'Democracy' is one of the most important principles for a better world

Vinod C Dixit

(dixitpatrakar@yahoo.in)

We celebrated the International Day of Democracy on September 15. It allows us the opportunity to celebrate and appreciate our democratic society. It's very easy for people who live in a free society to take their freedoms for granted. Democracy is obviously an essential concept to learn about and this day offers a great opportunity for students to think about what it really means. A democratic system of government is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodic free elections. The primary reason for celebrating the day is to promote awareness regarding the significance of the practice related to democracy in a country. There are many decisions which are made in democracies. People enjoy a few rights which are very essential for human beings to live happily. Democracy in India does not only means providing the right to vote but also ensuring social and economic equality. Every Indian citizen, above 18 years of age, can exercise the right to vote in India. There is no discrimination based on a person's caste, creed, religion, gender, or education when providing the right to vote.

Democracy in India works on five democratic principles.

Sovereign: This means free from the interference or control of any foreign power.

Socialist: This means providing social and economic equality to all citizens.

Secular: This means freedom to practice any religion or reject all.

Democratic: This means the government of India is elected by its citizens.

Republic: This means the head of the country is not a hereditary king or queen.

The link between democracy and human rights is captured in Article 21(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures. There are mainly five principles- republic, socialist, sovereign, democratic and secular, with all these qualities political parties will contest elections. A democratic system of government is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodic free elections. Sovereignty is a vital feature of Indian democracy. Sovereignty refers to the full power of a governing body over itself without outside interference. Moreover, people can exercise power in Indian democracy. Most noteworthy, the people of India elect their representatives.

A total of three elements determine the democracy of any country, namely, human rights, freedom, and free and fair elections. There are many challenges to democracy like corruption here, many political leaders and officers who don't work with integrity everywhere demand bribes, resulting in a lack of trust in the citizens which affects the country very badly. Antisocial elements are seen during elections where people are given bribes and are forced to vote for a particular candidate.

International Day of Democracy is a celebration of the mandate of justice, peace, and the various roles a government has to protect the interest and rights of its people. India is considered to be the largest democracy around the globe, with a population of 1.3 billion. Despite being the biggest democratic nation, India still has a long way to becoming the best democratic system. Democracy in India is something very precious say it is a gift of the patriotic national leaders to the citizens of India. All citizens must realize and appreciate the great value of democracy which is really unique in the world.