Equality in Indian Democracy

 

GOVERNMENT AND ITS FORMS

Government is an essential political institution but plays a fundamental role in society. It is an organizing body that aims to administer (govern) he country on behalf of its people. It upholds lives, regulations and frames policies, keeping in mind the welfare of the people. At national level, one of the primary responsibilities of government in to establish and enforce laws which aid in maintaining peace, order, and security within society. Essential services like healthcare, education, infrastructure development, transportation, sanitation, and public safety, are Provided by the government in order to develop the country's infrastructure and, thereby, the living standard of the people of a country. In order to create social and economic equality, government establishes safety nets such as social security, unemployment benefits, and welfare programs. At the international level, government work towards establishing treaties, resolving conflicts, promoting human rights, and addressing global challenges such as climate change, terrorism, and trade. It plays a vital role in maintaining peace and stability on a global scale. The system by which a country is governed is known as its form of government. Based on how people are governed in a country, we have majorly two forms of government Non Democratic (Totalitarian) and Democratic.

 

Totalitarian government refers to the form of government in which the state or the monarch exercises complete control and regulate every aspect of citizens. There is "No SAY" of people in such form of government. Monarchy, Dictatorship, Theocracy, oligarchy are usually falls under this form of government.

 

Monarchy

In a monarchy, a monarch (i.e., a king or queen) is the head of the Government. Monarchs have the power to make decisions for the entire country or the state The monarchs have the final say in the running of the country and its laws. They do not have to defend or explain their actions to the people, Monarchies are usually hereditary, i.e., the power passes from kings and queens to their children) People do not have a say in the selection of monarchs. Nowadays, most monarchies are ruled by monarchs in name only. They usually have an elected parliament to govern the country or state. (For example, Britain, Japan) Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Kuwait.

 

Info Bubble England's experiment with representative government dates back to AD 1215. That was the year when a group of nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, or the Great Charter of Liberties, which laid down that the king could not rule his subjects at his whim. It established the idea that the king was also subject to the rule of law and restricted his powers. Later, when the Stuart kings began to rule with an iron hand, the Glorious Revolution once again established democratic principles of Government.

 

Dictatorship

A dictatorship is a system wherein a person or a small group of people may have seized power by force They have absolute power in the running of a country .Such governments are formed without the consent of the people. The people do not have the freedom to express their opinions or object to the Government's decisions. Sometimes, the military of a country can take over its Government by force and establish a dictatorship Such governments can be quite authoritarian. For example, Germany (under Hitler), Myanmar.

 

Theocracy

In a theocracy, a group of religious leaders run the country in the name of God. In such a system, the laws of the country are in accordance with the teachings of the state religion. Vatican City is a theocracy.

 

Oligarchy

An oligarchy is a system of Government wherein a small group of people hold complete political power. This type of Government existed in South Africa in the 20th century. The oligarchy in South Africa was based on race. The Government was run entirely by the white minority, who held complete power and discriminated against the black majority.

 

 

Type of Government	Distinct Feature
Monarchy	Headed by a monarch (king or queen) with hereditary power
Dictatorship	Absolute power held by an individual or small group, often seized by force
Theocracy	Governed by religious leaders with laws based on religious teachings.
Oligarchy	Political power held by a small group, often based on race or wealth.

 

Democracy

A democracy is a Government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The word democracy is derived from the Greek word demos, meaning 'common people', and kratos, meaning 'rule'. The people have a say in the formation of the Government. The people can even change a Government if they are not happy with it. In such a system, the people also have a say in the functioning of the Government. The Government has to explain its actions and decisions to the people, who have the power to question it. The English, the American, and the French Revolutions laid the foundations for modern democracy in the 17th and the 18th centuries AD. Before the English Revolution, also known as the Glorious Revolution, the kings of England ruled with total authority. The kings' wishes were considered law. The people protested against these laws. They passed the Bill of Rights, and established the idea that the people of a country must have a say in Government. The English Revolution had its echoes in the American and the French Revolutions, which also emphasized the people's right to govern themselves. Later on, the term democracy was expanded to include the ideas of universal adult franchise, and socio-economic equality. Most governments today are monarchies.

