The Quest For Parity

When India became free it was almost like start of a voyage into uncharted territory. Not that we were alone, there were other erstwhile colonies for company and the experiences of the few existing democratic republics albeit colonizers themselves like US for e.g. to assist navigation, the goal was to develop into like one of those existing democracies. No stone was left unturned at least in the initial years in it's quest for parity, like adopting the class benchmark constitution to begin with. India was initially high on idealism and looked at itself as an initiator of a democratic new world order.


Though India was never without it's share of flaws. Congress, the predominant party allowed the democratic system to retain it's flaws and no credible alternative was allowed to share the political landscape neither within itself nor without, the efforts to curtail the opposition increased with time in ruthlessness and were often below the belt as well, resulting in subversion of just about every institution including judiciary and media.


How long will India deny a less flawed democracy to itself where not only competing political parties are allowed to share the political landscape as a legitimate right besides facilitating necessary checks and balances, but also merit and not inheritance becomes the criteria for getting power to govern?