WE, THE PEOPLE

WE, THE PEOPLE

Sovereignty means the state is free of both external and internal control by any. It should empower citizens in turn to be free of control by any politician of whatsoever stature or vested power.

Democracy means rule of the people, by the people and for the people through their elected representatives to the legislature. It should empower citizens in turn to exert their individual and collective freedom from the despotic dominance of power-crazy politicians.

Republic means that the position of the head of state is not hereditary but that the head of state is elected by the people through their representatives for a specified period of time. It also means that potency lies with the people to decide who should rule them, the ruler in principle being thus subservient to the people's power.

This is what it ought to be. But this is not what is, owing to the feudal mentality of our representatives and the subject-nature instead of citizen-nature of our countrymen. We so often hear of living by the Constitution. But do its most vociferous proponents themselves do so? No, monarchical mentality continues snd shamelessly so in the name of a democratic Constitution. Let us mend matters by making healthy changes in our mindsets, attitudes and actions.

Happy Republic Day!

Written by Sugata Bose