Democracy What is  

“Democracy is a government of the people, for the people, by the people.”[1]

 long-time men kind experience finds Democracy as best way to rule the societies, so approach to this way of ruling system is going to be domain in the world and nowadays spectrum of dictatorship ruling systems from one side and semi-real democracy [2] on the other side accept and recognize democracy as excellent and the good valuable way of ruling and so they name himself democrat and their systems democratic. But the first question is what democracy is?

Democracy is a system of ruling, that people’s wills are at the core and centre of any decision making and all the decision are taken by people’s representatives who directly or non-directly chosen by the people via a democratic elections. Democracy is a system of governing and also a social philosophy [3] that every member of society has equalled right in society’s resource, opportunities, decision-making (about economic-political-social). This system provides a situation that some elected representatives of society in the behalf of rest, rule society for exact duration of time. Law has a very major and significant rule to regulate all aspects of individual and general process. All eligible citizens have a share to interfere directly (in the shape of referendum) and indirectly (by elect their representative) in the law making also. Self-determination reflects as vast and fundamental right for every member of society regardless of their class, gender, ethnic, religion… and bases on this conception other rules and laws are come to exist and practise. In other word, democracy means peoples rule, and in this respect is against Monarchy (dictatorship of one person, elites or majority) or oligarchy (dictatorship of a small group). In this school of thought, Power is consider as corrupt-maker and human with this way of ruling wants to control it, and lead it in the sorts of mechanism that power will divide in between some society’s representatives with a classified duties and also responsibilities. These society’s representatives appointed in determinate-duration that it can be extendable or fishable. So Democracy is one of a common outcome of long time humankind experience and life. They find it the most useful and effective in humankind salvation seeking in world’s human interaction mechanism till now.

 As result democracy is a common accepted concept of so many political approaches, and we see democracy as common part of deferent kind of world political school of thought, like liberal democracy, social democracy, constitutional monarchy democracy, religion base democracy… so we can see democracy in deferent kind in deferent levels and also deferent definitions of democracy is available, but with some common foundations defined. Although Democracy has some weak and strong point that One of them is possibility of “Majority dictatorship” against “minority” that if the “check and balance system” that offer by Mr Montesquieu working well these can be solve comparatively also.

“Why India is calls as begets democracy in the world?”

First of all we can say that with this image-making and evaluation, the world recognises India as democracy system and it is relatively true, because most of the necessary elements that need for a democratic system is available there to show India democratic.

 Some factors like local, state and national changeable government by cast of people vote and elections, recognized multi parties system, suitable ruling structure, elected parliament’s members, strong and semi-freedom and verified mass media, Law and semi-Lawful process, independent judiciary system, levelled democratic layers from top to down level of society, defined limitation and framework of every posts in state and federal and local duties and their responsibility, capacity of changing and handing over power peacefully during the time, recognized lawful democratic action like right of demonstrate and street march by people by law and in practice, recognized right of having social and political syndicate and groups by law and in practice…

So world can see duration of practice democracy in India with the diversity of nations, casts, religions, cultures, ethnics, in somehow history also… and any excuse like war, riot, and powerful overseas and regional enemies don’t had a meaningful effect in this regards and didn’t stop democracy process there, and relatively majority and minority have exact right there. This semi-poor nation doesn’t put election practice away because of it costly process in the vast and in somehow unreachable area, so we can see that although the last general election in 2009 costs more than USA presidential election near one billion dollars for example, They didn’t stop their democracy process and they had repeated these costly elections till now perfectly.      

 Although long India National Congress (INC) ruling over this country maybe says that, it has experienced one-party dominion system before and after independent, but it had and has large number of small and big local and national parties. India is known as multi parties, parliamentary, federal and social democracy. Indian people directly choose their representative in Panchayat [4] and Municipal elections in local level and state level and also national parliament. So Indian have direct role in choosing their society runner in local and national level and a kind of effective and relatively democratic way of ruling is going on in this country.

