‘Democracy’, a Greek word, combines ‘demos’ meaning citizenry and ‘kratos’ meaning state power. Here the citizen is the master. The popularly elected representatives are the servants of the people in a democratic set up. The authority to govern the state is given by people’s mandate through popular voting. Such is a liberal democracy.
Legitimacy, justice, freedom, authority with accountability and free press are important elements in a democracy. People’s mandate through majority vote is conferred upon the winning party or combination of parties to exercise authority to govern the state for the wellbeing of the citizens. The mandate includes the ruling power’s responsibility to play on a level ground, keeping in mind to treat all citizens equally, to frame and implement laws and rules with honesty and integrity without bias or favour, The governing authority has the constitutional responsibility to respect people’s freedom of expression, freedom of choice between alternatives, right to dissent, freedom to belong to a political party, and freedom to enjoy nationally and internationally approved civic and political rights.
The power to govern the people is not absolute but is restricted and mandated within the framework of the constitution of the nation. It also means the government or any powerful force cannot encroach upon the civic liberties of the citizens by force or by bringing in anti-people legislations.
In the present day world, certain contradictions and discrepancies are creeping in many democratic countries. Modern fundamentalist or fascist forces come to power through buying popular support by forcing the electorate or through financial incentives or by toppling electoral mechanisms. Vociferous leaders hoodwink the electorate with false promises for a paradise. Buying of elected representatives of opposition parties is a dirty game played by ruling parties to debilitate or wipe out the opposition.
It is seen that some heads of governments arrogate to themselves all decision-making mechanisms or though a selected clique. Power hunger envelops them, and they can go any extent to play any dirty game to climb higher and higher the ladder of power. Some may even want to reshape or remould the contours of the nation. They may do this by demolishing the sacred past or denigrating the great leaders who sacrificed their lives for winning the freedom of the nation and laid the foundation for the democratic set up. In such attempts, the sacred constitution of the land is given a back seat and sinister attempts are made to re-write the constitution by bringing in outmoded and unscientific customary or religious principles.
Autocracy, authoritarian and fascist rule, religious fundamentalism, suppressing civil liberties, pulverising opposition parties, marginalising or even eliminating minority religious/cultural communities, using the police, the press and even the judiciary, etc. are seen to be characteristics of certain governments today. Such ruling factions are sounding a death knell to liberal democracy. Only an intelligent and literate citizenry asserting their human and fundamental rights and exercising their responsibility to demand accountability from all the pillars of democracy can help restore sanity in those who hold the steering wheel of power.