The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Strengthen grass-root democracy

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Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Strengthen grass-root democracy

While many of us share the concern of the elder statesman and Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, that judicial interference in the Jharkhand Assembly case could have been avoided, one should not forget the fact that the situation was largely brought about by the undemocratic methods adopted by the Governor. It is matter of political experience that unfortunately Governors have been instruments of the party in power, but for which the S.R. Bommai case (reported in (1994) 3 SCC Pg. 1) would not have come. Had the Governor allowed the BJP to form the Government when it paraded a clear majority before the President and subsequently it had been defeated on the floor of the House, that would have won the approval of democratic-thinking people. Instead the Governor tried to put a minority government in power. This would have given it an opportunity to resort to horse-trading, which was certainly not a desirable alternative. My view is that judicial ascendancy is not always good, particularly in matters relating to people's democracy. For that, we must adopt democratic conventions and strengthen grass-root level democracy, which is a solution to the evils in a political system.

N.G.R. Prasad,
Chennai

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