Indian Democracy at Crossroads
India is the largest functioning democracy in the world. It got freedom during the most sensitive period of world history. Two global wars were fought to make the world safe for democracy. In fact, the second global war accelerated the process of freedom from bondage. Though the armed clash was over yet tension was mounting up due to new ideological rivalry between East and West led by the then Soviet Union and the
United States of America. The newly founded
United Nations grew amidst the cold war between these two groups. Both political and economic crises were mounting up. The colonial powers were getting stiff resistance from the nationalist struggle. At this juncture, India achieved her independence and adopted a new Constitution which envisaged a parliamentary form of democracy with a federal structure. The
Constitution makers were influenced and encouraged by the ideals of the freedom struggle and the wisdom based messages of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. This led to the birth of the largest Constitution of the world which provided elaborate principles of constitutional democracy and both civil, political and socio- economic rights through the chapters on
Fundamental Rights and the directive principles of state policy. The new Constitution became effective on 26 January, 1950. The original
Indian Democracy at Crossroads
Prof. Surya Narayan Misra concept of Sovereign Democratic Republic was modified into Sovereign Socialist Secular
Democratic Republic in 1977 by the 42nd
Constitution Amendment Act. The Republic has entered into the Seventh decade. Since 1952 periodic elections have been held and at present the Fifteenth Lok Sabha is functioning since May,
2009.
Structurally, the country has grown from
10 states to 28 states with seven Union
Territories. The population has grown from 36 crores to 1.2 billion approximately. It has become the sixth largest economy in the world and is rated as a fast growing
United States of America. The newly founded
United Nations grew amidst the cold war between these two groups. Both political and economic crises were mounting up. The colonial powers were getting stiff resistance from the nationalist struggle. At this juncture, India achieved her independence and adopted a new Constitution which envisaged a parliamentary form of democracy with a federal structure. The
Constitution makers were influenced and encouraged by the ideals of the freedom struggle and the wisdom based messages of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. This led to the birth of the largest Constitution of the world which provided elaborate principles of constitutional democracy and both civil, political and socio- economic rights through the chapters on
Fundamental Rights and the directive principles of state policy. The new Constitution became effective on 26 January, 1950. The original
Indian Democracy at Crossroads
Prof. Surya Narayan Misra concept of Sovereign Democratic Republic was modified into Sovereign Socialist Secular
Democratic Republic in 1977 by the 42nd
Constitution Amendment Act. The Republic has entered into the Seventh decade. Since 1952 periodic elections have been held and at present the Fifteenth Lok Sabha is functioning since May,
2009.
Structurally, the country has grown from
10 states to 28 states with seven Union
Territories. The population has grown from 36 crores to 1.2 billion approximately. It has become the sixth largest economy in the world and is rated as a fast growing