Political parties, Outcomes of democracy and Challenges faced by Democracy

R.Ayyappan

Std :10                    Democratic Politics Study material

6.Political Parties

1.What is a political party?

Ø A group of people who came together to contest elections.

Ø They agree on some policies and programs

Ø Ex: All India National Congress

2.Functions of the political party?

Ø Contesting elections and choosing candidates for the elections.

Ø Framing the policies and programs from the vast multitude of opinions on various issues.

Ø Making laws and amending the law for a country after a good debate with not only opposition party but also with their own party members.

Ø Running the government and train the leaders to run the government.

Ø If unable to win the majority in the assemble, need to play a role of opposition - voicing different view and be a good critic of the government.

Ø Creating good public opinion.

Ø Connecting the people with government ‘s well fare programmes.

3.Why do we need political parties?

Ø Without political parties, in an election all the candidates will be an independent candidates.

Ø No one can form a government in the assemble because independents find difficult to show majority in the assemble.

Ø Even though they form government it won’t be stable.

Ø No one will be able to make promises for the entire country.

4.How many parties we need for a good democracy?

Ø One Party System: Any democratic system we need more than one, at least two parties. China has one party system and lack of democratic values.

Ø Two Party System:U.S.A, U.K both has two party system. Both parties have a serious chances of winning the majority.

Ø Multi party system:India has multi party system. When country like India has multi cultural and ethnic and linguistic people, by the time emergence of more number of political  are unavoidable. Local difference will be expressed in the politics.

Ø Democracy is possible with any number but at least two.

5. classification of political parties (or) How political parties gets its recognition from the election commission?

Regional Party / State Party

Ø The political party exist in one state or part of the country.

Ø The party gives importance to the issues of the particular state.

Ø A party has to get 6% votes and 2 seats in the assembly election of the state to get the recognition from the election commission as the regional party.

Ø The party which got recognition they can contest in common symbol in all over the state.Ex:DMK

National parties

Ø The political parties exist entire nation.

Ø The parties has national goals

Ø A party needs to get 6% votes in a loksabha elections (or) assembly election of any four states and to secure 4 seats in  loksabha to get recognition status from the election commission as a National party.

Ø Ex:All India National Congress

6. What are the challenges faced by the political parties?

Ø Lack of internal democracy: one or few leaders at the top controls the entire party. Political parties do not maintain proper membership register. Dynastic Succession: Family members of the party leader get the most important post in the party.

Ø Money and muscle power: Rich and members with criminal background  easily come up  in the party. They get seats. Ordinary members remain as an ordinary member for long.

Ø Showing difference: Political parties finds very difficult to differentiate their parties from other parties. They unable to put forth different policies and programs to the people.

7.How can political parties be reformed?

Present laws:

Ø Anti Defection Law: According to this act any MLA,MP moving from one party to another he/she will lose their post.

Ø Affidavit: According to the order issued by the Supreme Court of India, a candidate contesting in an election has to file the affidavit giving the details of property, criminal cases and the personal information to the election commission.

Ø Election commission has passed an order that political parties should hold their organizational elections and file tax returns.

Suggestion:

Ø An officer can be appointed in political parties to regulate the internal affairs.

Ø 1/3 seats to be given to the women’s and women should be present the important positions of the party.

Ø To control the flow of money government can fund the election expanses of the political parties.

7.Outcomes of Democracy

1.Why democracy is better than other forms of government?

Ø Promotes equality among the citizens

Ø Enhances  the dignity of the individual

Ø Improves the quality of decision making

Ø Provides a method to restore conflicts

Ø Allows room to correct mistakes

2.When people blame democracy?

Ø If some of our expectations are not met, we start blaming the idea of democracy.

Ø Democracy is just form of government. It can only create conditions for achieving something, the citizens have to take advantage of those conditions and achieve the goal.

3.Efficiency (or) Decision making

Ø Non democratic rulers do have to not bother about the consultation, people opinion and also majority in assembly where as in democratic system each decision will be taken only after the consultation and judicial reviews.

Ø  Non democratic governments takes quick decision but democratic countries taking good decision. So people in the democratic system accept the decision majorly.

4.Transparency (or) Accountable

Ø Democratic governments are accountable to the people but we cannot expect this from non democratic systems.

Ø Democratic system believes that people have the right to know what is happening inside the government or in other words people have the rights to know how decision taking process takes place in the government. Ex: Right to information Act 

5.Elections

Ø In non democratic countries holding regular election nearly impossible even though elections conducted the fairness will not be there.

Ø Ex: Military rule of Myanmer denied the victory of Aung Sun Su Ki in the elections.

Ø  Whereas if you take country like India we do not have any problem in conducting the regular election but political parties and people try to violate the code of conduct in the elections.

