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India ranks 35th among 'flawed democracies'

Bangladesh and Pakistan are well aware of their deficiencies but Indians have this complex that they are somehow better.
I don't know about superiority complexes, but as far as democratization is concerned, Indians are better off when compared to their south Asian counterparts as per all published data on the pertinent indicators.

...you will still find a dirt poor, often ignorant and largely communal India with a thin coating of democracy on top.
As long as the coating remains thicker than the comparative samples, you still lose.
 
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Bangladesh and Pakistan would probably have sustainable democracies if RAW did not keep interfering in our internal affairs.
 
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Bangladesh and Pakistan would probably have sustainable democracies if RAW did not keep interfering in our internal affairs.

off topic reply to off topic post

Cough Cough RAW finally !!!:rofl:

Oh! I remember you honoured me as a RAW agent once, but you did not clarify whether I am still serving or retired :undecided:.

Anyways thanks for posting article to show truth about Democracy in India, BD and Pakistan with respect to the World,
 
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Well, this article (http://a330.g.akamai.net/7/330/25828/20081021185552/graphics.eiu.com/PDF/Democracy Index 2008.pdf) talks in western norms that serve western interest. Many people educated by facts have realized this. This propaganda itself also deplores that “following a decades-long global trend in democratisation, the spread of democracy has come to a halt.”...” A key factor is the delegitimation of much of the democracy-promotion agenda, which has become associated with an internationally very unpopular US president and military intervention. A combination of double standards in foreign policy (autocrats can be good friends as well as foes) and growing infringements of civil liberties has reduced the effectiveness of Western governments' calls for democratisation.” Thus, be called democracy or not by Westerners, it’s all to serve their agenda, not yours.

This propaganda itself wields double standard. While china has elections all over the place, not without problems though, this propaganda still turns a blind eye to it. It transmits a clear signal: if your election doesn’t mean to overthrown CPC and approve western interest, your election will never be counted for.

To ordinary people, it is very simple: if “good” democracy doesn’t translate into tangible benefits, who cares. If given a choice to live in Hong Kong (84) or India (35), overwhelming majority of third party would ditch 35 and choose 84.

For me, I first need food – the freedom to survive, then house – the freedom to live, then education – the freedom to get knowledge… maybe the ninth or tenth priority will be voting. Of course, if anyone rather lives under malnutrition and raise stunted kids but can vote (hopefully they are intelligent enough to know what they vote), nobody would mind, at least not for me…
 
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Corruption Mars Image of Change in India Elections

New Class of Politicians Vows to Curb Graft, but Others Still Build Support on Bribes; Rallies for Food, Liquor

NEW DELHI -- A new class of Indian politicians wants to free its country of rampant corruption, bribery and red tape. But as India gears up for elections starting next week, the new entrants are facing an early hurdle: fraud in the election process itself.

With 714 million registered voters, India is about to stage the biggest democratic election in history, a monthlong affair that begins April 16. Hundreds of political parties are competing, most with a specific regional, ethnic or caste appeal.

Yet many candidates are flouting ethics and financing laws, spending millions to bribe voters with cash and gifts, say people who have followed the campaigns. The size of their war chests could dictate results at the polls.

Corruption and criminality can be found across the spectrum. In the current Parliament, 128 members representing 18 parties out of a total of 545 legislators have criminal charges lodged against them. Of those, 84 are for allegations of murder and 28 for theft and extortion.

Lok Satta, a change-oriented party, is campaigning on promises to fight corruption and institute a code of conduct for legislators. But in the city of Hyderabad, party candidate Atluri Subhashini, isn't getting much attention.

Last week she met with families in the city's Khairatabad slums, trailed by no more than 50 supporters. Two blocks away, candidate Daanam Nagendra, of the Indian National Congress party that runs the national government, held a parade that drew more than 1,000 people.

"We are finding it very hard to translate public support into electoral victories," says Lok Satta party president Jayaprakash Narayan. "Without buying the vote or distributing liquor, your chances are slim."

In a survey by the Centre for Media Studies, one-fifth of voters nationally said politicians or party workers offered them money to vote in the past 10 years. In some states, nearly half said they have been bribed. Out of the $2 billion the government and Indian parties are expected to spend on this year's elections, one-quarter will be for illicit activities, the New Delhi think tank estimated.

The poor are often targets. Parties give cash bonuses or free lunches to voters to boost rally attendance, observers say. After rallies, party workers often distribute liquor as a reward for coming, say people who have attended.

India's change-minded parties are promising to fix such campaign practices. Last month, the Professionals Party of India, boasting a middle-class following, planned to run 100 candidates nationwide to battle corruption. It's now down to two. The party says protecting a squeaky-clean reputation means it can't spend as much as its opponents, and so has had a hard time even finding candidates.

"It's a humble start," says party founder R.V. Krishnan. "But I don't think the PPI is attracting the kind of candidates we need."

Leaders of established parties have spoken out against payouts. "Neither do we encourage it nor do we approve it," says Ravi Shankar Prasad, a spokesman for the Bharatiya Janata Party -- India's second-largest party after the Congress party. A Congress representative didn't return calls seeking comment.

In the coming election, the new politicians had hoped to rally India's educated middle class, which is tired of widespread corruption and still stinging from the memory of last year's Mumbai terrorist attacks that they blame partly on political failure.

