Page 35 - Mann Ki Baat January, 2023

a river’s flow or preventing a tree their decision democratically.
from growing is equivalent to The religious relevance of
violence. The river has the right democracy in ancient India was
to flow and the tree has the right also considered while creating
to grow. So this value that every this book. Examples of democracy
living being is independent, is were highlighted from religious
loktantra. Prajatantra is just a communities of Jains, Buddhists
form of loktantra. Hence, a need & Sikhs. For example, in Buddhism,
to bring this to light was observed there was a concept of Sangh.
and in collaboration with experts The monks used to live together
from ICHR, it was fulfilled with the in the vihara where they used to
inception of this book. choose one monk to look into the
The book, 'India-The Mother of functioning and administration
Democracy' also focuses on the of the viharas. Meetings were
legacy of Loktantra. Around 2800 held in which the administrator
years old literature ‘Ashtadhyayi’ used to announce the proposals
written by Panini talks about the that he has received and all the
existence of Janpad, Gantantra monks were given a platform to
and Rajyatantra. This shows a raise their objections, if any. Only
hierarchical system pointing in the absence of objections were
towards the existence of a the proposals put into action.
system dedicated to the janas In a situation where there were
(people). Around 300 BC -700 two contrasting proposals and
BC, all the tribes residing in the decision-making was difficult, the
Himalayan belt were all loktantrik. administrator used to conduct
Ashtadhyayi and Rigveda also talk voting amongst the monks.
about tribes like Pathans (Pakhta Utirmerur inscription from south
in Rigveda), Baluchis (Balina India also provides the existence
in Rigveda), Afridis (Aprita in of a voting system in South India.
Rigveda) which were all loktantrik. Today, students read about
They all used to sit together to these democratic methods in
take any major decisions, which modern political science, but in
was known as Jirga. Another form India, all this existed since time
of this was also found in Sikhs immemorial. In India, democracy
till a few years ago as Sarbat is an old practice, and through
Khalsa. Rigveda also talks about the means of this book, we have
sabha and samitis. During those endeavoured to bring to the fore
days, the communities were self- the true essence of Loktantra
governing, they were self- and how Indians have been
reliant. well-versed with democracy
Another part of from aeons ago, making
the book talks about India, indeed, the mother of
tribal society. Even democracy.
today, especially in
the northeastern
part of India, tribes
like the Khasi and
Jaintia still take

31 31