Referendum
Is it an inherent right in democracy ?

Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial  Foundation, Chairman:Sunil Shastri,  will be shortly organising a seminar on this issue.  Watch out for the date and place  

In  most democracies, especially those in the third world, there often are serious conflicts between the people and their elected governments.  In democracies such as the Swiss and US, the people can overrule their representatives through referendums.  De Gaulle in France in 1960s and Tony Blair recently in UK introduced major reforms through referendums.  Referendum is however a right of the people to overrule their elected representatives as in Switzerland and USA, not of the elected representatives who often abuse it as happened in Philippines and Pakistan.  Such right of the people to referendum exists in good democracies.  Should it not be in all democracies? 

It is difficult to hold referendums in third world countries such as India in which most citizens are illiterate.  To overcome this problem, People First, a trust dedicated to instituting good governance, has conceptualised a new institution for contemporary democracy, Sovereign Rights Commission with authority to direct referendums except on issues fundamental to democracy or the integrity of the nation.  Superior to the royal priests of bygone days, more like Gandhi, such commissions will function as the non-corruptible conscience keeper of the state based on the values of the society as a whole.   Such commissions will organise public consultations and referendums at the grassroots level.  Based on these, they will identify issues and direct referendum on them along with the next local, state or national election, depending upon the nature of the issue.  If the people vote in its favour, the commissions will authenticate it as a directive of the people binding on the government. 

Such Sovereign Rights Commissions can effectively resolve the conflict between the people and the state nurturing good governance.  In an article titled “Full Democracy” published in The Economist of December 21, 1996, the author, Brian Beedham, prophesised that democracy will enter a new phase in the twenty-first century bordering on direct democracy by increased use of referendums.   The civil society needs to launch a worldwide campaign for instituting such Sovereign Rights Commissions in every nation-state.  The world can then become a confederation of self-reliant egalitarian democracies nurturing societal values and global harmony. q

Reviewing Some Faulty Practices

1. Financial Year: The financial year April to March was introduced by our erstwhile rulers to match with that in Britain suiting the temperate region.  Based on our traditional practices, it should commence from October 2 after disbursing salary of September in the closing year, and facilitating closing accounts on October 2 being a national holiday.  Finance ministers can then make sound budgets based on the status of the monsoon.  An uninterrupted working season will be available from October to June.  Financial irregularities such as heavy purchase of materials and withdrawals of funds in March will be avoided.

2. Academic Year: Our erstwhile colonial rulers introduced the summer vacation to enable them to relocate in summer to hill stations or Britain.  Our academic year should be from, say, Mid December to end September with a two week inter-semester break in summer. Our youth can then partake in active sports and travel to absorb nature and culture during the festive winter months and study indoors under fans (the well-to-do in air-conditioning) during the hostile summer months.  Rural youth can participate in agriculture operations without missing classes.  Hostels vacant during the festive winter months can earn several hundred crore Rupees as tourist accommodation to support education.  Our hill resorts too will not suffer unsustainable load of visitors during summer.

3. Court Practices: Our legal practices are largely based on Anglo–Saxon jurisprudence. Good elements from Indian jurisprudence, especially those that stress on reforms and rehabilitation, may be studied and incorporated.  Foreign investors are complaining about delays in courts due to the colonial practice of summer vacation.  It should be abolished forthwith.

4.  Jail Practices: As in countries such as Australia, city governments may invite entrepreneurs to build private jails for under-trial prisoners with standards laid down by the state, and charge rent from the prisoners based on prescribed norms.    

5.  Technical Education:  Since an All India Council of Technical Education has been set up, national councils for individual disciplines may be replaced by state councils to facilitate modulating education to suit local ecology and needs.  As in ancient India and better contemporary democracies, private universities may also be encouraged to nurture private initiatives and facilitate education in our traditional sciences. A three year course of Habitat Engineer qualified to handle architecture and engineering of small homes, water harvesting structures, etc., and sensitive to cost-effective building systems may also be considered.

6.Size of Bricks:   In India, bricks were traditionally made 2 to 2½ inch thick  in dimention ratio 1 : 2 : 4 that facilitated good baking using less energy and a variety of attractive bonds.   The British introduced 9 x 4½ x 3 inches, CBRI made it worse, 10 x 10 x 20 cms called modular bricks. Based on our traditional wisdom, we may adopt metric bricks in dimensions 6 x 12 x 24 cms for normal use, and 5 x 10 x 20 cms called brick tiles for attractive exposed brick finishes.  Such bricks will consume less energy and facilitate a number of attractive bonds. q

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