ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN INDIA
Democracy has three aspects-social, economic and political. Political aspects refer to a system in which every adult has some share. It is a government in which the will of the majority prevails. The real image of democracy is not perfectly clear even today.
Karl Marx claimed himself be a true democrat. Hitler and Mussolini called their regimes real democracies. Hence many politicians today observe that democracy thus came to mean so many different things that it needs careful analysis. It is a word with many meanings and some emotional colour.
A true democracy stand for a social order in which every person is assured of justice – social, economic and political, liberty of thought expression believe faith, worship, equality of status and opportunity.
The most important aspect of a democracy is economic. Means of production and distribution are so arranged that the differences between the rich and poor are kept to the minimum. The success of democracy depends on manufactures, mainly a multiparty system in which political parties pledged to one or another set of ideology for which they work.
Party system is the only system which makes democratic govt, feasible. Parties have alignment in keeping with the interest of a country.
In enlightened countries of the west, people support the party according to this group interest. For example, businessmen support the socio economic system standing for encouragement to the private sector. Workers may support socialist or communist parties which look after interest better and get a better deal for them in terms of wages.
In India we have a large number of political parties. Many of these parties do not have any coherent programme or policy to fall back upon. Their purpose is simply to aspire to come power by hook and crook. However there are few parties which have a definite socio-economic programme to work for. They have chalked out a definite framework of action to pursue the programme and policies for which they stand.
The role of opposition in a democracy is very important. They must build public opinion in their favour by suggesting alternative programme and policies.
The electoral process which is favourable for the richer candidates. Money plays a great role in election. It is essential that the role of money power should be entirely estimated from the electoral process. The candidates should be put up by the political parties who have a definite programme and policy to offer to the people and who can show a progressive path by action and not just by propaganda.
The constitution needs to be amended to ban political parties which have a prefix or suffix or religious name attach to them. Another danger to Indian democracy lies in the growth of regional parties in some states. It is not in the interest of national unity and integrity to encourage regional parties even at the local govt level. These parties can mislead the common people on the pretext of special regional interests. In a secular state, regions should not develop political force but confuse themselves to autonomy in order to protect their language, economic interests and regional identity. To extend the frontiers of political action beyond these spheres injurious to national unity and integrity.