6.Debate

Ø Public expression of dissatisfaction is not possible in the nondemocratic countries. Debates never encourages in that system, authoritative rulers try to implement their decisions, where as in democratic system the public issues will be debated in the media and all social platforms, may be all issues are not properly debated in India but the debate is exist in democratic system.

7.Economic growth and Development

Ø Democracy is not a economic policy. Democracy is not guaranty for economic growth. Democratic system stands behind the non democratic system. But democratic governments are not very much behind the non democratic governments.

Ø Little bit of difference exist, it can be acceptable because the people in democratic systems enjoy more privileges then others.

Ø All democratic regimes achieved the growth of 3.95 %

Ø All non - democratic regimes achieved the growth of 4.45%

8.Accomodation of social diversity

Ø The democratic systems are best suited to produce this outcome. Non democratic systems try to suppress the minorities.

Ø The democratic systems not only accommodate the social differences but appreciate the social differences.

Ø Democratic systems has the ability to handle the social differences in a better manner than the non democratic governments.

Ø But there two condition to achieve the accommodation in democratic systems (a).The majority need to work with minority. The government should work in a general view and majority and minority views should not be permanent.

Ø (b) The majority rule means not a rule of majority community or religion or linguistic group rule, majority rule means  rule majority opinion each and every decision or election there should be possibility for all the group to attain power.  Democracy remains democracy only as long as every citizen has the chance of being in majority at some point of time.

9.Dignity and freedom of the citizens

Ø Democracies stands much superior to any other form of government in promoting the dignity and freedom of the citizens. In democracies every individual has the rights to get respect from the fellow citizens.

Ø There the guaranty through the constitution for the weaker section of the society. The violations will be considered as the crime.

Ø Dignity of women, protect of minority religions and SC/ST people in India are now protected through the constitution.

Ø There  is legal base for them to protect their rights if they think that their rights are denied.

Ø We made many laws to protect the dignity of every citizen. Ex: Eve Teasing Act, Domestic violence Act, SC/ST act etc.,

10.Examination never gets over in democracies

Ø Yes examination never gets over in democracies. The government or a society cannot be satisfied with democratic approach one issue. Each and every issue and each and every step the government need to  prove that they are democratic in policies.  If the government passes in one issue democratically other issues are waiting the queue to be resolved democratically. Democracy should become habit in the system.

11. The fact that people are complaining is itself a testimony to the success of democracy (or) A public expression of dissatisfaction with democracy shows the success of the democratic project.

Ø One of the fundamental aims of democracy is allowing the struggle against the injustice and giving the opportunity to the people to raise their voice against the mighty in the society.

Ø When people are in ignorance even though rights are there in democratic system they don’t live as democratic people but when democracy creates the belief that they can bring their desired change, we could able to see people fight for their justice.

Ø So we can conclude where ever we see the struggle of people against the decision of the government we can understand that democracy progressing towards the betterment.

8.Challanges to democracy

1.What are the challenges in front of democracy?

Ø Foundational challenge: The countries which are having the non democratic regimes facing this challenge. This involves keeping down the existing military away from controlling government and establishing a sovereign state.

Ø Challenge of expansion: This involves spreading the  democratic principles each and every region of the country and different social groups. Giving  more powers to the regional governments. Empowerment of women and weaker section of the society. Country like India and U.S facing this challenge.

Ø Challenge of deepening of democracy: This involves the strengthening of the institutions of democracy. Making an attempt to bring down the control and influence of rich and powerful people in making government decisions.

2.What are the aspects we need to keep in mind while thinking towards the political reforms?

Ø Law alone cannot bring the desired change in the political. All the issues in politics cannot be solved through the laws.

Ø No doubt that law is needed, carefully designed law can help to discourage the wrong politics but believing that only making law itself bring all the best in the politics is very foolish.

Ø Some time laws are counterproductive. They can give the undesired results. Ex: the law that banned the persons who has more than two children contesting the punchayet election denied the rights of many people

Ø The good laws are those which empower the people. Ex: RTI

Ø More and more participation of ordinary people can improve the quality of politics.

Ø Political reforms should think not only about what is a good decision but also about who will implement it and how.

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Print Culture and the Modern World

Print Culture and the Modern World  

                                                                                                   R.Ayyappan

                                                                                                                          UNIT I 1.Printing in China Or The first Printed Books

Ø AD 594 onwards books in china were printed by rubbing paper – against the inked surface of woodblocks.

Ø The traditional Chinese “Accordian books” was folded and stitched at the side.

Ø The Chinese government recruited the employees through the civil service examinations.

Ø So the demand for the books increased in the country.

Ø During the 17^th century print was not only used by scholar officials but also been used by merchants and ordinary people.

