Why Indian democracy works but not that of our neighbours

Despite the constant struggle to handle the challenges and aspirations of castes, the larger goal of all stakeholders is to make the system work

- ALI CHOUGULE

aimed at influencing public opinion and/or government policies. In fact, India’s genesis itself is a product of popular struggle against the British rule.

But India has navigated and coped with every crisis, including violent separatist movements, with remarkable success through democratic means.

Democracy is messy because of its inherent complexities, imperfections, and tensions between common good and self-interest. Its process is not transparent, but in a diverse society like India, with conflicting views, social and political interests, and ideologies, democracy has been sustained and succeeded on the strength of the system that is designed with many checks and balances, as power and authority are spread across different branches of government, which are supposed to operate independently of each other. We often complain of gridlock, filibuster, and the challenges of getting anything done and wonder whether there is something fundamentally wrong with the system of governance or if it is working as intended. The Indian system may not be perfect, but we have flourished as a nation.

Despite constant inherent tension between the common good and self-interest, democracy endures as a “beacon of hope” because it is a system that keeps evolving and promotes equality among citizens, provides a method to resolve conflict, and improves the quality of decision-making, though it is not the ultimate solution to every problem.