 

Democracies can be of two types: direct and indirect. In a direct democracy, the people directly elect and participate in the Government. In an indirect or representative democracy, people do not directly participate in the Government. Instead, they elect leaders to the Government who take decisions on their behalf. These leaders serve the representatives of the people. India is a representative democracy. As the head of our country - the President - is elected, India is also called a democratic republic.

 

Democratic governments can also be parliamentary or presidential, unitary or federal. In presidential form of democratic Government, the President is the head of the Government as well as the head of the state. He is directly elected by the people. He is appointed for a fixed term and cannot be easily removed from office. In a parliamentary form of Government, the Prime Minister is the head of the Government. He is selected from representatives elected by the people, and can be removed from office by a vote in the Parliament. The President is the head of the state; he or she is not directly elected by the people.

 

Under a unitary system of Government, there is no division of powers between the different levels of Government. The ultimate power rests with the Central or National Government, and the State and Local Governments derive their authority from the Central Government. France and Italy have such Governments. In a federal system, there is division of powers between the center and the state. Usually, a federal system has two or more levels of government-one for the entire country and others at the level of states or provinces. USA, India Germany, and Switzerland have federal governments. Federal governments usually have a Written Constitution. A Constitution is a document that lays down all the rules and regulations that the citizens of a country have to follow.

 

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Democratic	Non-Democratic
Direct, Indirect	Monarchy
Parliamentary Presidential	Dictatorship
Unitary Federal	Theocarcy
	Oligarchy

 

KEY FEATURES OF A DEMOCRACY

(i)           Universal Adult Franchise

(ii)          People Participation and Awareness

(iii)        Conflict Resolution

(iv)        Fundamental Rights

(v)          Equality Before Law

(vi)        Separation of Powers

(vii)       Equality and Justice

 

Universal Adult Franchise

(Universal adult franchise means all adults in a country can vote and elect their representatives to the Government) The right to vote is an important feature of a democracy as it allows people to participate in the Government by electing their leaders. It also ensures that the rights of all sections of the society are represented equally in the Government. In India, all citizens above 18 years of age can vote regardless of their sex, gender, income, caste or religion.

Before India became independent, only a small group of people were allowed to vote in the elections. This meant that a small group of people had a say in the Government and made decisions for all the people of the country. Our leaders found the practice unfair and demanded that all adults should be given the right to vote. Governments in many other parts of the world, too, did not allow some sections of the society to vote in the past. Initially, many governments allowed only educated men who owned property to vote. Women, illiterate men, propertyless men, and the poor were not allowed to vote or participate in the Government. In some countries such as South Africa, blacks were not allowed to vote. Nowadays, all democratic governments grant adults the right to vote.

 

People Participation and Awareness

Democracies are based on the idea of people ruling themselves by participating in the Government. The people choose their Government, decide how the Government functions, and approve the laws it passes. Democracies have regular elections so people can choose their representatives and vote for them in regular intervals. Governments are elected for a fixed period of time, after which fresh elections are held. In India, governments are elected for a term of five years. They can be re-elected if the people choose so, else they are replaced by a new Government. In this way, elections ensure the real power remains with the people. Besides voting, people can also participate in and control the Government through public rallies, dharnas, strikes, and signature campaigns for or against a particular cause. They can also express their opinions and views through the media. They can even organize themselves into social movements or organizations to fight for their rights. All this is possible if the people of a country are aware of their rights and take an active interest in the functioning of the Government. The stronger the level of public awareness and public participation, e stronger is the democracy of a country.

 

Conflict resolution

Resolving conflicts is among the main responsibilities of democratic governments. All countries have laws according to which conflicts or differences between people or groups are settled.) The Indian Constitution also lays down certain laws which have to be followed by everyone, including the Government. The Indian Government has to keep these laws in mind when trying to resolve conflicts. The courts, police, and the defense forces help the Government in this task.

 

Fundamental rights

Democratic governments grant their citizens certain basic rights to ensure their dignity. These rights include freedom of speech, freedom to move and reside in any part of a country, right to equality, right to practice any religion, freedom of press, right to form associations and assemble peacefully. These rights ensure the Government and its functionaries do not misuse their power.

