We take pride in calling ourselves the largest democracy in the world. This in fact is not an exaggerated statement.

At the time of independence we were in the category of a nation state with committed leadership but inhabited by people of diverse cultural mix and mostly illiterate and with little or no idea about running a modern democratic polity.

The pains of political division of a united India and bloody transfer of population across the boarders added extra burden. Despite these handicaps our leaders opted for a democracy based on adult franchise.

The first general election in 1952 based on this principle stunned the world. In fact freedom of India was the beginning of dismantling of colonialism. Almost all the countries which got freedom after India miserably failed in establishing democracy in their respective countries as successfully as that happened in India.

There after conduct of subsequent elections brought more laurels from across the world and with the passage of time our Election Commission became a model for others. Change of government was all along peaceful and without any hitch or hassle. Democracy took a firm root.

If we move backwards and start our course with the advent of The Mahatma taking charge of Indian National Congress we see that Congress at that time was not a political party but a movement, an Umbrella for diverse opinions and thoughts but with a single agenda of nation building conjoined with freedom from foreign yoke.

There were, of course, political parties with ideologies varying from extreme left to extreme right but their influence was restricted to insignificant quarters and pockets hardly noticeable and in fact there are allegations against some of theme of supporting the foreign rulers.

It was perhaps this background which made The Mahatma to seek winding up of the congress party after the achievement of freedom.

Assassination of the father of nation immediately after the independence brought nation building to halt. That was a great set back the after effects of which we are witnessing now. A nation state is one thing and nation building is entirely a different cup of tea. Our leaders mostly occupied themselves with paper work by making laws and never bothered for building a coherent nation-the real unity in diversity.

Nehruvian period of post independent India helped strengthened both democracy as well as its core values of tolerating dissent. One after the other the nation lost their committed leaders-after all they were mortals and had to disappear. With their departure the vacuum so created could not be filled with leadership of equal commitments. The result was slide downwards.

The congress lost its monopoly of power in 1967 and thereafter ideology took a back seat and formation of government reduced to a sort of marriage of convenience.

One need not go into details for this phenomenon taking a formal shape which ultimately made regionalism a powerful tool with regional political parties and leaders acquiring more and more weights. Elections were and are being fought based on cast equations and a more dangerous trend of polarization on religious lines has crept in since late nineteen eighties.

Although the nation has suffered a lot because of these developments but, thanks to the constitutional provisions of ‘checks and balances’ that, both the democracy and rule of law have survived.

We must thank God and the framers of our constitution. Credit for this should also go to our honorable courts intervening time and again even at the cost of accusation of ‘judicial activism’.

Let us now move from the past to the present which if not taken seriously would become a mirror of the future.

Elections world over are fought based on ideologies, policies and programs of contesting parties.

People examine in these elements as to what are there in them to benefit them. Then they judge the candidates and grade them in their list of merits at the peak of which are character and integrity of the candidates.

What is happening in the current run of elections in the five states elections and the run up for the national one next year? All the so called manifestos for state elections are now out. None talks about anything which gives assurance that the would be serious contenders of power are any serious about the maladies now gripping the nation.

What we hear in their speeches are nothing but leveling of charges and counter charges, drum beating their nonexistent super performances and worst of all indulgence in character assassinations even of the past greats.

Witness how the biggies have resorted to low-level tactics and vile diatribes to rubbish each other. They are competing even in alteration of history and geography. None is talking about corruption or unstoppable rise in cost of living or the security-the major issues which need immediate attention.

Instead what they are promising is nothing but moon because they know that people will just forget about all these things. Candidates have been chosen based on cast and religious identity keeping the vote bank in mind. With all these, the assembled public is busy in clapping-both rural as well as urban. This is the scenario which should be a cause of concern. It is not that the level of education is low now also. Nor is the case that people are not politically conscious. Do these developments generate any confidence for the future?

Although it is too late now as far as the ongoing states elections are concerned, right thinking people should intervene for the forthcoming national elections next year and compel the political leadership to stop taking either public or public opinion for granted.

They should be forced to issue charters of commitments rather than manifestos. National elections involve dealing with and living with international matters. Clapping should be reserved only for serious commitments rather than promises or personalities.

Otherwise there is every likely hood of our system becoming a subject of ridicule.