[nukkad] Democracy and election procedure

["Mahesh chandra gupta" <>]

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Subject: The worth of democracy [Response to Kapil Komireddy]

Ref: “Now there has been a hue and cry over democracy.
Please realise that democracy is the most undemocratic
mode. Let me say, for example, there are 3 candidates
[1, 2, and3] fighting an election and there are 100
votes. 
Candidate 1 gets 30 votes; Candidate 2 gets 32 votes;
and Candidate 3 gets 38 votes. Democratically,
Candidate 3 has won with a whopping majority of 6 and
8 votes - he has got 38 votes favouring him. Do you
see that 62 people have voted against him, and he will
be ruling over 100 people - against the wishes of the
majority 62 people. Democracy is a strange paradox.”  

1. There is nothing wrong with democracy. It may not be the best, but, before we revile it, we must have an an alternative that will be acceptable to Indian people. I do not envisage any alternative.

2. I agree with Kapil’s views about flaws in the electoral process. What he has described and what is being practised in India at present is called ‘First past the post system’. But his criticism is really of this system, not of democracy as such. There are other electoral systems in other democracies. The German system is possibly the best. If there is no clear majority for one candidate as per predefined parameters, then the elction is held again, this time only the top two candidates contesting. The people have to vote for or against each candidate, hence the candidate who wins has a clear majority this time.

India can not adopt this system unless the Constitution is amended. It is a pity that the Constitution Review Committee did not comment on this point at all. People should start a mass movement for such change. Nukkad would be better utilized for such discussion and purposes rather than discuss the kinds of kisses that find favour with the members. [No offence meant to kissers or kiss reviewers].

MC Gupta


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