“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC.”
Yes, that is what our preamble to the Indian constitution’s opening statement states. But do we actually understand the need of why does India calls itself a democratic nation? The word Democratic means‚a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.
We all know that India is a land of people belonging to varied cultures, traditions, races, castes, religions and beliefs. All of them have different aspirations and expect differently from the country. But, not all can decide what is to be done and what not. That’s when a government comes into action. In layman’s terms, it governs. It takes into consideration the aspirations of all the people and then make considered decisions that benefits all.
Who elects the government? People. People having similar interests and objectives elect a member from among themselves that becomes their representative and then that person joins the government. He speaks for the benefit of that section of people.
The question arises, how do the people elect this representative!! Simple‚voting. Whosoever believes he/she should represent the people because he understands their needs better or has worked for the people stands as a nominees and the people decide who should be the chosen one. By simple logic, the one with higher votes wins.
Now let’s view this from a larger perspective. Not all the representatives can work for the country as a whole because of obvious conflict of interests. Thus, one of the representative becomes the leader. That leader has the powers to take decisions that the majority chooses for the country. We call him the Prime Minister. Of course he belongs to a political party because, since the inception of government, this group of representatives have assigned themselves with a name that aligns with the objective of that group of representatives or portrays their motto, for example the Congress, the Bhartiya Janta Party, the Aam Aadmi Party, etc.
But why do we need a leader or a representative? Because we all expect something for the country. It can be reduction in crime rates, increase in standard of living, more and better job opportunities, better trade, larger investments, progressive economy, etc. and that is why, we choose a leader. That person, who gets the majority of the votes, is believed to hold the confidence of the people. He is believed to have the capability to achieve the desired objective.
For this main reason, India holds elections in every 5 years. A lot of money, time and manpower is spent in campaigning, arranging and executing elections safely and fairly. After all, its for the good of the country. And the post of the Prime Minister is of utmost importance. Thus, every citizen chooses his representative based on the criterion he feels are beneficial for the progress of the country. And on achieving majority of the votes, a party wins from whom a Prime Minister is elected.
Our right to vote obligates us to exercise it. It is the most fundamental right citizens have in a democracy which allows them to choose their government and by consequence the broad stage in which we live, work and play. Hence, it is a very important decision to make because, the effects are not just on personal level but on a macro-economic level. Hence, every year, the government urges people to use this right and vote. As a citizen of a country, its imperative to vote and choose the apt leader for our country.
Therefore, if you’re 18 years of age or more, exercise this right, for yourself and for the country. Because, a country can only progress if its citizens are active and participatory on personal level.