ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the general and comparative significance of Indian democracy. Colonial India's transition to democracy and its subsequent consolidation are not based on the democratic essence of Indian culture. The style of Indian politics–a mode of communication that politicians, legislators, senior administrators and police and army officers, and newsmen share in common–is a constant backdrop for the political system. The Indian Constitution recognized both the individual and the community as building blocks of the political system through the provision of enforceable individual and group rights, and appropriate institutions for their implementation and policing. The Indian constitution accepts and recognizes citizenship by birth, descent and naturalization. Much as one admires the role of Gandhi and Nehru in paving the way for Indian democracy one must see the effectiveness of their leadership in context. The Indian achievement of democracy and development is in sharp contrast to its arrested development or outright failure in the neighbouring countries.
