On Democracy

Though it is least understood, the crux of the matter is that democracy is a collective mechanism for guaranteeing individual autonomy and dignity. In other words, it is a broad agreement in a polity to secure every member of their person, possessions, and worthwhile pursuits collectively. And, any democracy to be true to its name, does not rely on periodic elections alone. Rather, its bedrock is constitutionalism, a working legal mechanism for keeping government powers in check through the separation of powers and checks and balances At the same time, it obligates the government to guarantee a set of rights. In fact, SOPs do exist, but mechanisms need to be put in place properly.

NIraj Kumar Jha