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Pisces1
Kurra Bewarse
Username: Pisces1
Post Number: 361
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 128.206.213.3
| | Posted on Sunday, October 17, 2004 - 4:24 pm: |    |
First and foremost it has to be recognized that in a democracy that only the elected representatives and the executive have the right to set public policy. If anyone disagrees, they can choose to seek the public mandate for their agenda. No entity, which doesn’t have the public mandate, has the right to dictate its agenda to an elected government. Whatever be the merits of their agenda, the naxals are exactly doing the same.
By publicly allowing the naxals to hold their durbar is the government accepting that the normal process of rule of law and justice have failed and the only recourse is to resort to rough and ready justice? If that is the case then all the marginalized sections of the society who perceive that injustice is being done to them should take up arms! |
Pisces1
Kurra Bewarse
Username: Pisces1
Post Number: 360
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 128.206.213.3
| | Posted on Sunday, October 17, 2004 - 4:23 pm: | |
Whatever might be the faults of Indian democracy and there are many, we still remain a functional democracy and the elected governments broadly reflect the public mandate. By all means the government has every right to engage the naxals in talks, but only on sound democratic principles. They cannot allow the naxals to run riot and dictate public policy. If they are sensible, they will allow them to enter public domain and guarantee them that they will not be prosecuted and insist that they give up arms.
The naxals are claiming that they have taken up arms only to protect the public interest and that their agenda is reflective of public opinion. If that is the case they should participate in the democratic process and seek popular mandate.
The government should not abdicate its responsibility to the people of Andhra Pradesh, which is to govern sensibly and protect rule of law. But by engaging in talks with the naxals on a no-win agenda, they are doing exactly that. The government is sending a message that “If you have a gun, you can dictate”. There cannot be any winners in this process. The only losers will be democracy and rule of law. |
Pisces1
Kurra Bewarse
Username: Pisces1
Post Number: 359
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 128.206.213.3
| | Posted on Sunday, October 17, 2004 - 4:21 pm: | |
An excellent article. I 100% support the author. All the articles by this author are thought provoking.
http://www.greatandhra.com/articles/you_can_dictat e.html |
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