II. Conditions for the Defence of Democracy

The creation of such a will is the real task of all who are committed to democracy in this coun­try. It is therefore necessary to examine the con­ditions for the accomplishment of this task. One, immediately obvious, condition is institutional in nature. The other is cultural. Experience shows that even if the first condition is satisfied, in the absence of the other it can at best give a breath­ing space to democracy. More often, in such a situation it is likely to be used for the subversion of democracy itself. It is therefore necessary to formulate briefly these two conditions and bring out the bearing of the one on the other.

The first condition means the existence of vari­ous institutions in our public life which would enable individuals and groups to participate ac­tively in the shaping and implementation of policy, and thus to experience the values of de­mocracy in their day-to-day life. That this im­plies decentralization of power is recognized by all democratic parties and by Government, and a beginning has already been made in some States in that direction. What is generally not realized is the need of splitting up power into its different forms. If this is done not only more persons can participate in the social process of decision-mak­ing at some point or another, but also the danger of power being concentrated into a small group at the village level may be minimized. Another point to be borne in mind in decentralizing power is the need to avoid mechanical uniformity. There is no reason why for example, every village pan­chayat, irrespective of its efficiency, should be given the same powers and resources. It would be more fruitful to grant to it powers and re­sources commensurate with the initiative, team spirit and the other qualities essential in a grass­roots democracy that its members exhibit in practice.*

However, as remarked earlier, the institutional frame-work of democracy is by itself inadequate unless it is informed by the will to freedom. For institutions can only facilitate the operation of such a will; they cannot be substitute for it. The problem—and the challenge—facing the new de­mocracies consists precisely in this ; they have to create simultaneously, and in a reasonably short period of time, both the economic and cultural conditions for the successful functioning of demo­cratic institutions. For under-development is seldom economic without also, at the same time being cultural.

(* For a discussion of this issue et " The Problem of Democratic Decentralization "—by G. D. Parikh in " Navabharat " (gartithi), Nov. 1960.)