Is it a time to define Democracy?

Human beings have come a long way. Today when we are celebrating Independence Day for the biggest democratic and free country, more than half of the countries in the world are still struggling to define democracy. Two thousand years of human civilisation have made all educated individuals to understand that freedom is the basic need of human beings. Freedom is the desire. It is the pleasure. It forces humanity towards excellence. It allows humanity to bloom. On the other hand, slavery is a punishment. It deteriorates human values. It cripples mental thinking. It distorts judgments. It forces the people to grab suicide bombs. It teaches people to kill themselves. It does not allow prospering life. It compels the people to lose identity. Dictatorship is worse that slavery because it ensures intellectual degradation. The normal slave has physical compulsions but individual in a dictatorship of any form irrespective of the name, ensure mental compulsions. Physical compulsions are less painful than mental one. Mental compulsions does not allow individual to grow. It does not allow individual to excel. It restricts human growth. There is no doubt that democracy is the basic need of human to ensure freedom. On this auspicious night of Independence day 4th July 06, I felt to explain few basic intricacies of freedom which I felt civilization have been kept deprived off. It is important for the conscious people on Internet to be aware about these anomalies in society. These provide better appreciation for the future of individual and nations.

As a conscious person of a democratic country, I found that achieving freedom for individual and democracies for the nations have been the basic necessity since evolution of human history. Human have fought innumerable number of wars. Human have fought many battle to conquer freedom. Today at the onset of 21st century, humans are still struggling to define democracy and freedom. In the information age, when more than one third of the human beings are networked together irrespective of their caste, creed, religion and region, leadership at various levels are still trying to define freedom and up to some extent I feel even human growth. Is it so difficult to define freedom for human beings? Is it so difficult and contradictory to explain freedom? Does meaning of freedom vary based on sex, caste, religion or region? Does level and desire of freedom varies based on education or literacy level of human? Does scope of freedom varies based on economics or financial status of the individual? Why can not human being define freedom for all humanity? Freedom is freedom and it needs to be free from any clutches of definitions. Irrespective of sex, religion, financial status and any other criteria, freedom should be available to all human beings. Every human being should be free. They should have freedom to get education, to chose language, religion, caste, profession, and even nation, to live a free life, to enjoy privileges, to roam around the world, to do things of choice, to get connected on internet, surf any site, chat to any one or anywhere in the world, explore and excel in any endeavour. Is it a big demand? Can human have the privilege to have this much freedom? I do not see much of difficulties for this much freedom to human beings in 21st century.

Is it surprising when Imran Khan, a Cricketer turned Politician of Pakistan, a Muslim dominated country, says, ‘Having a dictator spells disaster for any country. Mankind needs pure democracy.’ Imran is living in Pakistan run by Army General Musharaff. It amounts to some value when Imran demands for democracy and certainly asks for freedom. He is correct to point out that dictator spells disaster for the nation. Dictatorship is a disaster for individual human being. Can the Muslim world and especially all intelligentsia of this world listen? Few intelligent people always try to convince some of the people at some of the places against democracy and freedom. Even in India, we have large number of intellectuals who are sympathetic towards Muslims, are ready to profess the human needs or even national needs otherwise. Is it in interest of Muslims? Can all theses intellectuals get their orientation clear to believe that democracy and that too pure democracy is the basic need of human beings. No body can convince at least educated humans otherwise. Any intellectual can make few of the people fool for few of the time for few of the reason. Freedom is required by every individual. It is just a matter of time. Difference of opinion has to vanish. People anywhere at this age will try to achieve freedom. The availability of free media are going to ensure freedom.

Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Shariff are joining hands not only to bring democracy in Pakistan but now they are joining hands along with other supporting political parties to ensure continuation of democracy. Every few years, Pakistan feels pray to Military ruler and land up having Military dictatorship. Today, majority of Pakistanis are convinced of the need of democracy and continuation of democracy. And for the peace of entire world, there is an urgent need that Muslims have democracy and freedom in their countries. The important point is that Muslims not only need democracy but they need pure democracy. That is what Imran has said and it is correct. There is no reason why Muslim male or female should not have freedom to live a free life, to choose a government, to decide about their future, to get better educated, to have the privileges of 21st century, to enjoy life without veil, to enjoy freedom, and so on. The human desires are unlimited and there is no reason that why part of these desires are not achieved by them. Most of the people from Muslim world see these human privileges on their television, come to know through their news papers, read on Internet and so on. They can not be left ignorant. They are going to conquer them.

The form of democracy has always been a matter of concern for intellectuals. It has always been a choice for humanity. Even Musharraf organized a referendum to justify his ruling when he clinched power. He did it nicely. He is still going strong. But the questions comes, are people satisfied with such democratic illusion? The similar thing could be observed in other parts of the world. In the name of democracy, what happened in Iran or even in Palestine, give poor taste to freedom. In general people have restrictions. We are compelled to think otherwise. Election takes place in some form or other but they are restricted to justify the rule of few individual only. Very few Islamic nations give freedom to female to vote. Very few Islamic nations give freedom to female to get elected. Civilization is still struggling to define freedom in a right way. Even Indian democracy appears illusions.

The United States of America has come a long way in the history of mankind. They have analyzed, rejoiced and enjoyed various forms of freedom. They have solved its intricacies for more than two hundred years. They are celebrating their independence as the form of freedom for humanity. They still argue and discuss the depth of freedom so freely. Even after massive devastation of 9/11, Americans are going strong to pursue their freedom. They are struggling to bring and sustain democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are moving ahead with all its might to spread the democratic form of Governance.

The people of United States have enjoyed the best of everything in this world since more than two hundred years of various revolutionary phases. They have provided to humanity all the technological inventions which took place in the last century. Every human on this earth have enjoyed those privileges for betterment of their life. In spite of caste, creed, religion or region, people of this world have enjoyed invention like airplanes, televisions, mobiles, computers, medicines, vaccines, robots and so on. The people of this world expect something more from all developing world. The people of developing countries need to work for humanity in constructive way rather than destructive missions. They need not to spread poverty, terrorism, war and illiteracy. Can we imagine how to achieve these for prosperity of humanity? Freedom and democracy may be the means.

Today, when USA moves with the concept of spreading democracy and open economy, there is no reason to believe with suspicion. There is no reason to have center page of daily news appear from intelligentsias of developing world with negative analysis Developing world is continue developing not because of developed world but because of developing nature and ideas of leadership of developing world. The message should be very clear and precise. Till the time, any individual is deprived of basic human needs; they are equivalent to a BOMB. The deprivation and frustration may be the reasons of massive violence and demonstration all across the world against Danish cartoons. Why do not we have such massive demonstration for poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, clean water and basic amenities? Old and conservative leaderships are taking humanity for a ride. It is not going to go too far. Human are becoming better informed and better conscious. Leaderships of the world need to take the note of these changes.

Time has come when we involve every human being in the process of governance and avoid the frustration and sense of deprivation among individuals. Democracy may ensure the vital ingredients to provide respect, opportunities and status. Democracy will ensure the involvement of every individual in governance. For the sake of humanity at large, we have to unlearn old and traditional way of Governance and embrace the democratic form of governance.