The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that while the public participation in the electoral exercise has noticeably improved, public dissatisfaction from the functioning of elected bodies is breeding cynicism with the democratic process itself. The imperative for a corrective is evident to reinforce public confidence in the ability of the system to deliver, as intended, he added. He was delivering a Lecture on 'Indian Democracy: Achievements and Challenges' at the Corvinus University, Budapest, Hungary, today. The Rector, Mr. Andras Lanczi, the faculty members and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The Vice President recalled the events of October 1956 and the role that an Indian diplomat, Shri Mohammad Ataur Rahman played in it. He further said that the Asiatic Society in Kolkata was proud to have the association of the Hungarian Scholar, Mr. Alexander Cosma de Koros and it has published many of his research works.
The Vice President said that the quest for improvements will continue with the growth of public awareness of the electoral process. He further said that an observer of the Indian scene has noted that ‘the ethos of democracy expresses itself in the freedom of expression, respect for human rights, good governance, pluralism and mutual understanding’ adding that ‘a participatory democracy today is only possible through the active participation of citizen’s initiatives.’ Evidence of this, in the case of India, is to be found in new social movements that mobilize large masses and in the process create space for political action that have a transformative capacity, he added.
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