By Salil Saroj Democracy in India: Legislative Officer New Delhi Indian Constitution Empowers the Dream of Every Indian e-mail: [email protected] Salil Saroj "The Preamble is the most precious part of the Constitution. It is the soul of the Constitution. It is the key to the Constitution... It is a jewel set in the Constitution... It is a proper yardstick with which one can measure the worth of the Constitution." The Constitution is, to use a Latin expression, our suprema lex. It is more than a collection of articles and clauses. It is an inspirational document, an ideal of the society that we are and even the better society we are striving to be. The Constitution of India encompasses in its fold the ideals and values of our civilizational heritage, as also the beliefs and aspirations that emerged out of our Freedom Struggle. The Constitution embodies the collective wisdom of the Founding Father of our Republic and, in essence, it represents the sovereign will of the people of India. The untiring efforts made by the Drafting Committee of the Constitution along with the distinguished members of the Constituent Assembly, bequeathed us a Constitution which has stood the test of time. They magnificently crafted a unique scheme of governance with a view to not only providing for a democratic form of Government but also for an inclusive society. The very purpose of having such an exhaustive document containing even the minutest details is to infuse certainty and stability into the system. The prime goal envisaged by the Constitution is that of a Welfare State as a prerequisite for dignified human existence and good of all, with accountability as the lifeline. The Constitution of India which provides for periodic elections ensures democratic transfer of political power from one set of representatives to the other. Over the years, democracy has undoubtedly deepened further in India. Seventeen General Elections to the House of the People and more than three[1]hundred elections to the State Legislatures held so far with increased people's participation stand testimony to the successful working of our democracy. Undoubtedly, the Indian electorate has displayed maturity that has won it accolades from around the world. Democracy in India has come of age, and against all odds, we have sustained our parliamentary system. Political stability, over the years, has witnessed the maturing of the Indian electorate and the political system. As the second largest populated country in the world with more than 1.2 billion people, the real challenge is to preserve and protect the numerous identities of the people based on language, religion, region, caste, culture, ethnicity and other factors. The accommodative political system and responsive democratic institutions have fared well in securing unity in diversity and a sense of inclusiveness among the people. In fact, it is our multi-party system that encourages more political participation of the people and is reflective of the diverse and the plural content of the Indian populace. Political institutions and structures not only reflect the society, they also influence and change it. In this context, Parliament of India plays a direct and conditioning role in bringing about social change and affecting socio-economic transformation. Being the people’s supreme representative institution, Parliament is the lifeline of all governmental activities. Parliamentary activity as a whole – legislating, controlling the finances and overseeing the executive branch – covers the entire spectrum of development. A TO Z INDIA ● MARCH 2023 ● PAGE 16