William Dalrymple: Democracy is India's Great Strength

*We assume that democracy is what every country should have. But what has democracy done for India? Easy. It has stimulated corruption on a massive scale, and if you want to get rich in India the most direct way is to run for parliament and reap the payoffs businesses are obliged to make to the local MP. Caste, that Indian curse, becomes more entrenched as politicians exploit caste allegiances to win votes. Bombay may be booming but it's hardly Shanghai. A country that is striving to be an economic powerhouse is being pulled down by its political system.

So say the pundits but what would they put in democracy's place? Would they prefer India to be ruled by a Mubarak or an Indian version of the Beijing politburo? Democratic politics is always messy and often corrupt but it is the inevitable price of seeking the will of the people, which will always be preferable to the will of the dictator. Is democracy in India something to be cherished or despised?*
http://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/india


William Dalrymple is a Scottish-born historian and award-winning travel writer, whose areas of interest include India, Pakistan, the Middle East, the Muslim world and Eastern Christianity. All of his six books have won major literary prizes.
http://www.williamdalrymple.uk.com/pages/

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