) were businessmen. The majority came from agriculture background. But now, up to 50% (MLAs) are businessmen, although they may not disclose that.”
“Soon after becoming a party’s candidate or winning the election, these businessmen present themselves as social workers. But the fact is that more and more businessmen are now into politics,” said Verniers.
“Some major transitions in UP politics were observed when the Bahujan Samaj Party gained full majority in 2007, and then successive governments of Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2012 and 2017 respectively. For BSP, Kanshiram had theorised that apart from reserved seats, the party could not win alone -- without depending on the support of local candidates.”
Verniers said that caste/ identity politics became more localised with time.
Mukulika Banerjee , author of the book ‘Why India Votes’, spoke on the changing political scenario, with increased voter turnouts being recorded during the last few elections.
“Despite muscle and money power dominating elections in 2014, voter turnout was bigger and played a role in the outcome,” she said.
She said that increased turnout was an indicator that people viewed voting as not just a task, but a matter of their identity that came with that ink mark on the finger.
“It is their fundamental right. You will see that kind of social mixing only at polling stations, where people can’t behave as VIPs as they may do elsewhere,” said Banerjee.
She also elaborated on the four major challenges facing democracy in today’s world.
“First, is the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs). These have made ascertaining boothlevel counting trend possible, which could not happen with ballot papers as they were first mixed then counted. The second challenge is political financing. Third would be the subject being hotly debated these days -- holding different elections at the same time. And the final challenge is ensuring democracy within individual parties. The process of democratically electing a given party’s leader has come under focus,” she said.