Democracy and development

The much-vaunted claim of the government of being the champion of development, dubbed as 'democracy of development' is the outcome of misconception as to the fuller demands of development and the compatibility of development with democracy.

To deal with these issues we have to pay particular attention to both the content of what can be called development and to the interpretation of democracy. The term 'democracy of development' is a misnomer since the central issues in a broader understanding of democracy are political participation, dialogue and public interaction. And the assessment of development cannot be divorced from the lives that the people live and the freedom they enjoy. Development can hardly be seen merely in terms of a rise in the GNP. Its value depends on what they do to the lives and freedom of the people involved, which is central to the idea of development. It must be recognised that political freedom and democratic rights are among the 'constituent components' of development.

'Democratic freedom can certainly be used to enhance social justice and better and fairer politics.' The process, however, requires activism on the part of politically engaged citizens. A determined and sustained use of political voice bolstered by social voice can bring about desired change in the lives and liberties of the people.

Economic performance, social opportunity, public voice and reasoning are all interrelated and can not be viewed in isolation if development is not defined in narrow sense of mere rise in per capita income. Democracy and development are linked with each other. The idea of sacrificing democracy for development is preposterous and incongruent with the empirical evidence of development with democracy, in western societies, even in India.

Good governance, a prerequisite for sustainable development, can only be ensured in a democratic society. Political stability is a sine qua non for smooth and fast economic growth in an economy and a government which acknowledges the importance of dissenting voice can bring about and maintain stability. Absence or lack of democracy generates tension and breeds discontent in the body politic having pernicious effect on development process.

It is said that all development comes from the human mind. And the human mind can work freely in democratic vibes. Schumpeter's 'innovatory impulse', an idea which won him Nobel Prize in Economics is an important factor for development. Absence of democracy or illiberal democracy does not create an enabling environment for innovation. Rather it stifles innovation and initiative. 'Indeed, the evidence is overwhelming that growth is helped by the supportiveness of a friendly economic climate rather than by the fierceness of a ruthless political system' (The idea of justice: Amartya Sen page 348). A true democratic government acknowledges the incentive role as well as intrinsic and constitutive importance of political freedom. Without democratic norms and practices, it is not possible to achieve unity of understanding and unity of action among the people on important public issues of national interests. Democratic behaviour patterns minimise the chance of conflict among the stockholders and thereby the risks associated with development process.

The importance of human resource development, a key to growth and progress, gets due recognition under democratic governance. But it is not a political priority of the authoritarian rulers who pursue policies which promote coterie interests. And crony capitalism, an anathema to the pursuit of developmental goals, is its inescapable outcome. Because of the broad understanding of the problems and predicaments of the people belonging to the low income bracket, democratic governance is inclined to pay serious attention to distributive justice whereas authoritarian rulers too can perform well in reducing poverty but fail to attain the ultimate goal of building egalitarian society by reducing the yawning gap between the haves and have-nots.

Democracy can promote inclusive growth and interactive political process for making development meaningful to all. It ensures rule of law (meaning equal treatment of all in the eye of law) which is a crying need of the hour in our country for attaining a just society. And hence a truly democratic government recognises the importance of protection of fundamental and human rights. There is extensive evidence that democracy and political and civil rights tend to enhance freedom of other kinds (such as human security) through giving a voice to the deprived and the vulnerable.

Without a perfectly functioning democracy, it is well-nigh impossible to conceive of successful politics and efficient economic performance. Hence emphasis should be put on adopting a democratic approach to development and democratic governance. Policy of strengthening democratic institutions by allowing these to function independently which is one way of establishing good democratic governance is another aspect of development understood in its broad context.

Democracy provides the motivation for not only improving the living standards but also for sustaining it. It also provides the motivation for environmental promotion which is a constituent element of development. Democratic governance can forge unity among people of diverse views at least on important public or political issues in that it is run by consent or discussion whereas authoritarian's rulers flaunt nonchalance towards public views and criticism and they make more mistakes than democratic rulers.

Development is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end. Development should aim at maximum benefit of the maximum number of people. But absence or rationing of freedom, an essential element and feature of democracy, will deprive certain sections of people of the benefits of development. Hence securing benefit and welfare for the citizenry will remain ever elusive.

Md Matiur Rahman is a former secretary, government of Bangladesh.

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