Democracy is a Culture rather than a process

         

                                                                                                       
           Democracy is a system of government that is a result of a long historical journey of mankind.  One of the basic flaws in understanding the concept of democracy is that it is often taken as a process. When countries adopt democracy, they regard it merely as a reception of some practices. In fact, it is a culture with certain fundamental values. By taking it as a culture and adopting the values associated with it, the fruits of a democratic system can best be achieved. The examples of the societies that have gone through a democratic revolution ascertain the fact that democracy is not about repeating certain practices but is a set of values that give rise to culture.

           A democracy is a combination of certain values, educating and making people aware of their worth in society. Democracy can't work in an illiterate society. Education is a term with wide meanings. It is not only involves scientific or modern knowledge but the knowledge about the society, politics, and government. A durable democracy can only be established in a society where people have higher standards of awareness and education.

           The culture of democracy stands on some values. It is the value system that shapes the narrative behind it. These values can be individual or collective nature. It is about promoting the values of responsibility, citizenship, awareness, patience, morality, criticism and freedom of expression. The establishment of a democratic culture is linked with the values it holds. Successful democracies of the world have promoted these values over a long journey. The political journey of European society is a testimony that democracy is nothing if customs and values associated with it are ignored.

           Democracy is all about participation. It is the negation of the old concept of a single man's rule. Modern democracy has multiple avenues of participation of the people in political progress. It functions well when more people are a part of political system. In modern democracies, the responsibility of making more and more people participate in the political system lies with the political parties. The political parties are the architects of a democratic culture which they think is best for the country. They have to retain the confidence of people over democracy. They have to involve and engage people in a political system.

            The system of elections is a great gift of democracy to humanity. Democracy has given a system in which people elect their rulers themselves. This has stopped and closed the doors of bloody revolutions that have now become a tale of the past. It opened the door for a peaceful selection of rulers by people. Democracy is about maintaining the spirit and projecting that it is the right of people and only people to choose their representatives. No institution, group or individual can play any role in electing the representatives of the people; rather it is the decision of a common man. Democracy can really shape itself into a culture if elections are treated and held as an exhibition of that culture rather than a process.

               
           Modern democracy after an evolution process has given rise to a number of institutions. Parliament is the most supreme and respectable institution. Furthermore, the judiciary, media, and political parties are the institutions that emerged as a product of a democratic system. Democracy is about building these institutions to work and deliver well. If any of these institutions does not work or works improperly, the larger goal of attainment of a democratic culture can hardly be achieved. These institutions have certain responsibilities to increase their capacity and society holds a part of responsibility to make these institutions work better.

              If summarized, democracy has three organs or pillars. These are the legislature, executive and judiciary. Sometimes media is also included. The constitution is the defining document for these pillars and organs of democracy are about respecting the constitution by all the three organs. It does not happen in a day; rather it involves many years of intellectual, political and democratic journey. In a functioning democracy, there exists a culture of respect of constitution as a supreme lawful document and institutions function always in the ambit of the constitution.

               Although, democracy has certain practices and implications associated with it, and the real job of society is to translate these processes into a culture. The democratic culture is based on awareness in people. It is not the product of any process but long-drawn efforts which inculcate in people the level of awareness which a democratic culture demands. People are aware of their rights and duties and worth in a functioning democracy. It is the job of intellectuals and institutions to raise the level of awareness among masses. This can be done by educating them and giving them a sense of ownership. This awareness is really achieved when it is made part of the culture. No process can create such awareness other than a stable and working democratic system.

              Democracy demands patience, both at an individual and national level. During the process of an election, people choose their rulers for four or five years. Democracy is about the wider concept of citizenship. The democratic system of government demands a host of responsibilities to be fulfilled by people. Society and individuals must have a sense of citizenship in order to create a culture of democracy. Citizenship demands a sense of being an educated and responsible citizen. It demands an eagerness in people to fulfill their duties, it demands awareness in society about democratic principles and ideas. It demands patience about the results to be materialized. The sense of citizenship is the all-important ingredient of a democratic culture.

                A democracy works and delivers well when the individual benefit is prioritized over collective benefit. A democratic culture is a product of awareness in people about a sense of sacrifice for personal benefits only, this is a behavior against democratic norms. the real worth of an individual is his willingness to surrender his benefit for common or greater good. This willingness should be reflected at individual as well as on social level. Countries prosper when people are sensitive about the common good and are willing to contribute to it.

               All the ingredients of democracy can best be achieved by educating the society as a whole. It is also a part of culture rather than a process. Societies can react to democratic norms only when they hold proper awareness about them. The societies whose individual level of education and resulting awareness is high are better accustomed to democratic values. For establishing a culture of democracy the intellectuals, scholars, Media, and parliament can greatly contribute. They, if work in harmony can lift the level of awareness and education quickly. The education process should address the masses rather than a few or some groups of society.

            In a democracy, the difference of opinion exists as a basic ingredient. For translating the concept of culture into reality, societies work to draw channels of constructive criticism. Policies of government can differ with that of opposition. Even the institutions can differ on certain ideas. Criticism provides a channel for new ideas and releases frustration of the masses. But criticism, when exercised as a right should be coupled with a set of etiquettes. The awareness in people about their right to criticism and its limitations is truly a part of a democratic culture.

            Parliament holds supreme powers and also supreme responsibilities in institutions of a democratic society. Parliament is the product of a long journey of humanity against despotic rules. It is the true representative of the will of the people. Although parliaments are elected all over the world through elections, in reality, parliament functions well when it works in the background of culture. It is from parliament that all institutions derive power. For translating the idea of a democratic culture, parliament must work for increasing prestige among institutions and should serve as a source of intellectual and political enlightenment of society.

            A democratic system is incomplete without an independent and active judiciary. It is the judiciary which inculcates in its people the spirit of the respect of law and sovereignty of law. In a democratic society, the judiciary acts as a protector of people's interests. It checks the functioning of the government. It promotes the values that are the essence of a democratic society.

            Freedom of expression is not only a right in democracies, but it is also a value system. The right of every individual to express his opinions freely is an idea that holds central importance in a culture of democracy. This freedom of expression when coupled with lawful constraints can truly promote new ideas and concepts in a democracy. Like all other ingredients of a democratic culture, the freedom of expression can also be best practiced when it is made a part of the value system of society. It gives the distinction to democracy over oligarchy or dictatorship.

             Engagement of people and government is the basic ingredient of this form of government. This idea can also be translated well when it is treated as a part of the larger culture. The job of the government is to provide more and more opportunities to people and to bring them more and more into statecraft. This idea of engaging people can be achieved through certain processes such as local governments and decentralizing the government.

             People have many expectations from the government they elect. Good governance is one of the prime expectations of people and the duty of government. A culture of good governance is the basis of good relations between people and the state. When governments fulfill their responsibilities, they can demand a larger sense of awareness and accountability in people. The role of good governance in promoting the idea of democratic culture is crucial.

            A democratic system is based on ideas that find their roots in a culture rather than a process. Elections, parliament, government, judiciary, public institutions are all components of democracy but they can function in a truly democratic way only when they adopt the ideas as a culture. The society can see the fruits of democracy only when it strives to promote it as a culture. It should be a part of national narrative by constant efforts. Democracy becomes an integral part of the national culture and narrative where it has a strong and long-standing practice. Mere practice without spirit can never contribute to a truly democratic society. It is by inculcating the wider concept of democracy as a culture into masses that a democratic, peaceful and pluralistic society and country can emerge.