cross-posted from: https://lemy.lol/post/23035781
People who still look for or look up to a strong leader still have this feudalistic mindset, a by-product of colonialism.
They are unaware that the true rulers in a democracy are the people themselves.
The public is the King in a democracy.
The government is our servant.
We pay their salaries via taxes. We decide whether to keep them or fire them every five years.
So if you want to improve your nation. You need a strong, responsible, educated and progressive voter. The true leaders of the country. The country will only go as far as the voters demand.
So, know your right. Know your power. And if the servant tries to walk all over you and steal your power, it's time to kick them out.
Don't settle for less. Don't waste your vote on communal or racial comeraderie because that's how conmen have conned the commonwealth for thousands of years.
Don't give up your power unconditionally because the guy has the same religion or caste as you because then they can keep looting you unconditionally.
Remember it's your job. You have to end corruption, you have to fix inflation, you have to make sure your women are safe, you have to make sure your everyone in your family and neighbourhood is employed, you have to make sure public schools and hospitals provides the highest quality of service. And the government is the servant you delegated these jobs to.
If that servant fails to make any progress. If they have made it worse. If they have hired corrupt subordinates instead of putting them in jail. If that servant ignores sexual violence based on caste or ethnicity. If that servant fails to provide the jobs they promised. How dare that servant stole all the power from the majority and lied to them that the minorities are stealing their power. It's time to fire that servant before he comes for your freedom.
Indian constitution isn't even ratified by voters. It was written and adopted by a British era legislature. This is the reason Indian system it is top down and has so many British legacy features.
The British legacy is so hard to get rid off that even renaming of metropolitan cities (Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Bamgalore, etc) was done after 50+ years of independence.
And finally, the quoted write up is in British language... which is not the language of desi voters, and will never be. It is the language of British, and the Indian elite who have some standing in this legacy system.
