Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “The New Political Culture in India” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

The New Political Culture in India

India is perhaps the only nation that attained freedom after World War II and has not fallen a prey so far to military rule or dictatorship. This is so because our founding fathers were imbued with a spirit of liberal western traditions and incorporated the best of such traditions and conventions in the Constitution. The grant of universal suffrage to the millions of our countrymen reflected the faith they had in the electors as well as the elected. Over the years, except for aberrations here or there, Democratic India has stood the test of time. Today, ours is the largest functioning democracy in the world and people admire us as well as our leaders for upholding the best traditions of this form of government which is of the people, for the people and by the people.

Democracy, often described as rule of the mob or democracy, has brought in its wake certain characteristics which are unbecoming of our rulers. Mobs are aroused over trifles in the name of caste, community or religion and riots engineered in various parts of the country. This has tarnished the secular image of India where every citizen has been given, under the Constitution, right of expression and freedom to practice his or her religion. Caste and communal riots are a black mark on our democracy. But somehow they have given birth to a new political culture in the country.

Demonstrations are organized, protests staged and riots engineered in the name of language, caste or religion to build up vote banks for the interested political parties and their leaders. Passions are set aflame over trivial matters and peace endangered frequently in various parts of the country, solely to build up and consolidate these vote banks.

Another manifestation of the new political culture in India is interference in the affairs of students, who are weaned away from studies and other constructive activities in the name of electioneering. Student leaders are created and foisted on the innocent community by politicians, who have an axe to grind in such elections. All that these leaders to is to confront the authorities over imaginary or real grievances and indulge in anti-social acts—all in the name of looking after the welfare of students. Buses are burnt, public property is looted and the common man put to great hardship and inconveniences for the sake of so called student welfare. And, poor student leaders act as mere pawns in the hands of unscrupulous politicians and their cohorts. Instead of channelizing the dormant energies and talents of our students towards nations-building activities, these leaders turn them into anti-social elements.

Although we talk incessantly of women, children and the weaker sections of society, in reality the new political culture in India exploits these under-privileged sections the most. Much is made of injustice and atrocities heaped upon these sections; fervent pleas are made for reservation for them at various levels. But all this happens when elections are due. Once the elections are over, all the platitudes are forgotten and these sections of society continue to toil and suffer as before.

But people have become wiser now. They have learnt that they cannot be fooled all the time by the exponents of the new political culture in India. They have realized their intrinsic worth and given a befitting reply to such opportunistic politicians time and again. This shift in the perception of the masses certainly raises the hope that, out of the ashes of the present political imbroglio, a new political culture will arise phoenix-like and the country will be proud of its traditions and conventions.