Headlines in most newspapers announced us as the largest democracy in the world!

But are we?

“Do what you want, I will not vacate your house!” sneers your tenant.

“I will go to court!”

“Go!” he sneers, and knows by the time the judgement is delivered twenty years later, he has got free accommodation for all those years and you, no income. In fact, you may well, not be around by that time.

Democracy is made up of two hand actions: the inking of your finger and the banging of the gavel of the judge. And both these institutions, the elections and the judiciary have to run parallel.

For a country to be called democratic, justice has to be delivered swiftly.

Not in India.

Here, it is the rule not of fairness, but of muscle. Fairness or justice is handled by the courts. The will of the majority which is muscle is handled by the winners of an election.

We are therefore a flawed democracy.

One of the reasons that there is fear before and after an election in India, is that in case the wrong party gets into power, ones who do not abide by the law and the constitution, will get away with murder because it will be too late before they are caught, if ever.

So, our job, is to stop criticizing who has come to power in these elections, or how he or she has come to power, and instead ensure that speedy justice can be delivered when the law is trampled on.

We make a huge tamasha on Republic Day about it being the day we got our constitution and that is the time to point out that just having a constitution will not do but having one that acts quickly is important.

Politicians will not help you, because it does not serve their purpose.

You have to make a noise about it. Talk about it. Write about it.

It is your right. And once this right of yours and mine is established, we like the Americans will take elections in our stride and won’t treat it like a life and death issue.

Because sadly in our country it is a life and death issue.

If we can pay our politicians huge salaries, give them luxurious mansions and hefty perks, don’t tell me we can’t build thousands of courthouses, get thousands of judges, and have justice delivered fast?

If you think ours is the largest democracy, think again. It’s a flawed one, and you have only yourself to blame!

“Go to court!” laughs your tenant, the moneyed man and the one who has wronged you, and your inked finger which shows you voted won’t be of much help without the sounds of a thousand gavels banging judgements..! 

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