Once former RSS Sarsanghchalak Shri Rajendra Singh was asked by a foreign correspondent as to how he viewed democracy, a Westen contribution to India. With an eloquent smile, he replied: "Pakistan too, adopted democracy at the same time...and later, Bangladesh.
You know the shape of democracy in those countries."
The idea of democracy was not alien to Bharat; one can find references of sabha and samiti in the Rig Veda and the Atharv Veda. The The Rig Veda tells us the position of king is not absolute. Kautilya's Arthasastra discusses different forms of republics and citizens' role in decision-making. During the Buddhist period, we find several kingdoms adopting democratic methods to elect their kings; history has it that Vaishali's king Vishal was elected by the people. When Mahatma Gandhi talked about establishing Village Republics' he was only aiming at revival of socio-political structures based on ancient yet robust principles of democracy developed by our forefathers.
Today, we follow the Western model of democracy. Can there be an Indian paradigm? Sri Aurobindo has the answer. He writes :
"It has been said that democracy is based on the rights of man; it has been replied that it should rather take its stand on the duties of man; but both rights and duties are European ideas. Dharma is the Indian conception in which rights and duties lose their artificial antagonism created by a view of the world which makes selfishness the root of action, and regain their deep and eternal unity. Dharma is the basis of democracy which Asia must recognise, for in this lies the distinction between the soul of Asia and the soul of Europe".
You know the shape of democracy in those countries."
The idea of democracy was not alien to Bharat; one can find references of sabha and samiti in the Rig Veda and the Atharv Veda. The The Rig Veda tells us the position of king is not absolute. Kautilya's Arthasastra discusses different forms of republics and citizens' role in decision-making. During the Buddhist period, we find several kingdoms adopting democratic methods to elect their kings; history has it that Vaishali's king Vishal was elected by the people. When Mahatma Gandhi talked about establishing Village Republics' he was only aiming at revival of socio-political structures based on ancient yet robust principles of democracy developed by our forefathers.
Today, we follow the Western model of democracy. Can there be an Indian paradigm? Sri Aurobindo has the answer. He writes :
"It has been said that democracy is based on the rights of man; it has been replied that it should rather take its stand on the duties of man; but both rights and duties are European ideas. Dharma is the Indian conception in which rights and duties lose their artificial antagonism created by a view of the world which makes selfishness the root of action, and regain their deep and eternal unity. Dharma is the basis of democracy which Asia must recognise, for in this lies the distinction between the soul of Asia and the soul of Europe".
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