Democracy without discipline is meaningless 

Essay No. 01

Working of democracy imposes certain responsibilities and obligations upon the people as well as upon men in power. Democracy does not mean liberty sans limits; if people give a free play to their activities for realising the wishes it becomes a serious hindrance in the working of democracy. The democratic government takes a lenient view of the popular risings because they fear losing the support of the people. Leniency on the part of the government encourages anti-social elements which make the life of the common man miserable. Consequently there is dissatisfaction and frustration among the peace-loving people of the country. For example in India, the opposition parties wanted to take undue advantage of their right to oppose the party in power. They started provoking the different sections of the society against the government. In some states chaotic conditions are prevailing and in others it was feared that such conditions would prevail. This type of democracy loses its charm. Before De Gaulle came in power French democracy was reduced to a mockery because the government was toppled every week. Theoretically it may be interpreted as a healthy sign of the working of democracy but in practice administration becomes impossible. People must be aware of their obligations.

In fact democracy demands a self-imposed discipline. The voters must realise their responsibilities while electing their representatives. The latter should not fail in performing their duties. Political life demands certain ethical codes and if these go uncared for, the opposition as well as the party in power would fail to preserve the dignity of the political life. The party in power, intoxicated with authority, generally starts abusing it-opposition is suppressed or the public is kept in a state of ignorance. On the other hand opposition parties try to tarnish the image of the government; they play up their weaknesses and try to create conditions in which they may lose popular support. In India Opposition parties are not playing a healthy role. This results in agitations, strikes, bands and even riots. For a developing country like India it is unnecessary and dangerous diversion. When a particular political party is voted into power, we must accept their policies, at least for a period of five years. Political parties need discipline if political life is to be kept chaste.

No nation without discipline can work for progress. If the businessmen consider monetary profit the only aim of life the smooth working of the society will come to an end. The distribution of wealth will be unequal and some sections of the society will earn profits disproportionate to their labour or investment. This economic disparity among the people becomes the source of exploitation and the poorer sections of the society would be miserable. Indian, being inhabited by the poor people cannot afford to have economically backward sections of the society. When we keep socialism as our goal and allow the businessmen to reap profits disproportionate to the income of others, our actions frustrate our ideals. There should be some ethics for businessmen because generally they constitute the corrupt sections of society. They conceal their income and use black money for unhealthy purposes. In this manner the whole economy of the country is upset. They also start bribing the officials, thereby imparting corruption even in administration. No doubt law takes cognizance of these offences yet they manage to escape the grip of law by maintaining their relations with the high-ups in society. Clearly functioning of democracy is impaired. In order to make the businessmen to realize their responsibilities it is necessary that some strict steps must be taken within the frame work of law.

The most vulnerable section of the society, from the point of view of discipline, are the students. Revolutionary and new fledged ideas have a great appeal to them. They cannot stand the charm of persuasion. They are to be taught that without discipline they cannot get proper education. Agitations may be Gandhian method of protest but any good method which is misused can torpedo the whole system. Whatever might be the form of a discipline and however morally justified its aim may be it becomes a cancer in the body politics. Indiscipline encourages anti-social elements and always puts the proper working out of gear. Thus indiscipline breeds a generation of undependable citizens and gives momentum to disruptive forces.

The relevance of a political pattern is determined by adequacy because it stitches up aspirations, functions, needs and demands of the society into a seamless web. The social unity which includes the unity of perspective, activities and aspirations fuse the divergent tendencies into semi-articulate whole. The system becomes a reflection of moods and motives and the pattern is that of behavior. Under such circumstances if the political system projects a distorted image it will not satisfy the people. In case the object of reflection is itself disfigured, it will not fit in the frame world of political institution. These institutions can function properly only if the people who established them are disciplined in every walk of life. Otherwise either the system will crack or people will lose faint in it.

Democracy presupposes that man possesses innate qualities to govern himself. They think that the people know their needs and welfare and can work for it in a more methodical manner. This supposition is based upon ideal calculations; man is generally swept ways by emotions. Liberty often becomes licence so people must realise their duties. They must work for the common good. Workers in factories should aim at increasing production, people in the offices should facilitate the smooth working of the governmental machinery. So discipline becomes necessary.

Economy of the country is so closely linked up with political system that without proper type of economic ordering there cannot be political stability. The economy of India was completely disturbed by unprincipled sections of society. They indulged in black market, hoarding, smuggling and in many other activities which disrupted the economy of our country. Mere profit making should not be the aim of economic activity if some people are able to earn by trading in human lives. If others are able to hoard resulting in numberless deaths due to starvation it will not serve the ends of justice. Democracy demands justice and equal treatment so that their free thinking may not be inhibited. For achieving this end we need discipline. Money should be just a means to carry on activities; it should not be the sole nexus of life.

For making a nation disciplined no mechanical method can be used for a long time. Once discipline becomes a part of our thinking we do not have to exert for remaining disciplined. It is through psychological methods that discipline can be fostered. Renan has correctly said that political institutions are destroyed by their triumphs. So for preserving democracy a nation has to adopt even anti-democratic methods. Discipline is the hub of human activity and disciplined activity will strengthen democracy.