 

Equality before law

Equality before law means everyone is equal before the law regardless of their status. No one is above the law Any violation of law is a punishable offence. The English Revolution laid the basis for this democratic principle. All laws apply equally to all Indian citizens. The people of India can challenge a law in court if they feel it is unfair.

 

Separation of powers

Democracies usually have three organs of Government - the legislature, which makes laws; the executive, which implements laws; and the judiciary, which ensures the laws are most democratic setups, there is a 'separation of powers' of the three organs. This means they upheld In function independently of each other. This is done to ensure the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary act as checks on each other, thereby preventing misuse of power.

 

Equality and justice

Equality and justice are the twin pillars of a democracy. Democratic governments work towards ensuring political, social, and economic equality to all people. They ensure all people are mated equally and no person or group is discriminated against or suffers injustice ground, Justice and equality go hand in hand. It is only by ensuring equality that a government can achieve justice.

 

 

EQUALITY IN INDIAN DEMOCRACY

The Constitution of India holds every citizen equal. This means all Indians irrespective of religion, age, sex, place of birth, education, or economic status are recognized as equals and must be treated with dignity, The leaders who wrote our Constitution were well aware of the inequalities that existed in our society at the time of independence. Keeping all this in mind, they hid down provisions in the Constitution to ensure equality to all citizens of India. All the government institutions ensures equality to all sections of the society.

 

 

HOW THE CONSTITUTION ENSURES EQUALITY 

The Constitution of India lays down some provisions that uphold the principle of equality. It grants universal adult franchise to all adult Indian citizens. The right to vote is based on the idea of equality as it grants every adult one vote irrespective of religion, economic status, education, age, sex, etc. The Constitution has made equality a fundamental right. It also considers all citizens equal before law. This means all laws apply equally to all Indian citizens irrespective of what religion they belong to, what caste they are from, whether they are rich or poor, or how much education they have had. The Constitution states that no one, not even the President, is above the law. Anyone who violates law will face punishment

 

The Constitution also guarantees people equal opportunity to pursue what they want when it comes to any aspect of life, such as education, employment, etc. The Constitution aims to end any such exclusion on the basis of religion, sex, economic status, etc., by granting people the right to access all the public places. In addition, the Constitution has banned untouchability in all its forms.

 

 

HOW THE GOVERNMENT ENSURES EQUALITY

The Constitution has put the responsibility of ensuring equality to all people of the Government. The Indian Government tries to make sure that everyone enjoys this Fundamental Right in two ways:

 

By passing laws to ensure people are treated equally and with dignity.

1.    Before independence, there were no laws that protected people or communities from being discriminated against or from being treated unfairly. Today, India has many laws that protect people's right to be treated equally. For example, women now have the right to inherit property. According to the Hindu Succession Amendment Act 2005, not just men, women can also get an equal share of the family property. To ensure equality to women, the Government has also made seeking of dowry a punishable offence, and laid down that all workers, irrespective of their gender be given equal wage for equal work.

 

2.    The Disability Act of 1995 provide equal rights to people with disabilities and make it Government's responsibility to ensure their full participation in society. This act has been replaced by Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, where disability has been given wider concept. The types of disability have been increased from existing 7 to 21.

 

3.    The Act directs the government to take appropriate actions to ensure the persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with others. To provide free education to every child with benchmark disability and assimilation of such children in mainstream schools. It also emphasis on structuring the public buildings such as provision of ramps, adaption of toilets for wheel-chair users to make it accessible for person with special needs.

 

 

By launching schemes and programmes improve the lives of groups and communities who have historically been treated unequally.

1. The Indian government has launched many schemes to ensure greater opportunity to people, especially those who have faced discrimination in the past. It has reserved jobs for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes. It has launched schemes for educating girls and children from the tribal, and economically poor people. It has also been trying to make sure more children from poor families get access to education by launching programmes such as the mid-day meal scheme.
2. The mid-day meal scheme provides free lunch to all children studying in Government elementary schools. Because of the scheme, many children from poor families have begun attending school regularly. Earlier, children often came to school on an empty stomach. Hunger kept them from concentrating class properly. They also had to go home for lurch after which not many would return to school However, there still continues to be big gap between schools attended by the rich and the poor.

