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Polity – Descriptive question on right to dissent is the most significant right in a democracy.

Discuss ‘Right to dissent is the most significant right in a Democracy.’

Etymologically, the word ‘democracy’ came from the Greek words ‘demos’ which means ‘the people’ and ‘Kratia’ which means ‘to rule’. According to Abraham Lincoln, democracy means “government of the people, by the people and for the people”.Therefore, democracy in simple words is a form of government in which the authority of government in the system is vested in the people so that the policies made are according to the will of the people and serve the interest of the people. The right to dissent simply means liberty to have different opinions or views which is also granted by the Constitution of India.

The first thing that comes to our mind when we talk about democracy is the freedom to have our opinion. This is true for every democracy in the world—from the USA to India. With regard to India, it is the most important right granted by the Constitution. As Justice Gupta had said, “there can be no democracy without dissent”. Every citizen has the right to differ from every other citizen and question even those who are in.

The essence of true democracy is people’s right to participate not only in the process of the election but also in the functioning of the country. This right becomes hollow if a citizen cannot question or criticize the government who should be accountable to its citizens. Suppressing dissent is antithetical to democracy. In a democracy like ours, the rule of the majority is a pivotal part of democracy but majoritarianism is a total contrast to democracy.

In the last few years, there have been many instances where certain sections of people dissented against the government on issues that they felt were not right or needed more introspection. For eg., the protest against CAA-2019, protest by the farmers or Kisan rally in Maharashtra (2019), anti-corruption movement by Anna Hazare (2011), anti-reservation protest of 2006, protest against the imposition of AFSPA in Manipur (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) (since 2000), Nirbhaya movement (2012), anti-Sterlite protest (2018), etc. This kind of protest is an example of people voicing their opinion or dissenting which upheld the spirit of democracy.

It is to be understood that government and country are two different things. Dissent doesn’t mean that one is against the country or for that matter a nation. By dissenting, one tries to put a check on the government’s imposition of rules and ideas upon every citizen.

This is how democracy works and this is what is meant by ‘government by the people’. The government should be accountable to the people and if it falters, people have the right to dissent and question the government. Such activities of the citizens should be encouraged and should not be suppressed for the effective functioning of democracy.