‘Government of the people, for the people and by the people, shall not perish from the earth’, said Abraham Lincoln. He was indeed very prophetic about living in a democratic society. Such a democratic society would thus be bound to be successful. India is the largest democratic country in the world and is an example of a diverse but vibrant progressive society.
People living in a democratic society have absolute freedom to live their life, their way. They enjoy fundamental rights and have freedom of speech, work, religion and making a profit. This makes their life happy, secure and progressive for there is no interference in personal matters that exist in an autocratic society.
The right of franchise enables people to elect the government of their choice. Such an elected government caters to the regional aspirations of the people. It safeguards their identity and individuality in terms of language and traditions. The constitution of the country guarantees equality, and justice for which special concessions like reservation extend to backward classes and women, enabling them to join the mainstream of society.
This active participation of the people in the government makes them the masters of their own destiny. It is an ideal system that can cater to the needs of the large and diverse society like ours, truly exemplifying the concept of unity and diversity.
Democratic societies are however linked with a slow pace of development. This is because valuable time and energy are lost in discussions, debate and getting public opinion before implementing major decisions. This often leads to monetary losses and slows down the pace of economic development, which is harmful to a developing country like India.
Nevertheless, living in a democratic Society offers stability and a better quality of life than any other form of society.
Living in a democratic society has many advantages. It is the hope of the future that there is a need for nature with great care and respect. The anomalies that have inadvertently crept into the polity like casteism, regionalism, fundamentalism, for vote should be done away with.
In the words of Abraham Lincoln 'You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.'
Living in a democratic society
#democracy # funndamentalrights # society #awareness #rights #diversity
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