question_answer

What sustains democracy in India?

Answer:

Democracy is the very foundation of Indian political system- It is universally accepted by the people and adopted at every level of Indian politics. The factors which sustain democracy in India are as follows:

(i) Principles of Democracy as the adopted goals of our Constitution: Democracy is based on the principles of equality, liberty and brotherhood. To achieve the prescribed goals the framers of our Constitution adopted the aims like secularism, socialism democratic republic, national unity and international understanding.

(ii) Representative Democracy: The framers of our Constitution provided for a representative democracy in a liberal framework in order to sustain democracy.

(iii) Universal Adult Franchise: In our country there are periodic elections for all levels of the government based on secret ballot and universal adult franchise. This is to ensure free, fair and open election.

(iv) Interest and Pressure Groups: Our Constitution has given complete liberty to pressure and other organised or unorganised groups to operate in the political systems. They also influence government decisions and policies.

However, all these factors primarily refer to the elements of democracy, but in the era of globalisation democracy does not mean merely a form of government, but in a broader sense it constitutes, the practical way of life, an order of society, a way of social and economic relations and above all a belief in system.