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Democratic Reforms
The author explains that people get the right of suffrage at 21, but asks, dothose 21-year-olds have an understanding of the basic problems of thepeople that would allow them to vote for the people's welfare? Educationand political consciousness are prerequisites for the right to vote.
by Shrii Prabhat R. Sarkar 
Brief: Political consciousness, not age, should determine right of suffrage.Candidates should be elected on the recommendations of the people,which make for the undoing of today’s political parties. The secretariat should be kept free from pressures of the cabinet: four compartmentslegislature, executive, judiciary and public exchequer should work independent of legislators as well as from one another. And, the rule of enlightened moralists (“sadvipras”) will generate the continuous collectivemoral momentum needed for a democracy to succeed in being agovernment of, by and for the people, and not the government of somemanipulative minority.
 __________________________________________ According to the definition in vogue today, democracy is defined as thegovernment of the people, by the people and for the people. Adult suffrage playsan important role in democracy. In the name of forming a democraticgovernment, different political and communal parties throw their hats into theelection ring. Every party issues its own election manifesto to influence thepeople in order to carry the laurels in the ensuing election battle. Besides,different parties entice the voters through election propaganda. Where educatedpeople are in the majority and political consciousness is adequate, it is not verydifficult for people to weigh the pros and cons of the manifesto of a particular party and to ascertain what is in the best interests of the people. But where thereis a dearth of education and political consciousness, and where people fail tounderstand the reality of the manifesto and are misled by wrong propaganda,they cast their ballots in favor of parties whose ideals go contrary to the socialinterest. Consequently, parties that go against the interests of the people areinstalled in power.In the present democratic system, the right to cast a vote depends on age.Suppose people get the right of suffrage at the age of 21. This assumes that allpersons attaining the age of 21 have an understanding of the basic problems of the people. But in reality many people above the age of 21 remain ignorant of these problems for want of political consciousness. So the right of suffrageshould not be based on age. This right should be vested in those who areeducated and politically conscious. Conferring voting rights on the basis of agemeans that people may cast their ballots without proper understanding and
 
knowledge, while many educated and politically conscious people are debarredfrom voting because of their age. This is the greatest lacuna of democracy.The second lacuna is that in the democratic system people have to hear lengthy,unsubstantial lectures, which are also often misleading. Leaders have to canvassall and sundry to get votes. They have to placate thieves, dacoits and hypocritesbecause the latter command great voting power. That is why democracy is thegovernment of thieves, dacoits and hypocrites. The government cannot takeaction against them because a government that curbs their nefarious activitiescannot last long.It is possible in a democratic government that the members or the electedrepresentatives comprise more than fifty percent of the total number of candidates winning at the hustings, while the total votes secured by their partymay be less than fifty per cent. In such a condition the government is said to beof a majority party, but in reality it is the government of a particular minority party.As a particular party forms the government, the opinion of another party or other parties is not respected in the legislature. Though all parties participate inpassing legislation, bills are passed according to the wishes of the party that is inthe majority. When a particular party passes acts, that party often derives benefitfrom the enacted law while the people at large do not derive much benefit from itat all.As a particular party forms the government, the independence of the governmentservants is also impaired. The members and leaders of the ruling party interferewith the work of the executive and force it to tow the party line. Under duresswork is done which benefits a particular party but harms the interests of thepeople at large. In the democratic system government officials cannot go againstthe wishes of the government leaders as the former work under the direction of the secretariat, which is headed by the cabinet formed by the ruling party.In so-called democracies even the judiciary cannot function independently as theruling party pressurizes judges and judicial officers. Thus judgments aresometimes delivered which strangulate justice.Independence of the audit department, too, is indispensable for the proper functioning of the public exchequer. But owing to the pressure of the party inpower, it often fails to act independently. For want of proper auditing, public fundsare squandered and misused. Consequently nation-building activity is not carriedout properly. A government is to govern and serve the people, but it is notpossible to govern in the democratic system, for who is there to be governed?The public is placated in order to secure votes which makes the would-be-rulersunfit to rule. And the would-be-rulers are themselves incompetent, immoral,hypocritical exploiters or how else would they get elected? They take recourse todevious strategies and the power of money. That is why there is no one toprovide worthy leadership. And as far as the question of the people is concerned,
 
that is meaningless in a democracy. In this system the party and the leadersserve themselves in all possible ways.Thus, it is crystal clear that the democratic form of government is riddled withlacunae. Without removing them it is impossible to properly run theadministration of a country.
Needed democratic reforms
Now let us discuss some reforms to democracy. Democracy cannot succeed incountries where people are illiterate, immoral, or backward. Countries likeEngland, the U.S.A. and France are suitable for democracy, but even thesecountries need to introduce some reforms.First, legislators in the states and at the center should be elected on therecommendations of the people at large. At the time of electing representativesthe people should pay heed to their education, moral standard and sacrifice for the society etc. If the representatives are elected keeping in view these factors,they will not be guided by party interests but by collective interests. In their mindsthe interests of the entire human race and society will dominate, and not anyclass interests. They will be able to enact laws keeping in mind the problems of all and sundry, thereby accelerating the speed of social reconstruction. Their impartial service will bring happiness to all.The voting rights should be vested in educated persons who have politicalconsciousness and awareness of peoples problems. Age should not be a bar 
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 to voting right. If illiterate people are given voting rights there is the possibility of anti-social and incompetent representatives being elected.To provide a fearless and independent ambience to the administration, thesecretariat should be kept free from pressures from the cabinet. The cabinetshould confine itself to legislation, the passage and passing of the budget, theimplementation of its plans and policies, defense etc. The power of ministersshould remain confined to the parliament and they should not poke their noseinto the workings of the secretariat. The chief secretary should not be under thepresident or the prime minister but should act independently as the executivehead. All the secretaries should work under the chief secretary. Free from cabinetpressures, every department will serve the people well.In the present system the judiciary functions under a cabinet minister, andpressure from the minister may impair its independent functioning. To removethis defect and to ensure impartial justice, the judiciary should have the right tofunction independently. In no case should the chief justice be treated as inferior to the president or the prime minister. Only moralists and honest persons shouldbe installed on the hallowed seat of justice. If people fail to keep this issue under their close scrutiny, injustice will take the place of justice.
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