Indian’s toleration is as an example in the world. In political performance level it can tolerate a foreigner ruler over a biggest and old parry so now Miss Sonia Gandhi [5] as an Italian women can takes ruling INC as well as ruling coalition of political parties called the “United Progressive Alliance” (UPA), was able to gain a majority and forms the government.

India has 35 states and territories that at its local, state and national level, power is divided between local, state and national parties so you cannot find any moment in the more than 60 years after India independent’s history that power in all level gathered in the hand of one party, so every time, also small parties find opportunity to have a share in power, somewhere in local or national level and based on their representation in parliaments can take share in power. So Indian democracy make and prepare appropriate opportunity for independent persons,  local and national parties members as well as two big parties like BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and INC nominee members to show their weight in any levels to taste democracy capacities. 

 India’s democracy have a capacity to tolerate a big and all India level anti-corruption movement that one person mobilize it to force prime minister of India and Indian national parliament at the end of day to take action towered corruption by pass a Law. Mr Anna Hazare’s [6] resent movement is a good example in this regard.

 India considers as biggest democracy in the world, because of two reasons in one hand India is known as second must populated country in the world after China and so because China has no democracy foundation so India will be the most populated democratic country in the world. Secondly India is seventh biggest country in the world (with 3,166,414 KM2 after Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brazil, Australia) so in this regard also is one of the tenth biggest in the world. So in time of elections vast number of people comes to cast their vote in the one of the world most costly election that this poor people pay it to safeguard their right. 

 India’s symbolic and practical Icons of democracy are its parliaments that’s name it “Lok Sabha” as the "House of the People" or the lower house, that it has 545 members, Most of them are elect by people’s direct vote. Upper house or “Rajya Sabha” known as "Council of States”, that can have a maximum of 250 members. And “Vidhan Sabha” as state legislatures, and based on people willing the government can change at least every 5 years. Indian can cast their vote toward three kinds of candidates, A) candidates that belong to main two-parties (BJP or INC)    B) candidates that come to election under the flag of local parties    C) independents candidates.

And although there are many critical problems that need to be solved in the India democracy performance, but we can elaborate India as marching ahead and progressive democratic country.

References:

1-       Abraham Lincoln quotes

2-       Pure democracy with all of its characters is not available in the world

3-       Foundations of Political science page 297

4-       Local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. The gram panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayat System.

5-       Miss Sonia Gandhi born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino, on 9 December 1946 is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi and belongs to the Nehru–Gandhi family. After his assassination in 1991, she was invited by the Indian National Congress to take over the Congress but refused and publicly stayed away from politics amidst constant prodding by the Congress. She finally agreed to join politics in 1997; in 1998, she was elected as the leader of the Congress.  Since then, Sonia Gandhi has been the President of the Indian National Congress Party. She has served as the Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance in the Lok Sabha since 2004. In September 2010, on being re-elected for the fourth time, she became the longest serving president in the 125-year history of the Congress party.

6-       Kisan Baburao Hazare born on 15 June 1937, is an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish official corruption. In addition to organizing and encouraging grassroots movements, Hazare frequently conducted hunger strikes to further his causes—a tactic reminiscent, to many, of the work of Mohandas K. Gandhi.

Course:

  Politic and Governing in India
by: Dr. Mandana Tesheyar

Article by :  Seyed Mostafa Mostafavi

M.A Student in Indian Studies

Faculty of world studies - University of Tehran     

 1391/12/5

+ نوشته شده در دوشنبه هفتم اسفند ۱۳۹۱ ساعت 11:12 شماره پست: 251

In the name of God the most compassion and the merciful

 Introduction:

 Political structure is considered as one of the most significant part of any social construction. We can say in developed societies Political structure gives direction to social path and it shows their developing level among the others. In first look every nation is evaluated with this factor, that which kind of political arrangement they provide for himself and how they are ruling or how their moving forward is. In my opinion there is a direct relation between political structure and social salvation. I mean the nations who suffering bad political structure they experience worse condition in most aspects of their life. As result, political structure is determining now and future condition of any social living and their successfulness is depending on their political structure and its working process.

