Violence is the most dangerous enemy of democracy
Contd. from last Wednesday
A healthy, strong and sound opposition is essential for the transparent working of a democracy. Opposition would behave in a responsible manner. The main objective of the opposition is to come to power after putting out the party in power. But resort to violence for leaving this objective can’t be justified on any grounds or rooms whatsoever. In the democracy governments are changed through democratic processes or civilized functions only. It is a common experience that when democratic devices are abandoned and violence is used to gain political power not political development, democracy is replaced by authoritarianism. (supporters of undemocratic ethics), and once the roots and hubs of democracy have cut by undemocratic means, it is so difficult, if not impossible, to replant and regenerate democracy positively.
Contemporary democracy of the twenty first century there can be no guarantee that a government duly elected through a democratic process, will not be turned oppressive, yet even in that event violent means to overthrow it have not justified. Election is the only way to vote out the government, if people are not satisfied with it. There are other democratic and peaceful way to force an oppressive government to resign. In a same manner a democratic government does not necessarily mean a good government. Such type of government may turn unresponsive and it may fail to guard the promises that it had kept at the time of election. Even a democratic government may be incompetent to solve the problem of her own people. In these cases too violence can’t be approved so far. Violence never be apart of democracy, always oppose.
It may be that the government neglects its duties and rights, the opposition parties must have the genuine complaints against the popular government and people may have lots of problems and programmes requiring urgent attention of the government but being ignored by the latter. But violence is not justifiable even under these complex circumstances. There are a number of ways of putting a demand before the government, Legislatures, the press, the platform, the media, and the ground are various instruments which often succeeding bringing a point home to the elected government. People and political parties can be organised peaceful public meetings, people’s conference and demonstrations to press their point of view, demands or protests. They can persuade the government to agree to their demands. Through public opinion, national or state debate and citizens forum they may try to prevent the government from taking a distinctive action or try to pressurise the authorities to change their policies. But use of force or coercion in pressuring the government to yield on a specific issues are not in keeping with the healthy traditions of democracy. Democracy does not give a suggestion only election.
“Mahatma Gandhi” the father of the nation as well as a great political thinker, made something to the content assigned to the term democracy. He dreamed India to involve whole heartedly a democracy without violence, through mass effort and mass education with the sole target of service of the lowliest, so that equal opportunities are assured to the strong and the week. To Gandhiji’s non-violence had the basic requirement of democracy in India. He never accepted the view that non-violence must be practised by individuals only and not by nations. According to him, all states which choose democracy but refused to practice non-violence were bound to turn totalitarian because they must suppress and eliminate all antagonists (opponents and opposition with the help of violence. (To be concluded)
Source: Hueiyen News Service
