Democracy holds a special place in India. Furthermore, India without a doubt is the biggest democracy in the world. Also, the democracy of India is derived from the constitution of India. After suffering at the hands of British colonial rule, India finally became a democratic nation in 1947. Most noteworthy, Indian democracy since independence is infused with the spirit of justice, liberty, and equality.
Sovereignty is a vital feature of Indian democracy. Sovereignty refers to the full power of a governing body over itself without outside interference. Moreover, people can exercise power in Indian democracy. Most noteworthy, people of India elect their representatives. Moreover, these representatives remain responsible for common people. The democracy in India works on the principle of political equality. Furthermore, it essentially means all citizens are equal before the law. Most noteworthy, there is no discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, creed, race, sect, etc. Hence, every Indian citizen enjoys equal political rights.
The power of Indian Democracy has been proved recently when Chandana Bauri scripted one of the historic wins in the West Bengal Assembly polls that will be long remembered by the people of the state.
Chandana, the wife of a daily wage earner, won from West Bengal’s Saltora constituency. The 30-year-old Chandana Bauri defeated opponent Sontosh Kumar Mondal by a margin of more than 4,000 votes.
Following Chandana’s win, many took to Twitter and hailed her for this astounding success, despite coming from a humble background.
According to the election affidavit filed by her, Chandana’s assets amount to just Rs 31,985, while her husband’s assets worth meager Rs 30,311. Chandana’s husband works as a mason for daily wages. Chandana, a mother of three children, along with her husband also owns three cows and three goats.
Many hailed Chandana’s win as splendid and inspiring.
The triumph of Chandana in the West Bengal Assembly polls indicate that the Indian democracy acknowledges every individual as equal and understands the importance of equality in India. It is also a matter of fact that the idea and concept of democracy includes human rights, as democracy is built on the fundament of human rights, in front of all on the democratic principle as part of human rights. Therefore, the respect of human rights is a part of a democratic system.
On the contrary, if we talk about the countries like Turkey, its democracy has failed miserably.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a midnight decree withdrawing Turkey from the Istanbul Convention on March 20. The move prompted thousands of women across the country to take to the streets in what one activist described as the “need to get out there.”
“Right now, we need women across the country to be out on the streets, telling the president to reverse this decision,” Fidan Ataselim, spokeswoman for the We Will Stop Femicides Platform, told Duvar English on March 20, speaking while en route to a demonstration in Istanbul’s Kadıköy.
An international treaty that mandates all signatories create legislation to protect women, the Istanbul Convention has been a battleground between Turkey’s feminist movement and Ankara for almost a year, with rumours of a withdrawal stirring controversy both in the opposition and in the ranks of the ruling People’s Alliance.
Opposition municipalities and non-governmental organisations have been carrying out awareness campaigns about the treaty since the summer of 2020 to combat its antagonisation by the government and conservative opinion leaders.
Erdoğan’s midnight decree was widely interpreted as an attempt to fortify his links to pious circles prior to the elections, scheduled for 2023 but always open to rescheduling in the volatile political landscape of the country.
Marching up Kadıköy’s narrow, winding roads, a mosaic of women and men from all ages, backgrounds and affiliations brought together their voices in a unique way to say that they simply will not stand the president’s decree, and will instead hold on to the fruit of years’ work by the Turkish women’s movement.
The situation is unfortunate but not new in the political sphere of Turkey. After the failed coup attempt in 2016, Turkish political sphere has been dominated by a series of emergency laws. It can be said that Turkey has been moving away from democratic discourses and practices in the last few years. This break from democracy has been stimulated by the dominant political and bureaucratic actors under the pioneering role of AK Party.
Silencing the opposing voices undermines democracy. Some specific groups have been stigmatized and even criminalized due to their opposing ideas against the government. For example in 2018, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dropped a complaint against four students he accused of “insulting the president” for holding up a satirical banner in a graduation ceremony. “‘Insulting the president’ should not be a crime”, said Benjamin Ward, Europe and Central Asia acting director at Human Rights.
Turkey took its initial steps toward establishing democracy in 1950, it has thus far failed to become a fully functioning democracy. The country’s experience with authoritarian rule, and the lack of elite settlement or convergence towards acceptance of the democratic rules of the game are the reasons behind the failed democracy of the country.
If we talk about China, the enemy of democracy, we must notice that the country is extremely troubled by India’s democratic system of governance. China is leaving no stone unturned to suppress the democratic voice with extreme brutality. This can be exemplified by the miserable condition of Hong Kong. China has killed Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement in less than a year which is shameful to the core.
China’s overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system is being seen as a watershed moment by those who fear Beijing’s encroaching influence on the city.
Recent changes ensure that only “patriots” loyal to the mainland can end up in positions of power. To those hoping Hong Kong might move towards greater democracy, it feels like the final blow.
The US, Australia and European countries condemned China’s actions, but it has been harder to gauge the reactions in Hong Kong itself. Many people simply don’t want to talk anymore.
In fact, over the past few years it has become harder and harder to get ordinary people to speak their mind about the city’s relationship with the mainland.
The United States also condemned the sentencing of seven pro-democracy activists who took part in a peaceful assembly of 1.7 million people in Hong Kong.
“The United States condemns the sentencing of seven pro-democracy leaders on politically-motivated charges. Beijing and Hong Kong authorities are targeting Hong Kongers for doing nothing more than exercising protected rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of speech,” Blinken said in a statement.
Well, we all have to understand the fact that only a democratic form of government can satisfy the interests of all the different sections of the society. That is why democracy has succeeded in India and why it will continue to succeed, it’s in the DNA. India’s emergence as world’s largest vibrant democracy is exceptional. Indian constitutional principles of secularism and federalism are the foundational keystone of Indian democracy. Indian democracy is a heterogeneous model with a vast socio-religious and cultural diversity. It was predicted by western political analysts that the Indian model of democracy would not last long. However, it was due to India’s strong commitment to its constitutional principles that led India to not only survive as a nation but also to emerge as the leader of the newly independent countries.