MORE ON DEMOCRACY

Shish had cornered me once again a couple of days back.

Sh:What happened to all your ventures? You keep telling I will start this, I will start that and by now, you have not started anything.

N: So you think I had been an idler and had not been doing anything.

Sh: I didn’t say that.

N: But you meant that. You think I am just talking and talking…

Sh: Anybody will start thinking that, no? Of course, you had been talking – and talking….. but where is the result? Even the management experts say that you will be judged by result.

N: I know that. But results will not come just like that.

Sh: Look! Your first program was introducing democracy in NA. You had not done anything about it.

N: I had been telling you the reasons for it. It is not because I don’t want to do it. I want to do it and want to do it right….

Sh: So, do it right, no?

N: You know that the problem is, we do not know what is right? If I start something, I do not want that to stop due to some problem. Now take the case of democracy. If I had started it in NA, it would have stopped within a few days. We have to really study democracy in different places.

Sh: So?

N: So I had been studying. Recently I had seen the working of a democratic institution – no, I don’t think it is the example I want to follow here in NA.

Sh: Why?

N: I had watched one full day. Not one work was done. There were lot of noice – seems there were questions, but the questions are never heard. May be there were answers, but the answers were never heard. Then lots of them will shout at each other. Then one group just left.  Then they all left.

Sh: Then what happened?

N: A few of us in the gallery waited, hoping that they will come back. And after one or two hours, they did, and…….. continued the same thing…. What is the use?

Sh: Did you find out why they are doing it?

N: How can I find out…… Do you think anybody will know?

Sh: Did you ask the TV guys? They should be able to tell you why. May be what they are doing is correct. May be that is how democracy has to work.

N: TV guys are, you know their discussions are almost like that only. I could not understand anything they said.

Sh: There must be someone out there who can enlighten you. Take your lazy chair and make another trip!

N: Not necessary……  I found a guy and was discussing the whole situation with him. A sensible chap, I thought. He is a school teacher.

Sh: Oh, good!

N: He said unless the candidates as well as voters are educated, it is going to be like this only, and I think he is right!

Sh: So, what are you going to do? – Oh, Noooooo!!!!

N: Oh, Yes…. I have decided to start a school first!