International Day of Democracy

Every year 15th September is observed as the International Day of Democracy .  The word democracy comes from the Greek words "demos", meaning people, and "kratos" meaning power. Thus democracy means rule of the people . In our constitution’s preamble  “We the people” signifies the rule of the people .

Former President of the United States of America Abraham Lincoln  defined democracy as the “ rule of the people ,for the people and by the people.”

Background to the International Day of Democracy

The  United Nations general Assembly passed a resolution in 2007 to observe 15 September as International Day of Democracy.  The first International Day of Democracy was observed on 15th September 2008. 

Theme of the International Day of Democracy 2023

The theme of the International Day of Democracy 2023 is :Empowering the next generation.”

According to the United Nations the theme focuses on the critical role of children and youngsters in ensuring democracy “today and in the future.”The young people play an essential role in advancing democracy and it is important to ensure that their voices are included in the decisions that have a profound impact on their world.

India as a mother of Democracy 

Democracy in India is age old . According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi India is the mother of democracy in the world .The Rigveda and the Atharvaveda, the earliest available sacred texts refer to participatory institutions like the Sabha, Samiti, and Sansad, the last term being still in currency denoting our parliament. 

As per the Indian ethos, democracy comprises the values of freedom, acceptability, equality, and inclusivity in a society and allows its common citizens to lead a quality and dignified life. 

Portal on Bharat: The Mother of Democracy

The Union Ministry of Culture launched ‘Bharat: The Mother of Democracy’ portal on 8 September 2023 on the eve of the 18th G 20 summit in New Delhi. 

• The Portal showcases the 7000 years old history of democracy in India starting from the Sindhu-Saraswati civilisation to 2019.
• The content on the portal  is available in 16 languages including German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, and Russian besides English and Hindi.
• The portal is divided into five sections and 22 sub-sections starting from Sindhu-Saraswati Civilisation (6000-2000 BCE), Mahajanapada and Gantantra (7-8 BCE), Vijaynagar Empire (14-16 century), Mughal emperor Akbar reign (1556-1605) to the Constitution of India (1947) and Elections in Modern India (1952 onwards).