Businesses Want to Employ Active Citizens.
An Informed And Active Citizenry Is The Key To Honesty And Accountability.
The word democracy comes from two words: Demos which means ‘people’ and ‘kratien’ which means ‘to rule’. Democracy is thus that form of government where there is the rule of the people, by the people and for the people. The spirit of democracy means that the government embodies ‘SABKA SAATH, SABKA VIKAS’
India is thus a united political community that elects its representatives who are responsible and accountable to the people and work for the public interest. They are public servants and not public lords.
They key to keeping the government honest and accountable lies in the people. It is only when the citizenry is proactive and civic minded, is aware of its fundamental rights and mindful of its duties — can one expect real democracy.
Democracy is not just an institutional mechanism or a number game where the parties compete in the market for power and the one with the most demand winds. Real democracy lies in its people — an informed and active citizenry and a VIBRANT CIVIL SOCIETY — who through quality participation make the government conform to the will of the people.
INFORMATION REVOLUTION: In the contemporary scenario, the media (TC, newspapers, magazines, radio, Internet — social media) has emerged as the 4th pillar of democracy. It is the heart and soul of an informed citizenry and government accountability. Media which is independent and follows high standards of journalism has one objective — to make POWER truthful anf to make TRUTH more powerful.
We live in an age that is called POST-TRUTH by some political analysts where the phenomenon of ‘alternative facts’ is much too familiar. In such a scenario, ethical and responsible journalism keeps the citizens informed and updated about what it can expect and demand from the government. The hard hitting questions raised by the media are a critical lens on the activities of the government. For example, the government still has not appointed the LOKPAL and it is dragging its feet. The media has highlighted this issue causing much conservation to the public officials who otherwise claim to be anti-corruption in their election manifesto at the time of general elections.
At the global level, perhaps one of the best examples in the recent times is the PANAMA PAPERS LEAK which was a series project of investigative journalism carried out by a global alliance of media outfits. The panama papers showed how the power elite have parked excess funds and black money in offshore accounts. The government of “Nawaz Sharif” in Pakistan is reeling under the impact of this disclosure and the legitimacy of his government is being called in question.
THE RTI REVOLUTION
The right to information act, passed in 2005 — has changed the game for the Indian citizenry. The right to Information Items from the fundamental right to freedom encapsulated in ARTICLE 19 of the Indian Constitution.
The RTI movement began in a small village Sewar in Rajasthan when the villagers demanded to know and audit the local administrative which has been spending state money in the name of development works. The accounts of the administration did not add up which resulted in the disclosure of local corruption by public authorities. This resulted in a grassroots movement which culminated in the enactment of the legislation. It also led to the social audit of the public workds by the citizens themselves so that pilferage of money can be curbed.
Mahatma Gandhi has said that democracy is GREAT INSTITUTION AND THERE IT IS LIABLE TO BE GREATLY ABUSED.
This it is imperative that the citizenry is active through firstly VOTING.
Voting and universal adult franchise is a right and a responsibility that one must not take for granted. The citizens should vote enthusiastically after revering the political programs of all parties and candidate. The citizens must all vote in local body elections and make sure that their voice and preferences are heard loud and clear at all intervals.
Active citizenry must protect — for example, the recent activism against mob lynching’s of those who trade in cattle or eat beef signal India’s vibrant civil society. These protest were called “NotInMyName.
The activism of citizens in the aftermath of NIRBHATA led to stringent anti-rape laws. Similarly, the protests of farmers and voluntary associations against the alarming trend of FARMER SUICIDES is jolting the government into taking more beneficial and accelerated steps for the welfare of farmers.
The social media and internet boom has given a diversified avenue for the citizens to be active participants in the process of nation building. Now, it is possible to directly reach out to the bureaucracy and elected representatives and communicate the demands and expectations — forms like mygov.in are a way to mould the priorities of the government.
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