The Democracy

The term 'Democracy' is the involvement of the people, directly or indirectly in the functioning of the government. India has adopted the representative parliamentary democracy. The constitution makes no provision for straight control by the people through such devices as 'referendum and 'initiative'. Though the people of India exercise their sovereignty through a Parliament at the Centre and a Legislature in each State elected on the basis of universal adult franchise.

The Executive is responsible to the House of the Legislature. Beyond political democracy, the Preamble also provides social and economic democracy. The Equality in the political field gives each adult citizen the power to vote independently. Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar considered the social and economic democracy to be the actual goals of struggle. Even Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru realised that political formation would deteriorate and fall apart if socio-economic evils like poverty and inequalities were not tackled and removed. A vote, after all, does not mean much to an underprivileged individual. It is in this framework that the Preamble talks of justice, equality, liberty and fraternity of the people in India.

The Preamble mentions of social, economic and political rights to the individual without being partial. The word 'social and 'economic considerably comes before the word 'political'. Social justice means the end of discrimination on the basis of birth, caste, race, sex or religion. All the citizens of India should benefit from equal opportunities in the affair of public engagement.

Economic justice builds the gap between the rich and the poor. It ensures a more impartial distribution of national wealth and resources among those who contribute to its formation. Thus, the Directive Principles give the right and adequate means of livelihood, distribute rights, ensure equal pay for equal work and see that people, particularly women and children are not ill-treated or forced by economic desire into work below their age or strength.

Political justice implies that all citizens should have equal opportunity to participate in the political system. One-person one-vote right is given irrespective of caste, creed, colour, sex or religion or educational qualifications. It is the basis of the political democracy envisaged in constitutional Liberty.

Democracy is associated with the idea of liberty. Some rights must be enjoyed by every person in a community for a free and civilized survival. These basic rights are given out by the Preamble as freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship.

The Fundamental Rights guarantee all these rights. The right to equality has no meaning if they cannot be enjoyed uniformly by all members of the society. To make sure that it is possible for all to enjoy these rights, social and economic equality is required to be achieved. The Fundamental Rights direct the States not to discriminate citizens merely on the basis of caste, race, sex or religion. Public places are open to all citizens. Democracy ensures that all the citizens are equal before the law and enjoy equal protection of the laws of the land. A democratic system functions in a strong way only if there is a spirit of brotherhood, feeling of oneness among the people.

Though India is a land of immense diversity, but still the people have the spirit of unity and the sense of belonging to one nation. The principle of common citizenship is directed towards strengthening this sense of 'unity and integrity of the nation. Fraternity is promoted by having equal rights to all.

According to Dr Ambedkar, Fraternity is the principle which gives unity and solidarity to social life. It is the emotion that will defend the unity of India against external attack or breakdown through internal unrest born of social, political and economic causes. The fraternity cannot be achieved unless the self-respect of each individual is conserved and cherished. In order to maintain this self-respect, certain minimum acceptable rights should be given to each individual and for this Directive Principles have been framed in the constitution.

Directive Principles are basically directions given in the constitution to the central and state government to adopt while making programmes and policies that would help to establish a just society in our country. The framers of our institution have borrowed these principles from the Irish constitution. These are classified into four groups. The Democratic and Socialist Principles, Gandhian Principles, Liberal Principles and International Principles. These principles make our country more democratic and socialist.