NA - DEMOCRACY DEBATE CONTINUES

Shish: Why don’t you leave me alone? You know my views now. I am not interested in NA(Naradaa’s Abode) with democracy. Naradaa should rule the country and I want to live peacefully.

Naradaa: But if Naradaa makes a mistake and your ‘peace’ is disturbed?

Shish: Then I will tell you to change the way you rule…

Naradaa: Then why don’t you participate in ruling the place with Naradaa and others in a democratic manner?

Shish: But the system that you are suggesting is not correct. You say the essence of democracy is the majority of people will decide how to rule. But many times doesn’t it become autocracy by majority?

Naradaa: May be, but there are ways and means to correct it.

Shish: What ways and means? Walking out from the house? Make sure that nothing works in the house? No discussions and debates in the house? And as such you are not even able to make sure it is majority. With many candidates splitting the votes the man who wins an election may not have above 50% of the people with him.

Naradaa: But that is how it works.

Shish: So, as I said last time, hold another election beween No1 and No.2 of the previous election. And make voting compulsory.

Naradaa: Looks like you are making some sense.

Shish: But that itself is not enough. Once elected, they have to be non-partisan, like speaker. They are all members of the house who are there to do well for the country. Within themselves, they should choose a leader and the ministers. It doesn’t matter from which party they come.

Naradaa: You are making things complicated. What you are telling is not practical. There will be chaos.

Shish: Chaos, anyway is there, no? Here inside that august house, the members should be asked to discuss matters not party based – but issue based.

Naradaa: Look, we are talking about NA. This is not about any other country and you don’t have to be sarcastic.

Shish: I am talking about NA and I am serious and not sarcastic. You are the one who is sarcastic most of the time.

Naradaa: How can there be debates? Where is the opposition? Who is the opposition?

Shish: See, that is it. There is no opposition for the sake of opposition. The opposition, if at all there, is issue based. All the members should be given a course as to how to forget their party and think of only the country and the people.

Naradaa: Then how can the parties advise their members in the house.

Shish: Parties should not interfere and start advising. Once a member is elected, he or she is elected as a representative of the people of that constituency. Not only of the party.

Naradaa: I must go for one more trip around, I think. But what I have seen and heard, it is always one party ruling and one party opposition. And when there are many parties, a few parties together make the ruling party and all others together make the opposition.

Shish: So, what is the advantage?

Naradaa: See, it is a flexible arrangement. People can change parties, parties can change alliances …. So, it makes sure that one party’s rule will not happen. Everybody will have a role.

Shish: Sure, everybody will have a role in not getting things done…. If you want to stop something, just change the party. And what about the administration? Should they divide themselves into parties?

Naradaa: Theoritically, they should.  If an administrator opposes a particular policy of the ruling party, how he or she will carry out the policy honestly?

Shish: So every time the ruling party changes, the administrators also should change? That will be bigger chaos, no? And people will be losing employment, no?

Naradaa: That is why certain safeties are built in. The administrators and all others may have their opinions as per their party opinions. But on the job, they should not think of the party. Like administrators, clerks etc. also, other people in society like singers, dancers, sportspersons, teachers etc. also while working, they should not give preference to their party while working….

Shish: If everyone is supposed to be like that, then why not the elected members also be like that?

Naradaa: Then why do we need so many parties?

Shish: True. Why so many parties? Why so many languages? Why so many religions? Why so many castes? Why so many states? Why so many countries? They all divide us. In NA, Why don’t we have something that will unite us?

Naradaa: It needs more thought…. When you look at all aspects, at all the pros and cons, in a broader perspective, - you or I will not understand the complications….. For example, if you do not want anyone to work as per the party norms on job, then who will work for the parties? The jobless?