 

INEQUALITY STILL EXISTS

There are two primary reasons why not everyone in India enjoys an equal status in society even now:

 

(i) Discrimination on the basis of sex, caste, or religion.

Article 15 of the Indian Constitution prohibits the state from discriminating any citizen on ground of any religion, caste or sex. However, many people stills face social discrimination. They also have poor access to education and jobs. Inequality still exists between to men and women with fewer girls going to school compared to boys. Discrimination against women remains an area of concern even today. Largely, such kind of discrimination is being tackled by the government so that it is curbed from the roots itself.

 

(ii) Poverty and lack of resources

A majority of Indians are quite poor and this has limited their access to basic amenities, such as healthcare, education, and government jobs. Many people cannot afford to send their children to school Many are not educated enough to secure Government or private jobs. They struggle for basic necessities such as food and shelter. Manny are too poor to pay for doctors treatment and therefore d not get proper medical care. They often end up being exploited due to their low economic status and are made to accept poor wages for work, which only increases their suffering.

 

STRUGGLES FOR EQUALITY IN OTHER DEMOCRACIES

India is not the only country where inequality continues to be an issue. The United States of America has had a long history of African-Americans struggling for an equal status in society: In the 1950s, African-Americans launched movement to fight for equal rights. They sought end the discrimination they faced daily. For example, African-American children could not study with white children. They had to attend separate schools. When travelling by public transport such as buses, African Americans were required to sit in the back, away from white people. If a white person wanted to sit, African-Americans were required to get up and give up their seats.

But in 1955, an African-American woman called Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. Her refusal sparked a huge agitation against the discrimination faced by African-Americans which came to be known as the Civil Rights Movement. Under pressure, the U.S. Government finally passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 which banned discrimination on the basis of religion, race, or origin. It also granted equal access to schools to African-American children who no longer had to attend separate schools However, even today, African-Americans continue to struggle for their right to equality. Many are quite poor and lack the resources to put their children in good schools.

 

Info Bubble In a nationally televised address on June 6, 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy urged all Americans to take action towards guaranteeing equal treatment to all the citizens regardless of the race. Kennedy was assassinated in November 25, 1963. But his proposal culminated in the Civil Rights Act, which was signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

 

 

Tools of Democracy- Elations and political parties

 

Political parties

A political party comprises of group of people who share similar political views and aim to run the government of a country or state. The membership of a political party is voluntary. i.e. people are free to join or leave it. Each political party has its own beliefs and objectives on various issues. Such as social programmes, defense of a country, foreign policy of a country, etc. By listening to these views, people can decide whether they want to support the party or not.

 

Single, two-party, and multi-party systems

A single party system is one wherein all candidates who contest elections are from the same party. As there is only one political party, it wields a lot of power. China has such a system. A two-party system is one wherein voters can choose between two different parties to head their Government. U.S.A has a two-party system under which either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party forms the Government. The party that does not secure majority vote forms the opposition Britain follows a similar model. A multi-party system is one wherein voters can choose their Government from several different parties. India has such a system.

 

National and regional parties

In India, voters can choose their representatives from several different parties. Some of these parties have a national presence and contest elections in a number of regions. They are called national parties. Some contest elections in only certain regions and are therefore called regional or state parties. Can you name some national and state parties? Look up their manifestoes and discuss them in class.

 

 

ELECTIONS

A democracy requires that people choose their Government. How do people choose their Government? By participating elections and voting for their representatives. All elected representatives comprise the parliament or assembly of the country. O group of these elected representatives ultimately forms the Government.