Ø Fictional stories, Poetry, Autobiographies, anthologies were published.

Ø Rich women began to read and publishing their writings.

Ø Shanghai became the hub of the new print culture.

2.Print in Japan

Ø Buddhist monks of China, introduced the print to Japan around AD768 -770.

Ø The oldest Japanese book, “The Diamond Sutra” with six pages was printed.

Ø Pictures were printed on Textiles, Playing cards and Paper money.

Ø Edo (Tokyo) became the hub of the print.

Ø Painting  depicted an elegant urban culture.

Ø Libraries and bookstores were packed with various types of books on women, Music, calculations, tea ceremony, flower arrangement etc.,

Unit 2

3.Print comes to Europe

Ø In 1295, Marco Polo a great explorer, took the woodblock printing to Italy.

Ø Producing books with woodblock spread from Italy to other parts of Europe.

Ø Cheap editions were published for students.

Ø Luxury editions were still handwritten on very expensive Vellum.

Ø The demand for the books increased in Europe.

Ø More than 50 Scribes often worked for one bookseller.

Ø Woodblock printing became more popular in Europe.

Ø Woodblock were being widely used in Europe to print textiles, playing cards and religious pictures.

Ø There was a great need for even quicker and cheaper reproduction of texts.

4.Demerits of Manuscripts

Ø Handwritten manuscripts could not satisfy the ever increasing demand for book.

Ø Copying was an expensive, laborious and time consuming business.

Ø Manuscripts were fragile, and awkward to handle.

5.Johann Gutenberg and Printing Press

Ø Gutenberg was the son of a merchant and grew up in agriculture estate in German.

Ø He had seen Olive Press from the childhood and he was a master of gold smith.

Ø He created mould of alphabets and olive press provided the model for the printing press.

Ø By 1448 Gutenberg perfected the system.

Ø The first book published was the BIBLE. 180 copies were printed and it took three years to produce them.

Ø By the standards of the time this was fast production.

Ø The printed books were closely resembled the written manuscripts. Borders were illuminated with foliage and other patterns.

Ø Printers from Germany travelled to other country seeking work and helping start new press.

Ø By 15^th century 20 million books flooded in the markets of Europe. By 16^th century it was 200 million copies.

Unit 3

5.New Reading public

Ø Printing reduced the cost of books.

Ø The time and labour required to produce the book came down, and multiple copies could be produced with greater ease.

Ø Access to books created a new culture of reading.

Ø Earlier, reading restricted to the elite. Common people lived in a world of oral culture.

Ø People heard sacred text read out, Ballads recited.

Ø New books reach out wider sections of people.

Ø Hearing public became a reading public.

6.Religious Debates and the Fear of Print. (or) “Not Everyone welcomed the Printed books.”

Ø Religious authorities and Monarchs were feared of printed books.

Ø They feared that if there is no control over what was printed and read, than rebellious and irreligious thoughts might spread.

Ø If that happened the authority of “Valuable literature” would be destroyed.

Ø In 1517 the religious Reformer Martin Luther King wrote 95 Theses criticizing the practices and rituals of Roman Catholic Church.

Ø A printed copy was posted in the church doors of Wittenberg.

Ø Martin Luther writings were reproduced and spread very fast.

Ø The New Testament sold 5000 copies in three months.

Ø Finally it leads to new division of Protestant.

Ø Luther said “Printing was the ultimate gift of god and greatest one.”

7.Print and Dissent

Ø Menocchio a miller in Italy, reinterpreted the Bible and formulated a view of God and creation.

Ø It enraged the Roman Catholic Church.

Ø When Roman Catholic Church began its inquisition to repress heretical ideas, Menocchio was executed.

Ø Roman Catholic Church, imposed severe controls over publishers and booksellers.

Ø Church began to maintain Index of Prohibited Books from 1558.

Unit 4

8.The Reading Mania

Ø During 17^th and 18^th century, Churches set up schools in villages.

Ø Literacy rates were as high as 60 to 80 percent in Europe.

Ø Due to increase in schools there was increased demand of books in Europe.

Ø Booksellers employed PEDLARS who roamed around the village carrying the little books for sale.

Ø In England Penny Chap books were sold for one penny, so even poor could able to purchase the book.

Ø In France Biliotheque Bleue, were low priced books printed in poor quality paper, in four to six pages.

Ø Periodic press developed from early 18^th century in Europe, published current affairs with entertainment.

Ø Scientist like Isaac Newton began to publish discoveries, influence scientifically minded readers.

Ø The writings of Thomas Paine, Voltaire and Jean Jacques Rousseau were also widely printed and read.

