Opinions abounded in a public debate titled 'How Democratic are our Political Parties?' organised by the Research Foundation for Governance in India (RFGI) on Sunday at Ahmedabad Management Association.
The debate was held as a part of a book launch of RFGI's first book called 'Democracy Within and Without'.
Speaking during the event Founder of Association for Democratic Reform and Former Dean of IIMA Jagdeep Chhokar said that there is a dire need for transparency in internal policy and financial matters of the political parties. He said that the only job of political parties at present is to win elections and there is a need for them to be more responsible and accountable.
Commenting on the need of involvement of youth in politics he said, "The youth is getting increasingly involved in politics but at a very slow pace." Talking about a need for continuous public involvement in democracy, Chhokar said, "Democracy is not an end product but it is always a working process and always need efforts. Like the saying 'war is too serious a business to be left to the generals', politics is also too serious a business to be left to the politicians."
Sharing similar views chief vigilance commissioner of Gujarat, Manjula Subramaniam appreciated the efforts of RFGI and said, "Democracy is an evolutionary thing and constantly needs correction and the initiatives taken by organisations like RFGI are important." The debate also saw the presence of minister of state for energy Saurabh Patel and Gujarat Congress chief spokesperson Arjun Modhwadia.
Accepting a need to revive the systems in the country Modhwadia said, "The naxalite and the problems in the north east are not problems of law and order but should be taken care of through inclusive planning."
Talking about the organisations first book, founder & managing director, RFGI, Kanan Dhru said, "The book has been compiled with a view to inform the people particularly the youths about India's political processes in a simple way. After many interactions with people from different spheres we noticed that very often citizens are unaware of some of the simplest aspects of the country's political processes."
RFGI is an Ahmedabad-based NGO that aims to research, promote, and implement various reforms to improve the legal and political process in Gujarat and across India. The event was attended by around 250 young professionals, student politicians, lawyers, senior academicians, NGO-leaders and interested individuals from various walks of life.
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