 1-             What is politic?

 Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions, the art or science of running governmental or state affairs. It also refers to behaviour within civil governments, but politics has been observed in other group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. It consists of "social relations involving authority or power and refers to the regulation of public affairs within a political unit, and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy. [1]  2-             What is political structure?  Political structure refers to institutions or groups and their relations to each other, their patterns of interaction within political systems and to political regulations, laws and the norms present in political systems in such a way that they constitute the political landscape of the political entity. In the social domain its counterpart is Social structure. [2]

 3-             How Indian involve in politics:

 Indian people involve in politic by own decision and their involvement will be possible when they inter in one of political unit like a political party. It has a formal process that starts with a formal request in the shape of fill in a membership form and after clearance and acceptation it continues by paying membership fee.

 4-             Indian political structures:

 India as political unit is shapes by two kind of political institutions: a)    governmental units b)    non – governmental units

 5-             Indian political structures (Geographically):

 India geographically divided to 30 states [3] and six independent territories [4] that rule by a Federal government at the centre and local governments in states.

 6-             Indian political structures (Governmentally):

 India as federal, parliamentary, secular, democratic, social, multiparty, constitutional republic system has three level of governments, central and state governments and local that is the third level of government separately from central and state governments. It contains of panchayats in rural and municipalities in urban areas. These people representatives are electing directly or indirectly by the Indian people. The central government is runs by prime minister [5] now is Mr Manmohan Singh that appointed by lower house or the Parliament of India (लोक सभा Lōk Sabhā). The central cabinet including 53 Ministers is appointed by prime minister and approved by lok sabha. Prime minister is responsible to lok sabha. They enjoy states governments and in every state they have a state government that runs by a Chief minster [6]. Chief Minister appointed by state parliament or the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha विधान सभा). The States Chief Ministers are responsible to their state Legislative Assembly and state’s cabinet is choosing by Chief Ministers and also approved by their state Legislative Assembly.  Apart of government, India has a president (भारत के राष्ट्रपति) [7] also, that she/he is head of India as Nation-state and formal head of the executive, legislature and judiciary of India and the  commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. The president is nominate by central government and selected by Indian parliament (Lōk Sabhā + rajya sabha + Vidhan Sabha) and she/he is the first official and constitutional person in India. The president has a governor [6] in every state. Vice President is another important post in Indian political system that is Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States or राज्य सभा). The Vice-President is chosen by a direct vote of all elected members of the lower and upper house collectively. Rajya Sabha or upper house has 250 members and every 2 years 1/3 of the total members are electing for 6 years term. Now Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari [8] is the Vice president of India.  Now central government is leading by UPA (United Progressive Alliance) with the heading of INC (India National Congress Party). UPA is heading by Miss Sonya Gandhi (INC leader) and the opposition is leading by NDA (National Democratic Alliance) alliance is leading by BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).

7-              Indian political structures (Non-Governmental units):

 Election factor is the main motivation for political groups to come and emerge in political stages that is take place in three level of general election at country level for lok sabha (people’s house) and state’s level for Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) or local level in Panchyats [9] elections in village or municipals in cities. So as it clears power is divided and levelled from small societies to high level at central government. Indian Political structure defined a suitable system based on social, democratic, federal, secular, pluralism values. It provided huge participant of his citizen in this sharing power at all level. Indian people can choose their leader from top to down directly or indirectly. There are a lot of non-governmental unit in India that involve in political process and they facilitate people’s political practice. Political parties that include a variety of national, states, regional, local parties… are available there and they play big role in this regards. India as multi-party system at the same time also enjoy two polar party system and the domination of INC and BJP in political battle field with the help of other parties is going on and now is show itself in the shape of coalitions.

