Where’s the ‘flaw’ in democracy?

Where’s the ‘flaw’ in democracy?

“The British were right. We are unfit to govern. The law just does not seem to matter anymore. Everyone does what he likes. We need a benevolent dictator,” was the exasperated observation of an aged relative I met last month at a Chennai wedding. The proximate cause of his ire was the refusal of an autorickshaw driver to give him a ride because he wouldn’t pay more than the metered rate. And when he threatened to report the matter at a police station, the driver merely shrugged and asked with a smirk: “Do you want me to take you there?”

Here’s the background: Chennai auto drivers look at the metered rate merely as the reserve price above which potential customers can start bidding for higher agreed fares. They are undaunted by the prospect of losing business, but breaching the time-honoured principle of charging meter-plus fares is a strict no-no. Since it is rumoured that many autorickshaws are actually owned by policemen, erring drivers are seldom hauled up for defying the law.

I had forgotten all about it on my return to Mumbai, till I received a phone call from the same family friend asking whether I had read The Economist report. “I told you. We are a flawed democracy,” he crowed.

The study, by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), lumps India among 54 ‘flawed’ democracies. Overall, in a spectrum starting with angelic democracies and ending with mean-minded autocracies, India figures at No 35 in a field of 167.

Unlike my aged relative, though, the word ‘flawed’ has rankled quite a bit with editorial writers, but I don’t believe there is any need to get defensive about it. Since the authors of the ranking have been transparent about how they went about doing the scoring, any quibbling over the ranking must relate to the assumptions and premises and not the final outcome.

The EIU awarded marks from 1 to 10 for 60 indicators across five broad heads — electoral process, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties. India, quite rightly, does not score well on the two political parameters. Anyone who has witnessed the quality of recent political debates cannot but agree with this assessment.

Actually, if I had done the rating, I would have put India even lower, dismayed as I am with the poor quality of public debate and governance. But look away from the country’s immediate political mess, and our achievements look much better. Despite having the most varied and diverse people mix, we still have something called a democracy. Despite obstruction by every possible pressure group, our economy is growing at tigerish rates. We have discovered the ability to move ahead despite our tendency to neutralise one another.

In fact, a look at the 28 so-called ‘full’ democracies is instructive. The top five full democracies are Sweden, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway and Denmark — all tiny countries, with populations no larger than Delhi or Mumbai. One would have been surprised only if these rich countries, with largely homogeneous populations, were not ideal democracies.

On the other hand, the US, the world’s almighty power, which loves preaching democracy, ranks a lowly No 17. With a population of 300 million and a diversity that is at least comparable with India’s, though without the poverty handicap, it is apparent that even US democracy can be improved upon.

To be sure, there is no point in characterising a democracy as flawed or full for the simple reason that a flawed democracy is still a democracy. Moreover, democracy is a journey, not a destination. India did not become a democracy on August 15, 1947; it only resolved to start the journey on that date. That journey is not going to end on the day the EIU declares us a ‘full’ democracy. Full democracies can fall from their high perches as easily as flawed ones can claw their way up by correcting their mistakes.

Just as there is no such thing as a perfect human being, there is nothing called a perfect democracy. But there can be better and worse democracies. And the important thing is to check whether we are improving as a democracy or not. The moot point is: Are we?

Email: r_jagannathan@dnaindia.net