Whistle Blowers are the guardians of a Democracy

What is Democracy?

Wikipedia says, “Democracy is a form of government in which power is held indirectly by the citizens in a free electoral system.” Taking a 20000 feet view, it is the rule by the people themselves through a few elected representatives. But how would one ensure that the decisions taken by these elected representatives are for the benefit of the masses? Here comes the role of the guardians of a democracy.

 

In the phrase “Whistle blowers are the guardians of a democracy”, whistle blowers may take many roles. The roles may range from political opposition party to media to the judicial system. Let us examine the role of each of these as the guardians of a democracy.

 

The political parties which are not in majority in the parliament of a country are the opposition parties. As the word itself is descriptive, the role of these parties is to oppose the government’s decisions. These parties may be opposing to gain publicity by taking a more popular stand. But this allows a critical review of the bills proposed in the parliament and makes people aware of all the pros and cons of it. Also, the opposition is always on a hunt of facts and figures which may prove the government inefficient. These facts are useful for the public to get an indicative performance of the government. Recently we witnessed the debate on Nuclear deal in the Indian and US parliaments. These intense debates could unfold all the consequences of the deal before going ahead with it. Also, the US involvement in Iraq was debated in their parliaments and had major political consequences. So for all the above roles, the political opposition parties may be seen as the whistle blowers who guard a democracy.

 

The media may also be seen as a whistle blower. With the advent of technology and satellite communication, media has taken more and more responsibility to bring truth to the people. Now people have become more aware of the happening around them. It helps to incite a widespread debate amongst the people on many issues. After the terrorist attack on Mumbai, increased number of discussions through the media resulted in more protests from the people which forced the government to take a strong stand against Pakistan in the global society. Media has also been fruitful in assuring justice to the victims of cases like Jessica Lal murder case, BMW hit and run case, etc.

 

Another whistle blower who guards our democracy is the judicial system. Through provisions like public interest litigations, courts make sure that the constitution is preserved impartially. The police, who are the whistle blowers in a true sense, also contribute to guard the democracy. Maintaining the law and order of the states, both courts and the police make sure people are able to exercise their fundamental rights as per the law.

 

The army may not be a whistle blower, but is definitely the guardian of any democracy. These are the people who guard a democratic nation against any foreign invasion.

 

The United Nations also plays an important role in preserving the democracy of many countries. It makes the governments answerable in the international arena. It preserves the global laws through International court of Justice and ensures rights to be implemented through organisations like the UNICEF, UNESCO, WHO, etc. 

 

A democracy would be “rule by the people” in a true sense only with all the above and many more whistle blowers which will continue to guard it.