Slums in Golden Shelter

An English dictionary defines democracy’s as a State practicing government by the people, direct or representative. And.’ Living Democracy would mean a State whose government remains with the people, actively functioning for the welfare of its citizens, and the citizens, in turn, participating responsibly in the democratic process.  Under this broad framework, our country has now been functioning as a Democratic Republic for over fifty years. Has it been a living democracy, has it been able to live up to the high expectations of the Constitution? Let’s take up a few important aspects of this enquiry.

A disturbing feature in the functioning of the Indian democracy is corruption, especially at the bureaucratic level, for corruption eats at the very vitals of a democratic government. Before going into the details about all the various ways in which corruption at different levels has made our country feeble, the most vital thing to remember is the age-old saying, As the Ruler, so the people, since both integrity and corruption filter down from the top. One is reminded of a verse in the Bhagavad-Gita which says: Whatsoever a great man does, that other men also do; the standard he sets up, by that the people go.’ (III. 21)

For nearly two centuries and a half India in its own ways has been contributing to richness of the English language. Over 7,000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary have been borrowed from Indian languages. From “Dal” to “dhanshak”, and “shanti” to “Dharma” are Indian gifts to English.
Not all the other words which have found their way into English leave a good taste in the mouth or give the exact flavour of Indian ethos and culture. One word which has lately got entry into the Oxford Dictionary is “hawala”. It describes only one form of corruption and it helps those who know how to launder money without the help of lawful banking channels where incomes face disclosure and taxes become payable — a prospect many people don’t relish.

“Hawala” is in common use in Mumbai, both in technique and language. The Great Hawala Scam hit the headlines and reached the Supreme Court during the times of Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao’s government in the early 1990s. It’s still in usage in the nation’s commercial capital. Also, there are varied other forms of corruption in the country all having a pervasive influence on life, culture, mind, economy and politics.
Not only corruption — like cancer —has spread far and wide in the country, the malignancy has gone too deep for anyone to find an easy cure for it. While the problem is increasingly becoming more serious affecting the daily life of the people, and distorting the politics and the economy, it is a pity not much is being done to tackle it.