Nationalism and democracy

In a thriving democracy, free and fair elections are vital, but so is strengthening constitutionally empowered institutions

- SHYAM SARAN

India has announced the holding of general elections for the 18th Lok Sabha from April 19 to June also for the world. Its scale is unprecedented and its management a formidable challenge. The drama of nearly a billion people out of a population of 1.4 billion exercising their constitutional right to elect those who shall govern them over the next five years is unparalleled in history. This should be a matter of celebration and of justifiable pride for all Indians. Elections may not be sufficient for democracy but they are certainly indispensable to it. They accord legitimacy to an elected political leadership in exercising governance, though it is another matter whether such leadership is exercised with wisdom and a sense of responsibility or descends into demagoguery.

Democracy is an ancient concept dating back to the 6th century BCE Athens, which for the first time put forward the idea of rule by the people. Who constituted the "people" changed over time but generally progressed from more exclusivist to more inclusive definitions. Those entitled to elect their leaders may be holders of property. Women were excluded as were slaves. Democracy did not mean equality in a more general sense. However, the notion of representative government, albeit limited in scope, had been established as a political ideal.