The essence of democracy, as encapsulated in Abraham Lincoln›s (1863) words, «a government of the people, by the people and for the people, remains a guiding principle. When a kid first encounters this definition of democracy, it makes him/her believe that someday, he/she can become prime minister or president. They need to be more thoughtful and understand this subject›s complexity thoroughly. Democracy, recently discussed within intellectual circles, is a labyrinthine subject. Let’s analyse this definition. Who do the three categories of people refer to? From an engineering perspective, we can define these categories as variables X (of the people), Y (by the people), and Z (for the people). According to the definition, X, Y, and Z are equal. However, these are only words. X represents the leaders and politicians, while Y and Z represent the voters and the beneficiaries. The expectations of Y and Z are different from those of X. In this scenario, X uses its authority to calculate the weight of each class and derive a formula. The cunning aspect of X is that it uses its power to take money from taxpayers and then uses it to influence the people through a system of offering freebies in exchange for support. This behaviour of X shares similarities with tyranny, as it involves misusing authority and power in the name of democracy. It turns out that the equation of equality was incorrect. This leads us to delve into the origins of democracy and explore how it initially came into existence. The concept of democracy was first introduced by So lon in 594 BC to abolish debt slavery. Before Solon›s time, power was typically concentrated in the hands of one in dividual or a small group of aristocrats. Leadership positions were often inherited. One of the critical aspects of Solon›s reforms was the reorganisation of the social structure based on economic classes. Solon granted the lowest economic class the right to act as jurors, even though they were denied the right to hold any official office. He also passed a law prohibiting using a person as col lateral, indicating that he believed individuals were more than just bargaining chips, reflecting the first aspect of individual rights. Solon ensured everyone, including himself, was subject to the same laws. He also allowed anyone who wished to seek retribution for those wronged, preventing people from taking advantage of the poorer classes because another citizen with adequate funding could make the case. Mapping Solon’s work with the democratic situation in our country. Even after seventy-seven years of independence, we still face conditions like those Solon faced. He had a sincere interest and intentions to make the country great; he was offered to be a tyrant, which he denied, and he went into exile for ten years so that no one could change the laws and play with them. We see how the political dynasty works in our country; be it any party, all are the same. The rich control the law and suppress the poor with their muscle strength. The people are killed, and political bargains happen behind closed doors. Everything is manipulated, and there needs to be a moral upliftment of the country, which is going at an all-time low. This moral upliftment is not just a suggestion; it›s a necessity for the survival of our democracy. It›s a call to action, a wake-up call for every citizen to strive for a mor ally upright democracy. We call Bharat the mother of Democracy. Hence, it is crucial to know about the father of democracy, Cleis thenes (525 BC). He implemented significant political reforms known as demokratia, which translates to «rule by the people. He structured his system around tribes and trittys, establishing 30 trittyes (equal to district) and ten tribes. Each tribe contributed 50 councillors to the new Council, ensuring that even the most distant deme had a say in city matters. This framework ensured the involvement of all demes in city affairs, addressing the issue of urban population domination in ancient state assemblies. While observing the general elections in the 2024 parliament, it was prevalent that the tickets were distributed to candidates based on religion and caste numbers. Our population is unevenly distributed across the geography. Some areas need to be addressed because they impact the ruling party›s numbers little. Every party tries to convince people of every caste and religion that they are the saviour for them. The main goal is to win by any means necessary. Cleisthenes› reforms, make us realise that our country needs significant reforms. We need fair distribution instead of showcasing blame or hatred towards any religion or caste. Equality should be the foundation of our democracy, ensuring justice and fairness for all. This emphasis on fair distribution and equality in our democracy is a reminder of the importance of justice and fair ness in our political system. We can only Eagerly anticipate the day when we will find a solution to the equality equation. This hope for a solution to the equality equation is a testament to our belief in the potential of democracy to evolve and improve, instilling a sense of optimism in the audience about the future of our political system.
