Page 34 - Mann Ki Baat January, 2023

Kapil Kapoor
Former Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University

India - The Mother of Democracy

Since Time Immemorial

Democracy has been an of Government. However, the
inseparable part of India for ages. actual fact is that Indian society,
We are a society where ants are since ancient times, was loktantrik.
given flour and sugar during the There is a difference between
rainy season, a society where loktantra and democracy.
one roti is made every day for an Democracy is a rule established
animal, one for a monk and one by the demos i.e. people, hence
for a guest, proving that we are democracy is more of a political
democratic, even without trying. system. The term equivalent to
It is only because democracy was democracy in India is prajatantra,
such an old practice in India, that which is a political term. A state/
the citizens of India could adapt to country can be prajatantrik, there
democracy, post-independence, could be elections and voting,
with so much ease. but it is possible that there is
Evidence of India possessing no harmony or equality in that
democratic roots since ancient society. To clear this common
times and democratic ethos myth of the western world, that
running in the veins of Indians democracy and loktantra are
needed to be brought to light. the same, the idea of writing a
And so, 'India-The Mother of book and uprising people on the
Democracy' was born! difference along with evincing
This is the first book which how loktantra has been a part
states that the source of of Indian tradition since ancient
loktantra does not lie in western times and existed even before
culture but in Indian culture. Greece, came up.
Westerners claim that the origin The book illustrates why the
of democracy happened in term loktantra replaces the term
ancient Greece when Aristotle, prajatantra in India. Loktantra talks
a renowned thinker, wrote a about equality not just amongst
book called ‘Politics’ in which he humans, but also between every
talked about the democratic living being. For example, there
form of Government. Similarly, is no other civilization that can
his teacher, Plato also wrote a equate to the values of Jainism, an
dialogue named 'Republic', which ancient religion of India. They have
in itself means a democratic form literature that says that stopping
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