Post by pimpinainteasy on Mar 15, 2017 8:37:03 GMT
www.thinkpragati.com/brainstorm/802/democracy-vs-republic/
The average citizen is like sheep, oppressed by the majority and minority wolves. Beef bans and alcohol prohibition are passed by democratically-elected legislatures. Indian legislatures have banned seemingly innocuous jobs like working in a dance bar, hand pulling rickshaws, and placed restrictions on farming, to name a few of the numerous restrictions on choosing how one makes a living. A democratically elected parliament could not gather enough votes (on two separate occasions) to repeal section 377, leaving LGBT rights unprotected and unacknowledged. Indians don’t have any protection from the state taking property, nationalizing businesses, and laws making entire sectors of the economy off limits. One only enjoys freedom of expression as long as no one else is offended.
The list of arbitrary and excessive power of elected governments infringing on individual rights is quite long. This criticism is not limited to any particular ideology, group, or political party. The winners and losers of this churning state keep changing, but what is systematically eroded is individual liberty.
Indians have embraced democracy to such an extent that they have left its excesses unchecked. Ambedkar warned that “the purpose of a Constitution is not merely to create the organs of the state but to limit their authority, because, if no limitation was imposed upon the authority of the organs, there will be complete tyranny and complete oppression. The legislature may be free to frame any law; the executive may be free to give any interpretation of the law. It would result in utter chaos.”
The list of arbitrary and excessive power of elected governments infringing on individual rights is quite long. This criticism is not limited to any particular ideology, group, or political party. The winners and losers of this churning state keep changing, but what is systematically eroded is individual liberty.
Indians have embraced democracy to such an extent that they have left its excesses unchecked. Ambedkar warned that “the purpose of a Constitution is not merely to create the organs of the state but to limit their authority, because, if no limitation was imposed upon the authority of the organs, there will be complete tyranny and complete oppression. The legislature may be free to frame any law; the executive may be free to give any interpretation of the law. It would result in utter chaos.”