9. “Tremble therefore, tyrants of the world”

Ø There was a common conviction that books were a means of spreading progress and enlightenment.

Ø Many believed that books could change the world.

Ø Books could liberate the society from despotism and tyranny.

Ø Louise-Sebastian Mercier a novelist said “The Printing Press is a most powerful engine of progress and public opinion is the force that will sweep despotism away.”

Ø In many of Mercier’s novel, the heroes are transformed by act of reading.

Ø Mercier proclaimed “Tremble therefore, tyrants of the world! Tremble before the virtual writer.”

10.Print Culture and the French Revolution

Many historians have argued that print culture created the conditions in for a revolution.

Three types of arguments

Ø First: Print popularized the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers.

Ø There writings provided critical commentary on tradition, superstition and despotism.

Ø They demanded that everything be judged through the reason and rationality.

Ø They attacked the sacred authority of church and monarch.

Ø Those who read the writings of Voltaire and Rousseau they saw the world through the rational and critical.

Ø Second:Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate.

Ø All values and institutions were re-evaluated and discussed by the public.

Ø Third: The literature of 1780 mocked the royalty and criticized their morality.

Ø Cartoons and caricatures suggested that monarchy involved in sensual pleasures, while common people suffered immense hardship.

Unit 5 The 19^th Century- New Readers like Children, Women and Workers.

11.Press for Children

Ø A  children press devoted to literature for children alone was set up in France in 1857.

Ø They published old fairy tales and folk tales.

Ø The Grimm Brothers in German gathered folk tales from peasants and published their collection I 1812.

12.Print and women

Ø Women became readers as well as writers.

Ø They wrote about proper behavior of women and women as a powerful personality.

Ø Jane Austen, Bronte sisters, George Eliot were the famous novelist.

13.Print and workers

Ø Lending libraries in England helped the middle class people and workers.

Ø After the working day was shortened the workers find time to read.

Ø Some of them turned into writers and they wrote autobiographies.  

14.Innovation in Printing press

Ø By 19^th century Richard M.Hoe of New York had perfected the power driven cylindrical press.

Ø This was capable of printing 8000 sheets per hour.

Ø This press was particularly useful for printing news papers.

Ø In the late 19^th century the offset press was developed which could print up to six colours at a time.

Ø In the 1920 in England popular works were sold in cheap series, called Shilling Series. This books were cheap so that people could able to buy books during Great depression in 1930.

Unit 6 India and the world of Print

15.Demerits of Manuscripts.

Ø Manuscripts were expensive and fragile.

Ø Very difficult to handle.

Ø They could not be read easily as the script was written in different styles.

Ø Manuscripts were not used in everyday life.

Ø There was an Oral culture even in pre colonial schools of Bengal.

16.How Print came to India?

Ø Portuguese missionaries brought printing press to Goa.

Ø By 1674 about 50 books had been printed in Konkani and in Kanara Language.

Ø Catholic priests printed first Tamil book in 1579 at Cochin.

Ø In 1713 First Malayalam book was printed.

Ø By 1710 Dutch Protestant missionaries has printed 32 Tamil texts.

17.Why Warren Hastings persecuted Hickey?

Ø In 1780 James Augustus Hickey published the Bengal Gazette, a weekly magazine.

Ø It described as a commercial paper open to all, but influenced by none.

Ø Hickey published lot of advertisement on import, export and even slaves trade.

Ø Hickey also published gossip about the company’s senior officials.

Ø It enraged the Governor – General Warren Hastings, so he persecuted Hickey.

Ø East Indian Company encouraged the publications which supported the company.

Ø Gangadhar Bhattacharya, who was close to Rammohan Roy brought first weekly Bengal Gazette.

 Unit 7

Religious Reform and Public Debates

18.How print culture created debates and discussions in India.

Ø Debates  and Discussions took place over the matters like widow immolation, monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolarity.

Ø Raja Rammohan Roy published his religious reforms in his magazine “SAMPTH KAUMUDI”(1821)

Ø Hindu orthodoxy published “SAMACHAR CHANDRIKA” oppose the opinions of Rammohan Roy.

Ø Persian newspapers like JAM – I – JAHAN NAMA and SHAMSUL AKBHAR were published in 1822.

Ø Gujarati newspaper BOMBAY SAMACHAR was also appeared.

Ø Muslims were feared that colonial rulers would encourage conversions which could spoil the religion.

Ø Ulama’s published the FATWA telling that how Muslims should conduct themselves in thousands of copies.

Ø RAMCHARITHA MANAS of Tulasidas was published from Calcutta in 1810.

Ø Naval Kishore Press at Lucknow and the Shri Venkateshwar Press in Bombay published numerous religious texts in vernacular languages.

Unit 8 and 9 are under preparation.