Question

Are the following statements in keeping with democracy as a value? Why? a) Father to daughter: I don’t want to hear your opinion about your marriage. In our family children marry where the parents tell them to. b) Teacher to student: Don’t disturb my concentration by asking me questions in the classroom. c) Employee to the officer: Our working hours must be reduced according to the law.

Answer 1

a)No, it is not in line with democratic values

• People should respect others’ basic rights.
• As a father, he will have a moral obligation and responsibility to marry his daughter as per his wishes.
• However, it is also important to understand that a daughter is no longer a minor, and has every freedom and right to choose the path that she wants to follow in her life. Daughter has every right to choose her husband.
• Democracy means accommodating the opinions of other people.
• Here the father is not willing to accommodate the opinions of his daughter.
• Although the opinion of the father and family can be considered as the majority opinion, in a true democracy, the voice and opinions of the minority do not get stifled, rather they are accommodated and respected.

b) No, the statement of the teacher is not in line with democracy.

• Democracy involves not only fundamental rights but also fundamental duties.
• It is the basic right of the student to ask questions. The teacher has no right to shoot down the curiosity or opinions or doubts of the student. Any student can grow in life only if questions are asked and if they get answers to their questions.
• It is the professional duty of the teacher to answer the questions and resolve the queries of the students.
• If the teacher is indeed getting disrupted in the classroom, it is the obligation of the teacher to have a separate question hour so that all the doubts and questions of students can be resolved.

c) Yes, the statement of the employee is in line with democracy.

• In a democracy, all the citizens have the right to speech and expression.
• In a democracy, people have the right to voice their opinions.
• Rule of law is the foundation of democracy.
• No individual or organisation is above the law of the land. All are treated equally, as per law. Hence if a law exists pertaining to the number of working hours, then it is the duty of the concerned organization to follow the law of the land, and if it is violated, employees have the right to raise the issue in a peaceful manner and resolve the problem.