 Now India has six national parties like: [10]

1-India national Congress (INC)       2- Bharatiya Janata Partty (BJP)     3- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)       4- Communist Party of India (Marxist) 5- Communist Party of India (CPI)           6- Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Election Commission of India has registered 408 political parties [11] that some of them known as state parties [12]. Apart of vast variety of Indian political parties, large numbers of NGOs, Syndicates, Organisations, Students unions, Social groups also are active in large scale of subjects and fields.

 Conclusion:

 Political Structure is considering as one of the most important factor for evaluation every nation’s social development now. Indian political system is one of the developed political systems in the world.  India recognized as biggest democracy in the world and in this regard it has respected and admired by so many world’s leaders. This system is work properly and now some Indian political system like election process and structures is suggested for other counters and the latest one is Egypt that after Mubarak election is suggested to be practical by the help of Indian system.

   Reference:

 1-    http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/politic
2-    http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/political+structure
 3-    1- Andhra Pradesh 2- Arunachal Pradesh 3– Assam 4– Bihar 5– Chhattisgarh 6- Delhi 7– Goa 8- Gujarat 9- Haryana 10- Himachal Pradesh 11- Jammu & Kashmir 12- Jharkhand 13- Karnataka 14- Kerala 15- Madhya Pradesh 16- Maharashtra 17– Manipur 18– Meghalaya 19– Mizoram 20– Nagaland 21– Orissa 22– Punjab 23–Rajasthan 24– Sikkim 25- Tamil Nadu 26– Tripura 27– Uttarakhand   29- Uttar Pradesh  30- West Bengal
4-    1- Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2-  Chandigarh 3- Dadra and Nagar Haveli 4- Daman and Diu 5– Lakshadweep 6– Puducherry
5-    Mr Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. A renowned economist, he is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term, and the first Sikh to hold the office. Born: September 26, 1932 (age 80) in Gah. Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m).  Spouse: Gursharan Kaur (m. 1958). Education: St John's College, Cambridge (1956 – 1957), Children: Amrit Singh, Upinder Singh, Daman Singh

Social Structure of India
Course by: Dr. Heshmat Sadat Moinifar

Article by : Seyed Mostafa Mostafavi

M.A Student in : Indian studies 

Faculty of world studies - University of Tehran

 + نوشته شده در دوشنبه سی ام بهمن ۱۳۹۱ ساعت 11:46 شماره پست: 248

}

Positivism is a school of thought or an especial way of looking to the world’s phenomenon. It is also a kind of philosophy that comes to emerge when western was tiered of metaphysics philosophies, so they try to release itself from unscientific process in sciences. At this time some western scientists try to find a touchable, reliable and trust able answer to their scientific questions.

But the question is, what is positive? a look in dictionaries for finding a meaning for this term show that a core subject is emphasizes on is “displaying certainty, acceptance, or affirmation” or “Admitting of no doubt; irrefutable” or “Very sure; confident” or “practical rather than theoretical matters” or “the presence of particular qualities or attributes; real” [1] so as you see the follower of this school of thought looking for a way to put science away from uncertainty in scientific results and research method. Experimentalism is one of the outcomes of this approach.

Logical positivism is against idealism and metaphysics. It tries to find a path to establish a stand able foundation. They believe that only scientific, experimental, repeatable facts can be trust and Theories or some concepts cannot consider as scientific truths or facts. Logical and scientific experience is emphasized and they believe that verifying is possible in experimental way merely. Positivism separate science and Metaphysics and it categorized them separately.

Logical positivists divided knowledge into analytic and synthetic categories. Analytic knowledge, such as mathematical theorems, is repetitive and thus can be validated a prior. Synthetic knowledge, such as assertions about the real world, must be verified a posterior by observation [2] 

  Verifiability and excremental observation and re-searchable mater will be seen the same in natural and social science. In both field it should process the same and knowledge is the outcome of empirical, verifiable facts and nothing else.

