Including, through conversation….Arun Maira
Citizens must talk to each other better, between elections, to make an aspirational democracy work
Citizens must talk to each other better, between elections, to make an aspirational democracy work
Indias remarkable democracy is at work. In Bengals elections, voters massively ousted the longest ruling elected Communist government in history. In Delhi, civil society activists of both urbane and earthy kinds have rallied masses to demand that the Government get really serious about fighting corruption. The romance of democracy is that somehow the result will come out the way you want, but everything we know about democracy is that the result comes out the way the people want, John Mueller said. What do these recent events tell us about what the people of India want?
Shekhar Guptas report on a recent visit to Bengals villages (Bengal stands up to ask for more, IE, May 11) provides clues. In rural Bengal, he noted an absence of the poverty he sees in other parts of the country. No hunger, no beggars, even in the poorest districts. This the Communists have achieved. What they missed, he says, is that the people had moved on from seeing development as fulfillment of basic needs to development as fulfillment of their aspirations.
Aspirations are more complex than basic needs. People in Bengal resented being ruled by a party machine. They had difficulties in getting access to goods provided by the state if they did not belong to the Party. They wanted fairness and inclusion human aspirations that are more difficult to measure and deliver than material needs. Political leaders must recognise and fulfill such aspirations or they risk being thrown out. In Singapore, a party that has produced a remarkable improvement of living conditions for Singaporeans has been troubled by a decline of its popularity in recent elections. The reason, analysts say, is growing resentment of an arrogant party machine. Wherever there are free elections, as in India, political change will happen sooner. Where there are none, as in China, though there is already evidence that people want more than material growth, change will come later.
Indian leaders have three tasks before the next elections: offer the people a fresh view of development; accelerate reforms; and improve democratic institutions. From the peoples perspective, the reform agenda must be much broader than financial and economic reforms. Reforms of the financial system are necessary no doubt. However, like changes in the electrical systems in a house, they are only one part of what inhabitants expect from the architect they commission to improve their home. They want the architect to provide them more space and improve the ambience of the house too. This requires more creativity and boldness. Corruption will not be reduced or public service delivery improved, which are peoples demands, without bold administrative reforms, electoral funding reforms, and political reforms especially the devolution of powers to local bodies.
While preparing the approach to the 12th Plan, the Planning Commission has listened to peoples expectations more widely and deeply than it has ever before. It has received the views of almost a thousand civil society organisations, through common platforms constructed by civil society organisations themselves. Business associations have also given their views on the countrys challenges. And through the internet and social networks, thousands of citizens have spoken up too.
All sections want vastly improved implementation. And they want a new approach to improving the country and their lives. For this, administrative reforms are imperative; and also devolution of powers, and citizens participation in implementation. People want not just government for the people, which Singapore has and the Communists had also delivered in Bengal initially. They want a government genuinely of and by the people. Growth is necessary. But the principal objective of the 12th Plan cannot be only economic growth, they say. It must also be more inclusion in governance and growth.
India can conduct free and fair elections on a scale that no other country can. It has developed the vertical threads of democracy for the upward representation of people. However, to be strong, the fabric of democracy needs lateral threads too. These are processes of deliberation to reconcile interests of stakeholders, and for their participation in governance between elections. Such processes transform governments for the people into governments by and of the people.
When Anna Hazare demanded action against corruption, some took the position that unelected civil society organisations should not be allowed to represent the people: this task should be reserved only for their elected representatives. The truth is this would weaken, not strengthen democracy. Citizens participation in the management of their affairs cannot be completed in only a few minutes every five years with the casting of their votes. They must continue to be engaged with issues that matter to them, and they must be heard from more often.
In the US, as in India, there is disenchantment with the performance of assemblies of elected representatives. There is a surge of interest in institutions of direct democracy referendums and direct ballots of citizens on specific issues. But these too are methods to merely ascertain the majority preference, not methods to reconcile opposing points of view which must be the spirit of a deep democracy.
Institutionalised processes of dialogue between diverse interests are the lateral threads that strengthen democracys fabric. These processes require democratic institutions to aggregate and represent peoples interests. Therefore improvement of the quality of political parties, trade unions, business associations, and civil society organisations is essential for democratic governance. These institutions must be democratic, transparent, and competent.
The agenda of Indias leaders must be to improve the quality of these representative institutions, and also the dialogue amongst them. They are the foundations for shaping and implementing reforms that matter to people.
The writer is a member of the Planning Commission