The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Strengthening the pillars of democracy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 18, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Strengthening the pillars of democracy

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, OCT. 17. Identifying communalism, casteism, corruption, nepotism and terrorism as threats to the four pillars of democracy -- judiciary, legislature, executive and the Press -- speakers at a meeting here called for efforts to create awareness on important issues against forces weakening the democratic edifice.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, G.K. Vasan, who presided over the seminar organised by `Roots of Democracy' (RoD), a non-political outfit, said if cracks were allowed to appear even on any one of the pillars, the entire structure would be weakened.

D. Pandian, senior Communist Party of India leader, urged the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre to initiate judicial reforms after taking the country's democratic traditions and time-tested values into account. He said cases pending before courts for several years should be cleared without any delay. A fast track mechanism should be evolved to ensure quick disposal of cases related to sensitive issues such as Ayodhya-Babri Masjid dispute.

Bharati Baskar, who spoke on the state of the legislature, said intolerance, political sycophancy, commercialisation and criminalisation of politics came in the way of smooth functioning of the legislature. Little time was being spent on discussing vital issues in the Assemblies and Parliament.

Congress activist, Tamilaruvi Manian, said the media played a key role in defending democracy even if the other three pillars failed. Recalling the role played by the media during the freedom struggle and in the post-Independence era, he said the Fourth Estate should evolve a code for itself to bring the truth to the public, besides reflecting the feelings of the masses.

Expressing his views on the state of the `executive', Tamil scholar Rajagopalan said the legislature and executive should not adopt antagonistic postures. The managing trustee of the RoD, S.G. Vinayagamurthy, said the outfit would continue to organise functions to strengthen democratic values.

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