Essay No. 02

Democracy and Discipline

Man is a social being. He lives in a society, which means getting on with others. Thus, discipline is a must for getting on with others and the common welfare. There cannot be a well-organised and civilised society sans discipline. Today, we are a highly civilised, cultured and developed people only because of willing obedience to certain rules, regulations, code of conduct and social behaviour, which have been there from the dawn of civilisation. If there had been no discipline and self-imposed code of social and individual behaviour, there would not have been any civilisation, culture or progress. If these rules and regulations are not followed, there will be total chaos, bloodshed, violence, jungle rule and widespread misery. It is discipline which makes our life enjoyable, orderly, safe and worth living. Discipline forms the very warp and woof of our social fabric. Even in individual life, existence presupposes obedience of certain laws of nature.

In a democracy, discipline becomes all the more significant, for democracy is said to be the government of the people, by the people; and for the people. In this form of government, the ultimate power rests with the public and they are sovereign. If they are not disciplined, democracy will turn into a monocracy, a government by the crowd divided, aimless and anarchic. Democracy believes that a ballot is more powerful than a bullet, and to put this belief into practice it is necessary that people exercise self-restraint and discipline and adhere to the code of behaviour and conduct. Democracy means freedom, liberty, equality and fraternity, but it never means licence. To equate democracy with licence is totally wrong. Democracy tolerates criticism, nay invites criticism. It admits variety and grants freedom -and rights. But they cannot exist without corresponding duties, obligations and rules of conduct, which constitute discipline. It is man’s capacity for adjustment, equality, justice and discipline that makes democracy possible. And, at the same time, man’s inclination towards indiscipline, discrimination, licence and injustice make democracy a necessity.

Democracy means an intense awareness of both, one’s rights and duties. Right enjoyment of one’s freedom, rights, privileges and liberties means doing things in such a manner that it does not in any way interfere with the enjoyment of these by others. There cannot be any personal freedom without social order. They go hand in hand. An undisciplined nation can degenerate into anarchy from democracy. Democracy involves a lot of self-discipline, accommodation, adjustment and compromises so that others may also enjoy the same liberty as ourselves. It is this sense of duty and discipline that makes democracy a success. A disciplined nation can face any challenge, and overcome any crisis of any magnitude. Discipline knows no exception. It is binding on all the citizens, whether one occupies the highest public office or the most humble one. All are equal before the law, the very expression of discipline.

Discipline can be said to be the very life-blood of a democratic society. No democracy in the world has ever succeeded without discipline and observance of certain rules and regulations based on morality, social ethics and norms of equality. Success of any democracy is always in direct proportion to the degree and quality of the discipline observed and maintained by its citizens. There is always a wide network of law-enforcing agencies in a democratic set-up, but self-imposed discipline is the best.

It is democracy that grants the greatest number of liberties to its citizens. The genuineness of these rights and liberties is the real test of a democracy since these are the highly cherished privileges. Without these, it would amount to a meaningless existence. These imply freedom of movement, occupation, choice, possession, work, speech, and expression, etc. At the same time, these cannot be absolute in the sense that one’s freedom should not clash with that of others. Others have the same right to enjoy their freedom as we do. If there is a clash and conflict between individual freedom and that of others, democracy would be in peril and there would be no freedom at all. That is where discipline, accommodation and adjustment come in the picture. Freedom has no meaning sans society; it is the society that gives meaning and fulfillment to individual freedom and liberty. Obviously, restraint or discipline and liberty are complimentary. Without the existence of one, the existence of the other is impossible.

Democracy, which stands for equality, justice and fraternity, is desirable and it makes discipline indispensable. Indiscipline and non-observance of rules and regulations is a sure sign of decay, death and degeneration of democracy. Democracy and discipline reinforce and vitalize each other, for both have their roots in a keen awareness of one’s duties, responsibility and accountability. When one is endangered, the other is automatically at the brink of destruction. A fine balance has to be struck and maintained between the two. There should not be an overdue emphasis either on discipline or liberty, because they are like the two aspects of the same coin. You cannot possess one while dispensing with the other. Violation of rules and regulations is the worst enemy of democracy. Rules and their observance is good for democracy and for the people under it. Even the oceans have their boundaries and limits. They are not unlimited and boundless and” this fact gives them a definite identity, existence, and strength. Then how can we think of individual liberty without certain amount of restraints? Democracy and the rule of the law or discipline are almost synonymous. Without imbibing the spirit of discipline it is not possible to have a genuine democracy. India is the largest democracy in the world, with a population of over a billion and a successful journey of over half a century behind it. It has been possible only because the people of India are by and large law-abiding and self-disciplined; the electorate is enlightened and mature and its citizens have the capacity to judge and analyze facts to reach desired conclusions. We would not have been successful in our struggle for freedom had we been indisciplined. We showed a remarkable sense of restraint and discipline and that is why we won our freedom under the dynamic leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. It only goes to show that the foundations of Indian democracy are well laid on the rocks of self-restraint, discipline and the sense of social and moral responsibilities. It is this deep sense of duty and obligation that gives meaning to our democracy and also ensures its glorious future.