Is India a mature democracy

India is perhaps the largest democracy in the world. But what is significant is not being the largest democracy but a mature democracy. Even after 62 years of independence, it cannot be rated as a mature democracy.

The smooth transition of power after every election during all these 62 years cannot be considered as a logical reason to call it a mature democracy.

Looking at the election scenes where even the top leaders of national parties resort to mud slinging and personal attacks or the conduct of parliamentarians in the Parliament where chairs are thrown on each other and unparliamentary body language and rowdyism are not uncommon, one should tend to agree that the Indian democracy is far from a mature democracy.

Use of all kinds of malpractices and filthy language against opponents, corruption and misuse of power, resorting to all kinds of unfair tactics and above all dividing the country on cast lines indirectly or directly are ample proof to call it an immature democracy.

Fleecing of voters, using money and manpower to get votes and a large percentage voters' illiteracy add to my belief that India is not yet a mature democracy. A few years back, a friend who had been to US narrated an incident where he asked a voter 'who he will vote for' and prompt came the reply, ' I will decide after listening to the candidates' debate today'. This is one of the examples of a mature democracy where voters are so aware and concerned about the policies and programs unlike where the personal, partisan, caste, creed and religion and doles by the parties become the deciding factors. The party in power doles out tons of money in the form of waiver of loans. Is it not an indirect method of buying votes?

Added to it is the election system which makes mockery of democracy. Supposing there are 100 eligible voters and if only 20 voters cast their votes and there are 10 candidates, anyone getting the largest number even if it may be 4 votes, gets elected and represents a constituency! How can such a person be a true representative?

Leave aside the voters where a large percentage is illiterate, even most of the candidates are hardly well qualified. Their ability to run a country and a clean image are necessary for a mature democracy.

I would term a mature democracy as the one where majority of the voters cast their votes only on the basis of programs and policies of the parties, where the issues are of national/state importance for parliament/legislature respectively. Leaders' loyalty to the nation, their commitment to the policies and programs as mentioned in their manifestos and their unblemished record are some of the ingredients of a mature democracy.