This year, 110 of India's 545 constituencies are in cities, according to the New Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. That's up from 74 urban districts in 2004 -- a jump that shows the increasing political heft of India's middle class.

Still, much of the middle class isn't registered to vote. Those who are often view new entrants with suspicion.

"I would not vote for them," says Rajat Kumar, a 33-year-old in Gurgaon, a Delhi suburb, who runs the India office of a European outsourcing firm. "You can't talk about removing corruption without removing the causes that create corruption."

Those causes include poor pay that make low-level bureaucrats depend on bribes to make ends meet, he says, adding that he will evaluate parties on their plans to lift India's masses out of poverty.

Last week, Andhra Pradesh state police seized $600,000 in cash they said was aimed at voters. In nearby Karnataka, the election commission logged 500 cases where liquor, cash and goods aimed at voters were seized, said the state's chief election officer.

Corruption Mars Image of Change in India Elections - WSJ.com
 
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Bangladesh and Pakistan would probably have sustainable democracies if RAW did not keep interfering in our internal affairs.

Ahh....There it is, that's what of been missing in thes thread.:lol:
 
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This propaganda itself wields double standard. While china has elections all over the place, not without problems though, this propaganda still turns a blind eye to it. It transmits a clear signal: if your election doesn’t mean to overthrown CPC and approve western interest, your election will never be counted for.
Bollocks. Democracy is about choices. The only choice the people of China have, is CPC. If they had any other choice, apart from CPC, even if that choice was ideologically communist, China would have qualified as a democracy.

To ordinary people, it is very simple: if “good” democracy doesn’t translate into tangible benefits, who cares. If given a choice to live in Hong Kong (84) or India (35), overwhelming majority of third party would ditch 35 and choose 84.
Incidentally, Hong Kong is the creation of a country which is currently ranked at 21 on the Democracy Index. Hong Kong still continues to enjoy special status, by the way.

Of course, if anyone rather lives under malnutrition and raise stunted kids but can vote (hopefully they are intelligent enough to know what they vote), nobody would mind, at least not for me…
Good to know. Quick question though. Why would anybody, who claims not to mind how democracy works in a country ranked at 35, still spend 274 words just to justify authoritarian rule in a region ranked at 84, and how such authoritarian governance is way better than democratic governance ?

Beats me.
 
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Hey is no one going to comment on the article 'Corruption Mars Image of Change in India Elections' published in the WSJ or has this shut all the Indian up again?
 
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Hey is no one going to comment on the article 'Corruption Mars Image of Change in India Elections' published in the WSJ or has this shut all the Indian up again?

You are expecting responses within 3 hrs. Well sorry to inform you that responding to your rhetoric is not the sole purpose of our lives. Plus we like to analyse things and not propagate jingoism

Yes, politicians in India try to bribe voters: they offer them cash and freebies. But the voters are smart. They take the freebies and vote for whoever they wish to! :angel:
 
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Hey is no one going to comment on the article 'Corruption Mars Image of Change in India Elections' published in the WSJ or has this shut all the Indian up again?

First you need to develop habit of expressing your opinion on the articles you posted. Now i am waiting for the comments on the article you posted and Indians in this forum will respond later.
 
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First you need to develop habit of expressing your opinion on the articles you posted. Now i am waiting for the comments on the article you posted and Indians in this forum will respond later.

How civilized of you. :tongue:
 
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To ordinary people, it is very simple: if “good” democracy doesn’t translate into tangible benefits, who cares. If given a choice to live in Hong Kong (84) or India (35), overwhelming majority of third party would ditch 35 and choose 84.

For me, I first need food – the freedom to survive, then house – the freedom to live, then education – the freedom to get knowledge… maybe the ninth or tenth priority will be voting. Of course, if anyone rather lives under malnutrition and raise stunted kids but can vote (hopefully they are intelligent enough to know what they vote), nobody would mind, at least not for me…

A colorful parrot in a golden cage makes an excellent showpiece
 
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Hey is no one going to comment on the article 'Corruption Mars Image of Change in India Elections' published in the WSJ or has this shut all the Indian up again?

Thats the beauty Munshi. We dont need to justify or defend anything. What happens, happens. But things are changing for the good here. Something you cant digest ofcourse!
 
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There is a thread started recently on the dwindling quality of posts.

This thread adds to that list. I cannot fathom the motive for starting such threads by members ( Ind - Pak -BD et all). Is it to show down another ? If so to what avail ?

We all live in glass houses.

If India is 35th so what ? Indians are happy with the way they . Why should any one get tickled about it ?

The BSF does not mutiny, the Army does not stage coups, the Constitution remains in force since 1950, we are not good, we not be the best but we muddle along and have remained intact for over 60 yrs.
I disagree. This survey means something.

India lags behind in political participation seriously and need to improve on political culture.
The first is a serious problem that arises due to political families and lineage like Gnadhis,Reddys and Ramdosss. People are afraid to participat and face these people who come by virtue of their family histories. This actually eats up other industries like film and business also.

The political culture problem is because of communal politics and use of money and liquor in elections as incentive.

This means that the opportunities are equal and the apprehensions that some people have about minorities in India are not justified.
 
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