Consider the following facts about a country and decide if you would call it a democracy. Give reasons to support your decision.
(a) All the citizens of the country have the right to vote Elections are held regularly.
(b) The country took a loan from international agencies. One of the conditions for the given loan was that the government would reduce its expenses on education and health.
(c) People speak more than seven languages but education is available only in one language, the language spoken by 52 percent people of the country.
(d) Several organisations have given a call for peaceful demonstrations and nationwide strikes in the country to oppose these policies. The government has arrested these leaders.
(e) The government owns the radio and television in the country. All the newspapers have to get permission from the government to publish any news about the government’s policies and protests.
(a) Two important features of democracy are regular elections and universal adult franchise.
(b) Undemocratic: because it is undemocratic action to reduce expenses at the cost of the people.
(c) The national language can be a single language because such a concept will bring about national integrity but other languages also should be encouraged to cultivate in their respective regions.
(d) Democracy provides people the right to strike or the right to free speech and demonstrations.
(e) A very important part of democracy is the freedom of the press. Therefore, the total control of media shows that there is no freedom of speech and expression and the right to speak against the government.
Thus, though the country is democratic in some manners, it is also undemocratic in some ways.