Democracy and Education

Democracy is not suitable for illiterate people who cannot understand the punch of their vote and have no awareness about their basic rights. Democracy teaches its follower equality but an ignorant public who has learned to obey the authorities by imbibing that they belong to a different category cannot raise voice against their exploiters that is mandatory to generate a flicker of hope to kindle the candle of equality in the society. They remain impressed by the loaded politicians, sophisticated looking bureaucrats and overzealous brass hats who in return further suppress them to ensure the perpetuity of master-slave relationship. Therefore, the ignorant teeming millions consider these big cannons as the commanders of their fate. Education forms common mind, brings responsibility in the individuals by stirring his conscience and generates acuity among the public about their genuine rights. Therefore, education is binding for establishment of the public rule. In developed countries the presence of high literacy rate is the basic reason for burgeoning democracy. In the developing countries the fate of democracy is in the doldrums because education is as scarce as democracy in a fascist country or honesty in a liars’ colony.

The democratic developed countries siphon off a major chunk of their resources for education. Therefore, democracy is alive and kicking in these countries that guarantee meaningful participation of the rank and file in nation building. This state of affairs generates public responsiveness about their rights and responsibilities. Therefore, when the people see any violation of their legitimate rights they vehemently protest against the liable authorities. No one is above the grip of corpus juris and the transgressors are brought to book without distinction due to strong accountability institutions. The rulers also work dedicatedly and with a sense of commitment because they are answerable to the public that empowered them through ballet power to govern the business of the state. The men in the driving seat consider themselves true public representatives. When they find that they have failed to fulfill their due duties they give up their job posts. Shinzo Abe, the youngest PM of Japan , has recently resigned because he found himself unable to accomplish his national and political obligations.

Paradoxically, in developing countries the democracy is as scarce as warm water in the Antarctica because only bare resources are funneled for the education sector. The teeming millions are indifferent towards democratic norms and practices because of exceedingly low literacy rate in these countries. The massive resources are squandered for the luxurious activities of the despotic men in the throne. These authoritarian potentates have illusion that their presence is indispensable for the survival and progress of the countries. Therefore, they stick to their power-intoxicated chairs and think in terms of life-long rulership to play with the fate of the sloth-crumpled nations. These autocrats are not answerable to anyone. Accountability is just eyewash or a strumpet’s lipstick and the accountability institutions are used as means to intimidate the political rivals of the power drunk men in the saddle. The dictators do not accommodate opposite views and consider their own blinkered opinions as gospel truth. Even several charges of sleaze and misappropriation could not turn a hair of these thick-skinned power lust tyrants.