Political democracy is not a complete democracy, though we have taken up ordering political relations among human beings as the most pressing problem since human security and the security of the groups has been dependent upon it from times immemorial. Political democracy has been, essentially, devised to avoid the bad experiences of the arbitrary rule of the kings and dictators in ancient, medieval and early modern societies i.e. till the 20th century. Though it has been accepted as a universal norm, still, in its practice it has not been entirely satisfactory, since it was a uni-dimensional approach of viewing all human relations through the prism of politics. Though we have not yet found a permanent solution to existential insecurity, violence, conflicts and wars among various groups among us, we have certainly made great progress over the past ten thousand years of free human movements and peaceful co-existence among various groups across the planet. Meanwhile, the personal and social evolution of the human being has advanced very fast thanks to the stimulation given by the Renaissance movement in modern Europe and after several later bloody revolutions and many wars, including the two world wars.
Now, we are passing through a worldwide Digital
Revolution that augmented the pace of social transformations manifold. At the
same time, the development of the individual has become the primordial
objective of all human relations. Human aspirations have become too complex and
too sophisticated to be left to a political class in the society. Modern Europe
had dominated and influenced the rest of the world so much as no other
civilisation before in the history of mankind and favoured fundamental human
rights, liberties, humanism and social welfare. Internationally also, the
United Nations institutions recognise no purpose for the existence of a state
and its governments other than that of protecting the freedoms of the
individuals and groups within. During this evolution, it is found that
democracy is not complete only as a system of political relations between the
government and the people, and that too, by way of governance by the
Representatives. They are unable to bring in a social democracy, where
economic, social and cultural relations among all the residents are to be
inspired by values of liberty, equality and solidarity. Thus, complete
democracy is valued as a dialogue or governance process among all those residents
who live together in a community with mutual respect. Among all relations,
economic relations have proved to be not only determining but also a
pre-condition to human development, justice and peaceful human relations.
Hence, economic democracy became a prerequisite for all further improvement in
human relations.
Theoretically and practically also, it
is proved that we cannot depend upon the governments to usher in economic
democracy, since in the past, many governments have tried to bring in a new economic
culture in the name of socialism and failed. Even in liberal democracies, so
long as the state has the monopoly of absolute power, whether it is a king or a
dictator or a political party, they try to hold on to power perpetually and
exclusively in their vested interest. Among the developing countries, the
governments claimed to be a 'welfare state' and act on behalf of the people,
but never allow people to act. The bureaucracy, political representatives and
judiciary carved out exclusive domains to share and wield power and make
themselves indispensable and irreplaceable. Within each group, they establish a
very rigid hierarchy and at each step, there is a superior and an inferior, so
as to enjoy power over each other.
We see from history that the entity
called the State has not been formed rationally and the foreign policy, for example, is viewed as a
game of respecting and accommodating the Sovereign Power of each state by the
career diplomats, rather than for promoting friendship and cooperation among
the people in those states, who have, mostly by historical accidents found
themselves within the borders of a state. Latest example is the wars between
the states of Russia, Georgia, Crimea, Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, etc. A few
months ago, it is about the tribes living in between Afghanistan, Pakistan and
the Central Asian states. Ever since, the Colonial Powers formed political
states in Southern Africa and North Africa, different tribes separated into
several political states never stopped fighting against each other. A major
portion of human and material resources in a country is devoted to the upkeep
and glory of the state machinery and its agents. The Power within the state is
wielded by the political parties and they indulge in permanent power-struggle
within the party and among the parties. In China, the unique Communist Party is
still struggling to be such a sole transforming agent of the entire nation, not
without catastrophic consequences upon India and other countries. The lesson we
should draw from our relations with Pakistan, China and Russia or Ukraine is
that we should not yield to the temptation of being a more strong state but a
more democratic state in the long term interests.
The Representatives are not willing to
decentralise Power to the point of empowering each individual. Right now, some
states in Indian Union are claiming the transfer of Power to them in the name
of federalism, rather than further asking for decentralisation of powers,
functions, functionaries and funds, in which case, they might have to further
decentralise within the state and devolve them to the local bodies, upto the
Resident Welfare Associations.
II. The People Themselves have to Act, and Act
Directly since They Can.
Since we have failed, so far, to achieve
any socio-economic transformation towards more democratic values by the
contemporary political parties, what is the alternative left to the people?
Active citizens, in their capacity both as consumers and as producers, have to
negotiate by forming associations or non-governmental organisations for various
economic activities for mutual benefit at various levels. Since the producers
who are creating wealth in the society, nourishing the governments with their
tax money and are creating employments to others, are not yet sufficiently
respected, it is as consumers that the citizens should act, more than as voters
to introduce and nurture gradually a new economic culture, in which social
responsibility is most important. At a time in this country, when objective
intellectuals, able managers and subject-experts are not involved in the
governance, when their professions have no role in decision making by the
governments, and when the passing ministers are not competent enough to watch
over and guide the performance of the entrenched Administration, the citizen
has no option but to watch over all of those who produce services and products.
There are many other civil society organisations that would collaborate.
Ultimately, when a new economic
culture of mutual enrichment by inter-dependence would grow and succeed in
completely democratising the entire society, then only, there would be no room
for absolute political power. In an ideal democracy, Power Politics would be
transformed into a soft power of ‘influence’ or consensus to promote better
human understanding and decision-making. And, one day, the political state with
its absolute power would have to get dissolved or de-concentrated into peoples'
power. This stage of 'dissolution' of the State can be compared to the
description of the 'withering away of the state according to Karl Marx and
Engels. The economy instead of remaining a state economy or a private economy
would become a social economy, where economic growth takes place through
mechanisms of dialogue and collaboration of associations of producers and
consumers to the benefit of the entire society. The Resident Welfare
Associations as micro-urban communities would function as cooperative societies
producing services needed by their members and doing collective bargaining and
shopping from outside. As we move on, a day would come when everybody would
produce according to his or her ability and takes from the society according to
his or her needs, as it has been ardently hoped by many anarchists and other philosophers,
who wanted to create a paradise or a Plato's Republic or an El Dorado on this
earth itself.
( contd.)
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