An election can change a government overnight. But if citizens begin to doubt the institution that conducts it, the damage can reach far deeper: it can shake democracy itself.
SENIOR JOURNALIST & BESTSELLING AUTHOR
An election can change a government overnight. But if citizens begin to doubt the institution that conducts it, the damage can reach far deeper: it can shake democracy itself.
Before Independence satyagrahis stood before a line of policemen with raised lathis. Nearly eight decades after Independence, that haunting image still asks uncomfortable questions of Indian democracy. The greatness of a democracy is measured not by the force it can command, but by the restraint it chooses to exercise.
Democracy is not destroyed overnight. It erodes gradually. Each silenced protest, each intimidated dissenter, and each indifferent citizen becomes another nail in the coffin of freedom.
What is the real proof of citizenship or identity? Passport, Aadhaar or PAN card? The debate has become one endless game of ringa-ringa-roses. God, watching from above, must surely be amused that His children have forgotten their original address—in heaven.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s simple, non-lavish birthday celebrations. No fireworks, no extravagance, no political spectacle. Vijay’s simple 52nd birthday revealed the secret behind his extraordinary mass appeal: authenticity, humility, and service.
The rise of C Joseph Vijay from child artiste to superstar to chief minister of Tamil Nadu is part of a national transformation and renewal by young Indians. Inspired by ideals of courage and integrity, young Indians are emerging as powerful agents of innovation and change.