Democracy In India. Reality Or A Dream?

“A government of the people, by the people and for the people”, said Abraham Lincoln to honor the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to save the ‘same’ government.

What do we use this ‘democracy’ for now?
Right to vote. Right to protest. Right to promote/defame the government.
Something more?
No wonder last time I used the word ‘democracy’ was to escape something harsh I had expressed publicly saying "It’s a democratic world. I can say whatever I want to!"

Majority of us don’t care about being in a democratic country anymore. What has led to such a disinterest in a country which proudly flags its ‘largest democratic’ promo everywhere? Why are we only concerned about ourselves and not about the country anymore?

Majorly because democracy never transcended in its truest sense among us!
Freedom. Rights. Power of choice. Democracy is also what makes an illiterate farmer equivalent to a millionaire of the country, both have ONE vote. But wait. What if a person doesn’t even understand what choice or freedom he has? Doesn’t democracy apply only to people who can actually make use of it wisely? In a country which is home to largest population of illiterate adults in the world – 287 million (37% of the global total), we cannot anticipate the absolute knowledge of democracy at all.

The power of politics then comes into play.
Politicians very well understand the illiteracy rate and the unemployment rate (this very moment, 18.9+ million jobless people in India). They can aptly use their promises, policies and power to get these people working for them. This is how we come across multiple protests at Jantar Mantar, Ramleela ground in Delhi; stone pelting on advanced trains like Tejas, Vande Bharat; anti-nationalist campaigns in our own campuses like JNU, AMU; media channels being tagged to various political parties; extreme horse-trading for power. How can people among us be involved in all such activities? It all boils down to power. Political parties are now hungry for power more than the country.

The meaning of democracy is molded now. A government of the ‘politicians’, by their ‘politics’ and for ‘power’.

All this happens because our illiteracy-cum-unemployment struck country doesn’t know a way out. It gets lured to doing anything and everything for money and corruption. When do you recall a time when some highly educated person got into politics with an intention to do some good? No one today wants to get into the ‘dirt’ now. This is what our country’s democracy has become.

Real democracy comes from our own selves. It starts from us.
If we could practice it within us before expecting it from government, it’ll do us way better! The freedom to choose our actions, the will-power to take a stand, the right to enquire the truth without being influenced, the courage to go through the ‘right path’ (no matter how easy the fake driving licenses or getting some booking through agents seems). Again, it is easy for us to understand all this but what about that 37% of illiterate population?

Democracy also gives you the freedom to educate and impart knowledge. Can we not at-least tell our house’s maid or the lift’s guard about what the real ‘democracy’ means?

Not the country. Not the government. Not the politicians.
Only WE can make India a DEMOCRATIC place to live !