Skip to main content

Will the democratic capital of India be only for the betterment of the political leaders?

By Harasankar Adhikari 

We know that every nation/country throughout the globe significantly depends on its capital as a marker of its progress and development. These capitals are of various types—social, economic, cultural, etc. The progress and development of a country are obviously determined by these capitals. And there is co- relation and integration among these capitals. Economic capital consists of the resources and assets acquired through financial gains (money or land). 
Cultural capital is the sum of ‘information resources and assets that are socially valued, such as knowledge of art, literature, and music.' Therefore, human capital is a combination of economic and cultural capital, including educational qualifications, training, and work experience. Social capital consists of ‘resources, actual or potential, that accrue to a person or group from access to a network of relationships or membership in a group—who you know as distinct from what you know.' 
It could be utilized for money-making, the holding of power and authority, influence, or for social mobility. But political capital is a special form of social capital that refers to a person’s political networks, assets, and resources. Societies can accord different weights to the various types of capital.’
Therefore, in a democracy like India, there may be a capital that should be considered democratic capital. But what is this capital? How does it determine Indian democracy? It may be full of confusion and debate. But it has immense significance and importance in Indian democracy, which is fully determined by the party-politics.
This democratic capital consists of several factors. Obviously, the voting rights of people/voters are the first and foremost capital because they have the absolute power to elect their very own democratic government. Functionally, their right to vote is limited to the EVM because their elected government acts according to the will of the party and its leaders. The political parties and their leaders are used and abused according to their own interests. 
The second content of this democratic capital is the daily suffering of the majority (poverty, unemployment, price hike and so forth), which is emotionally used in the election campaign for votes. It has become a regular occurrence since the first general election following independence. There is a single strategy to reduce the suffering. Each time, every elected government plays it as a gimmick. The third and most important content is to make people divided in terms of race/religion. This religious division dominates uselessly because of party politics. It is a personal issue for each of the countrymen. The religious beliefs of people have been used as an agenda in each election. 
Then, the party politics of this democracy are playing a card of violence and immorality among people. It has been strategically created because unethical politics has given birth to different interest groups for ultimate political gains in power and authority. People in this country are under great threat and thrust because of improper and inappropriate policies of the government. But party politics are generally looking out for their own interests through their political game or battle.
Therefore, how the interests of the people would be protected and who would be worked for are common questions in democracies. Will this democratic capital be only for the betterment of the political leaders? How long would they be used for their gain?

Comments

TRENDING

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das  The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman*  The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra   There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra   A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta   We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor*  Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Bangladesh alternative more vital for NE India than Kaladan project in Myanmar

By Mehjabin Bhanu*  There has been a recent surge in the number of Chin refugees entering Mizoram from the adjacent nation as a result of airstrikes by the Myanmar Army on ethnic insurgents and intense fighting along the border between India and Myanmar. Uncertainty has surrounded India's Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which uses Sittwe port in Myanmar, due to the recent outbreak of hostilities along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Construction on the road portion of the Kaladan project, which runs from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, was resumed thanks to the time of relative calm during the intermittent period. However, recent unrest has increased concerns about missing the revised commissioning goal dates. The project's goal is to link northeastern states with the rest of India via an alternate route, using the Sittwe port in Myanmar. In addition to this route, India can also connect the region with the rest of India through Assam by using the Chittagon...