Roasting the democracy

Democracy has so many definitions, so many types, so many connotations, so many sub classes and so many interpreters interpreting each one of these in his or her own democratic way! The permutations and combinations mathematically could run into tens of thousands of definitions some out of these could be absolutely right, some half right, few somewhat right, some outlandish or may be right or not right at all (which is never the case in democracy). In democracy everyone is supposed to have a right to be right till he is proven wrong. Therefore if you debate anything democratically that means that you have decided that there will be no conclusion ever.


And democracy throws up millions of politicians.

‘Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president but they don't want them to become politicians in the process’ - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

In the armed forces, tactics and strategy there are several factors which impact planning of an operation like enemy strength, weapon systems on each side, leadership, training etc, all. But there is one parameter which is the highest common factor and that is ‘terrain’. These are war gamed on sand models. If your boss asks you in a sand model discussion as to what according to you is very important consideration for this operation and if you are totally clueless the safest answer is ‘Sir, terrain’. And believe you me, no one can challenge you for this and your cigar smoking boss will nod his head like Churchill and say ‘I, agree’.

Similarly in a political debate everything can be stone walled with one rock of Gibraltar like a Brahmastra and that is the ace up every ape’s sleeve- democracy ‘sir, how can we challenge it in a democracy?’. Democracy is one Laxman Rekha drawn on water that no one can ever cross. You are doomed and guaranteed to fail or drown if I throw this word at your face in public. You will have to lump whatever nonsense is being uttered under the nuclear umbrella of ‘democracy’.

‘In politics, absurdity is not a handicap’ - Napoleon Bonaparte

So much so we are roasting the democracy democratically every day. And you could get away with murder under the right to judicial process, right to a counsel, ‘the law will take its own course’, do not pre judge, everyone is innocent till proven guilty etc. etc. You have caught a guy red handed and he still wants to ‘exhaust’ all the options till the democratic system is exhausted. You have full faith in the democracy and the system!

Let me paint a fictional set up.

You are a business man, a successful one with a great reputation you built over decades with sweat and hard work. You have built a brand and that is the most intangibly tangible asset- your respect. You are respected by the society, your kids go to a good school, and your banker respects you, your associate’s appreciation working with you.
One fine day you switch on your TV set and you see a breaking news that ‘they’ have found a skeleton of a dead body in your back yard. There is a proper video clip where people are digging the earth, there are officials around and a semi decomposed body is being extracted shown on the screen. This clip goes viral on social media and the person who has done all this is a ‘samaj sewak,’ a human rights activist, backed by media, who makes a living out of this- presumably helping desperate people.

You shout and cry ‘But this is not my backyard’. But no one cares. Now the democratic media with phenomenal powers comes in- they are the holy cow no one can touch. Debates start on TV channels, you are on page 3 of every paper.

The one side of the TV panel of debaters will say ‘If he is not guilty, why should he worry? He should give a point by point rebuttal. If he asks to ban this clip then he is hiding something, he may be guilty. He has got scared- which may go against him. ‘And you know there can be no smoke without fire’, (then you have not scene film shootings where there is a huge cloud of smoke without any fire).

Now the following can happen to you.

1. Your neighbors stop talking to you and you walk out of your gate they scoff at you.

2. Your kids are trolled and teased in the school ‘tera baap murderer hai’

3. Some local goons who have to settle scores will indulge in stone throwing, burn your car, break your glass window panes.

5. Your business reputation is gone down to zero.

6. You are labeled as ‘murderer’- don’t worry you are yet not hanged because law will take its own course and you will get a chance to defend yourself. Legal recourse is available under democracy.

7. You are told by friends that you can be arrested and should apply for anticipatory bail. Your lawyer charges a hefty fee to draft the petition but he is helpless as courts are closed for holiday for next two days.

8. Police arrests you- sorry- you are in a lockup for two nights. All in the name of democracy.

9. Yet no one asks whose body is it that has been found.

Not in the name of democracy

The Samaj Sewak is walking free laughing away to glory. He has done this under his democratic rights of freedom of expression.

Will the powers that be, ban this clip from being aired, should the courts take Suo motto action and arrest this trouble creator? Has he created a trouble or not? Is this correct as per democratic rights of Human rights activist or not?

The moot point is what about the democratic rights of the person who is being shown to be a murderer?
Is this democracy?

I say this in my national interest that ‘if you think you can call me names or malign my or my countries image surruptiosly and say you are doing it because we are a democracy, then sorry in that moment I am undemocratic’.


“Those who can make people believe absurdities, can make people commit atrocities.”
― Voltaire