Given the classical definition of democracy as a way of governing a country by its people, and for its people by an administration of its people, another term self-rule is popularly used in some circumstances. Also, given the features that only four out of five in the land’s total headcount are eligible to take part in the action of self-rule, and further, just about two-thirds of this eligible mass actually take part through exercising their right of franchise to elect the so-called people’s representatives, the intrinsic meaning of both democracy and self-rule loses its built-in message. In effect, the definition of democracy gets fractured to self-rule by some people, for some people and of some people of the country, which definition eminently suits the goings on under successive dispensations.

Law-makers in Urban Local Bodies, such as in Mysuru, represent about 15,000 residents each, while each member of the Legislature in most States across the country represents about two lakh citizens and each member of the country’s Parliament represents about 20 lakh citizens in numerical or quantitative terms. The mechanisms of these elected  law-makers representing the people in qualitative terms to whatever extent beats one’s imagination, given the complex and diverse nature of the land’s people socially, economically, ethnically and so on.

The game of governance, following the steps of the Election Commission setting into motion the process of enabling the eligible voters to elect the people’s representatives virtually witnesses the law-makers and the army of babus as the two sole players of the game in a win-win contest for both leaving the carefree citizenry as the losing party. As if to remind all the three players in the land touted to be engaged on self-rule, the nation’s President, addressing the joint congregation of MLAs and MLCs of the Karnataka State Legislature yesterday in celebration of 60 years of the iconic structure of Vidhana Soudha (humorously portrayed by a wit as nidhaana soudha referring to the red-tape-culture of the army of babus), said that the Legislators are both public servants as well as nation-builders.

The President reportedly made it a point to remind those working in the Vidhana Soudha and also ordinary citizens to diligently carry out everyday tasks of nation-building. The extent to which the law-makers, the babus and the citizens (barring exceptions) are addressing the tasks doesn’t need any elaboration.