Does India need less democracy or more democracy?
By banta78
@banta78 (4326)
India
December 4, 2011 9:26am CST
I recently watched live telly broadcast of HT Leadership summit. Former PM of Malaysia Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad compared India's democracy to China's autocracy.
He stressed that while democracy was ideally the best way to govern country. But for faster economic development and greater progress, it is much better to have certain restrictions on democratic functioning.
He felt government to be effective, should not be held hostage by street protests and strikes on every important decision. This he felt slows down economic development, creates situation of unrest, shows country in poor light. Investment climate gets affected as risks become higher.
He maintained that China may not have democracy but people are happier than when Chinese revolution began. As people are able to enjoy fruits of rapid economic development. And govt there has been able to achieve it because it had free hand to run government and does not tolerate opposition kindly.
So what do you suggest? Does India need less democracy or more democracy? Share your views. Thanks.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@lampar (7584)
• United States
26 Jan 12
It is ludicrous and so laughable for a former PM in SEA to say that people living in China are happier under communist regime ruled, and equate any peaceful street assembly and protest as act on holding government hostage. This PM had used various heavy handed tactic to silent his political critics and the his country's opposition party leaders many time, nobody with some sense of justice will take his words too seriously and many in his own country regard this old fox as a 'hypocrite' and is a master 'race' manipulator in Malaysia. 
@lampar (7584)
• United States
5 Feb 13
I am pretty sure if he is given a chance to stay in China for a year as an ordinary citizen under the communist regime with no human rights protection and liberty of movement and no PM post on hand for him to enforce his draconian national security detention Act without trial; the free hand to lock up all his political critics and opposition party leaders in long prison term, then he may not have gave such a 'great' speech for the media expert to over hype all over it like some gospel of universal truth and greatness of authoritarian rule in China. 
@ram_cv (16513)
• India
4 Dec 11
I think it is an interesting thought process. I think decision making in a democracy is always slower and that is why China really benefits on that front. But on the other front, if you look at things like human rights violations and stuff like then a democracy gives you a better chance to ensure that it can be avoided.
Cheers!
Ram
@vandana7 (98924)
• India
5 Dec 11
I am agreeable to that statement about street protests and strikes. Time we put that culture behind us. But the way Anna Hazareji did it, I developed a lot of respect for Gandhi and his followers because I found difference between this type of protest and other strikes and street protests. One was a quiet and dignified method while other is destructive and loud. We do need to keep our democracy intact. However, we need to work harder explaining to each and every person in the village and elsewhere what are the issues on hand and record what he or she decides.
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