 

 

General, mid-term, and bye-elections

Regular elections are a key feature of democracies. Governments are elected for a fixed period of time, after which fresh elections are held. In India, Governments are elected for a term of five years. Elections through which a new Government is chosen for be entire country or a particular state are called general elections. When such elections are held for the entire country, they are also known as Parliament or Lok Sabha elections. When they are held for a state, they are also known as Assembly or Vidhan Sabha elections. Representatives elected by the people to the Parliament are known as Members of Parliament (MPs), while representatives elected to the state legislatures are known as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

 

In case the Parliament or the State assembly is dissolved before it completes its five-year term, fresh elections are held fur appointing a new Government. Such elections are known as mid-term elections. The new Government is appointed for a fresh five-year term. In case, an elected representative resigns from his office or dies before completing his term, elections are held to his/her seat. Such elections are known as bye-elections. Representatives elected through such elections serve for what is left of the previous member's term.

 

Besides national and state governments, elections are also held in our country for local bodies such as Municipal Corporations, Zila Parishads, Gram Panchayats, etc. All Indian citizens above 18 years of age have the right to vote in elections, regardless of their caste, sex, or religion. The only exceptions are people of unsound mind, convicts, and people who have been declared bankrupt.

 

 

Election Commission

Free and fair elections are a necessary requirement in a democracy. This is ensured by an independent body called the Election Commission, which is answerable only to the Parliament. Besides monitoring polls, it is empowered to resolve disputes about election results. All political parties have to register with the EC. It also chooses the election symbols for the parties. The Election Commission is headed by a Chief Election Commissioner, who is appointed by the President.

 

 

Constituencies

For the purpose of elections, the total area of the country or state is divided into smaller areas called constituencies Feen each constituency, one representative is elected to the Parliament or the State Assembly.

 

 

Election campaign

National elections are announced by the President, while state elections are announced by governors of the respective states. Once elections are announced, the Election Commission draws up the schedule for the elections. It announces the dates for filing of nomination of papers by candidates (leaders contesting the elections, scrutiny of nomination papers, withdrawal of nominations and polling.

 

Meanwhile, the political parties decide which constituencies they plan to contest elections from and announce their candidates They also announce their manifesto, i.e., policies and programmes they plan to undertake if elected to the Government. Political parties usually announce their manifestoes and candidates in a campaign before an election. Such a campaign usually takes the form of public meetings, rallies, etc. On the basis of these campaigns, the people decide who they wish to vote for and represent them in the Government.

 

 

Electoral polling

On the day of polling, people go to booths set up for the purpose to cast their votes. To make sure people are free to cast their voter without pressure or fear, the votes are cast through a secret ballot. Voters press a button on an electronic voting machine in privacy.

 

No one can except the voter knows who he or she has voted for. The Election Commission appoints officials to ensure the polling is booth and fair. It also takes the help of police to keep order outside the polling booths.

 

 

Declaration of results

After the polling process is over, the Election Commission begins counting votes. The name of a candidate with the most votes are announced for each constituency. If a candidate wins more fan half the votes cast in a constituency, he is said to have won by an absolute majority. If a candidate gets the most votes but less than half the total votes cast, he is said to have won by a simple majority.

 

Formation of government

After elections are over, the party with the maximum number of elected leaders is determined. Such a party is said to have a majority. The party with the majority is called the Ruling Party and is invited to form the Government. The parties which oppose the majority form the Opposition. The largest among them is called the Opposition Party. no single party gets a clear majority on its own, parties join with other political parties that share similar interests to form the Government. Such governments are called coalitions.

 

New Terms
Constitution	A document that lays down all the rules and regulations that the citizens of a country have to follow.
Democracy	Rule by the people; every citizen can participate in Government.
Marginal communities	Are those communities that have historically been excluded from society on the basis of religion, caste, sex, etc. For example, women, Dalits, etc.
Fundamental Rights	Rights guaranteed to all citizens of India by the Constitution.
Hindu Succession Amendment Act	Women can also get an equal share of the family property.
Disabilities Act	Gives persons with disabilities equal rights and makes it the Government's responsibility to make sure they can fully participate in society.
Mid-day meal scheme	A Government scheme to provide free lunch to all children studying in Government elementary schools.
Civil Rights Movement	Launched by African-Americans in the 1950s against the discrimination they faced in the American society and to fight for and equal status.
Civil Rights Act	Passed by the United States of America in 1964; it banned discrimination on the basis of religion, race, or origin; it also granted equal access to schools to African-American children who no longer had to attend separate schools.