Human experience is reliable when browse itself in the shape of sense experimental form that can be verify in logic ways.

The critic that is exists at this time is the rejecting of human philosophical heritage and outcome and limits science to just verifiable mater.

Reference:

1-     http://www.answers.com/topic/positive#ixzz2K0JnKu4J

2-    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_positivism

3-    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/legal-positivism/

 http://www.preservearticles.com/2012030625287/what-do-you-know-about-logical-positivism-and-its- background.html

+ نوشته شده در شنبه بیست و یکم بهمن ۱۳۹۱ ساعت 7:41 شماره پست: 241

Why India considers as biggest democracy

[۱]   “Democracy is a government of the people, for the people, by the people”

  This is a fact that long time men kind experience finds Democracy as best way to rule the societies, so approach to this way of ruling system is going to be domain in the world and nowadays spectrum of dictatorship ruling systems from one side and semi-real democracy [2] on the other side accept and recognize democracy as excellent and the good valuable way of ruling and so name himself democrat and their systems democratic. But the first question is what democracy is?

Democracy is a system of governing and also a social philosophy [3] that every member of society has equalled right in society’s resource, opportunities, decision-making (about economic-political-social). This system provides a situation that some elected representatives of society in the behalf of rest, rule society for exact duration of time. Law has a very major and significant rule to regulate all aspects of individual and general process. All eligible citizens have a share to interfere directly (in the shape of referendum) and indirectly (by elect their representative) in the law making also. Self-determination reflects as vast and fundamental right for every member of society regardless of their class, gender, ethnic, religion… and bases on this conception other rules and laws are come to exist and practise. In other word, democracy means peoples rule, and in this respect is against Monarchy (dictatorship of one person, elites or majority) or oligarchy (dictatorship of a small group). In this school of thought, Power is consider as corrupt-maker and human with this way of ruling wants to control it, and lead it in the sorts of mechanism that power will divide in between some society’s representatives with a classified duties and also responsibilities. These society’s representatives appointed in determinate-duration that it can be extendable or fishable. So Democracy is one of a common outcome of long time humankind experience and life. They find it the most useful and effective in humankind salvation seeking in world’s human interaction mechanism till now.

 As result democracy is a common accepted concept of so many political approaches, and we see democracy as common part of deferent kind of world political school of thought, like liberal democracy, social democracy, constitutional monarchy democracy, religion base democracy… so we can see democracy in deferent kind in deferent levels and also deferent definitions of democracy is available, but with some common foundations defined. Although Democracy has some weak and strong point that One of them is possibility of “Majority dictatorship” against “minority” that if the “check and balance system” that offer by Mr Montesquieu working well these can be solve comparatively also.

With this preface now I want to answer to this question that:

 “Why India is calls as begets democracy in the world?”

First of all we can say that with this image-making and evaluation, the world recognises India as democracy system and it is relatively true, because most of the necessary elements that need for a democratic system is available there to show India democratic.

 Some factors like local, state and national changeable government by cast of people vote and elections, recognized multi parties system, suitable ruling structure, elected parliament’s members, strong and semi-freedom and verified mass media, Low and semi-Lawful process, independent judiciary system, levelled democratic layers from top to down level of society, defined limitation and framework of every posts in state and federal and local duties and their responsibility, capacity of changing and handing over power peacefully during the time, recognized lawful democratic action like right of demonstrate and street march by people by law and in practice, recognized right of having social and political syndicate and groups by law and in practice…

So world can see duration of practice democracy in India with the diversity of nations, casts, religions, cultures, ethnics, in somehow history also… and any excuse like war, riot, and powerful overseas and regional enemies don’t had a meaningful effect in this regards and didn’t stop democracy process there, and relatively majority and minority have exact right there. This semi-poor nation doesn’t put election practice away because of it costly process in the vast and in somehow unreachable area, so we can see that although the last general election in 2009 costs more than USA presidential election near one billion dollars for example, They didn’t stop their democracy process and they had repeated these costly elections till now perfectly.       

 Although long India National Congress (INC) ruling over this country maybe says that, it has experienced one-party dominion system before and after independent, but it had and has large number of small and big local and national parties. India is known as multi parties, parliamentary, federal and social democracy. Indian people directly choose their representative in Panchaya [4] t and Municipal elections in local level and state level and also national parliament. So Indian have direct role in choosing their society runner in local and national level and a kind of effective and relatively democratic way of ruling is going on in this country.

Indian’s toleration is as an example in the world. In political performance level it can tolerate a foreigner ruler over a biggest and old parry so now Miss Sonia Gandhi [5] as an Italian women can takes ruling INC as well as ruling coalition of political parties called the “United Progressive Alliance” (UPA), was able to gain a majority and forms the government.

India has 35 states and territories that at its local, state and national level, power is divided between local, state and national parties so you cannot find any moment in the more than 60 years after India independent’s history that power in all level gathered in the hand of one party, so every time, also small parties find opportunity to have a share in power, somewhere in local or national level and based on their representation in parliaments can take share in power. So Indian democracy make and prepare appropriate opportunity for independent persons,  local and national parties members as well as two big parties like BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and INC nominee members to show their weight in any levels to taste democracy capacities.  

 India’s democracy have a capacity to tolerate a big  and all India level anti-corruption movement that one person mobilize it to force prime minister of India and Indian national parliament at the end of day to take action towered corruption by pass a Law. Mr Anna Hazare’s [6] resent movement is a good example in this regard.

 India considers as biggest democracy in the world, because of two reasons in one hand India is known as second must populated country in the world after China and so because China has no democracy foundation so India will be the most populated democratic country in the world. Secondly India is seventh biggest country in the world (with 3,166,414 KM2 after Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brazil, Australia) so in this regard also is one of the tenth biggest in the world. So in time of elections vast number of people comes to cast their vote in the one of the world most costly election that this poor people pay it to safeguard their right. 

 India’s symbolic and practical Icons of democracy are its parliaments that’s name it “Lok Sabha” as the "House of the People" or the lower house, that it has 545 members, Most of them are elect by people’s direct vote. Upper house or “Rajya Sabha” known as "Council of States”, that can have a maximum of 250 members. And “Vidhan Sabhas” as state legislatures, and based on people willing the government can change at least every 5 years. Indian can cast their vote toward three kinds of candidates, A) candidates that belong to main two-parties (BJP or INC)    B) candidates that come to election under the flag of local parties    C) independents candidates.

And although there are many critical problems that need to be solved in the India democracy performance, but we can elaborate India as marching ahead and progressive democratic country.

 References:

1-        Abraham Lincoln quotes

2-        Pure democracy with all of its characters is not available in the world

3-        Foundations of Political science page 297

4-        Local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. The gram panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayat System.

5-        Miss Sonia Gandhi born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino, on 9 December 1946 is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi and belongs to the Nehru–Gandhi family. After his assassination in 1991, she was invited by the Indian National Congress to take over the Congress but refused and publicly stayed away from politics amidst constant prodding by the Congress. She finally agreed to join politics in 1997; in 1998, she was elected as the leader of the Congress.  Since then, Sonia Gandhi has been the President of the Indian National Congress Party. She has served as the Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance in the Lok Sabha since 2004. In September 2010, on being re-elected for the fourth time, she became the longest serving president in the 125-year history of the Congress party.

 6-        Kisan Baburao Hazare born on 15 June 1937, is an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish official corruption. In addition to organizing and encouraging grassroots movements, Hazare frequently conducted hunger strikes to further his causes—a tactic reminiscent, to many, of the work of Mohandas K. Gandhi. 

+ نوشته شده در پنجشنبه بیست و هشتم دی ۱۳۹۱ ساعت 18:29 شماره پست: 235