I can imagine the joy of those who were expecting and hoping for a victory for the Congress in Karnataka. And I know there were many, and I myself was one of them, as I have too many reasons not to give the BJP a second chance, whether it is in Karnataka or elsewhere. I do not think they deserve another chance. The gullible, ignorant people vote for them, and the country remains in a sad situation, having no regard for its beautiful Constitution.  
 
The four pillars of Democracy
 
With the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary, the Media are considered to be the fourth pillar of Democracy. If these four pillars operate with freedom and independence, and only if and when they do operate independently from each other, only then can a country and a people can consider themselves truly a Democracy.
 
We have so many evils being perpetrated in our country, that we cannot keep wondering whether our Democracy is really alive, functioning or defunct. We had a brilliant economist, Mr. Manmohan Singh as our Prime Minister, a man well respected for his knowledge and wisdom, not only in India but even abroad. A quiet, soft-spoken man by nature, who by his silence proved that it is the empty vessels that make the greatest sound, and achieve nothing. Ignorant people made a pun on his name and called him “Maun Mohan Singh”. And now we have his successor Mr. Modi, a gong which sounds even when it should be quiet, and is quiet when it should be sounding and acting. 
 
Legislature
 
Recently we had big trouble in Manipur, and it is still going on. Innocent People are being hunted and killed, and there is no sound from the gong! Is it sleeping, while people are getting killed, life and properties are destroyed mercilessly with no one to intervene and raise the voice. And, while all this is happening, his mouthpiece, Mr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister tells the world that he is not aware of any discrimination and persecution against religious minorities going on in the country! May God save him, and give him better eyes, ears and brains to see, hear and retain. May he not be like the members of our Parliament, who get paid, even though they spend most of their time sleeping in Parliament. They do not understand what is being spoken about and discussed there anyway!! That is our Legislature! 
 
Why can’t we have legislators who are educated in this our 21st century? We have had Ministers of the very important portfolio of Human Resources Development, which included Education, whose standard of education is only known to their bureaucrats who, being their secretaries, are the ones who have to spoon-feed their bosses!! Thus we have had Ministers of Education who are not even known to have cleared their Primary Certificates of Education. They often claim to have obtained their graduate and post-graduate degrees, but people are yet to find their class and college-mates!! We can judge them by the pathetic and ignorant statements they make to the Media, while they occupy important ‘kursis’ in the states. They have no idea of what History is, and so they have no qualms of conscience to talk about throwing the baby out with the bath-water. I met one of those whose knowledge of Geography was such that he did not know that Nigeria was a part of Africa!
 
Executive
 
We are still mourning the deaths of the people who lost their lives in the persecution of innocent people in the State of Manipur. And the trouble there keeps re-surfacing, still snuffing out the lives of many people. Thousands of military and paramilitary personnel have been sent there. The Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah visited the place, but the effects of his visit are not yet seen and shown. We hear and read about groups of rowdies going round harassing innocent people, including Catholic nuns who are quietly involved in their social, medical and religious activities. People have been displaced and have fled from their homes, and are forced to live in shelters. Who are these rowdies, and why can’t they be brought under control restoring peace to the people who are hungering, thirsting, crying and dying for it? What is the Executive doing to prove they are worthy of a Democracy? They have been chosen and appointed to spend their lives for the people whose servants they are. Yes, I repeat they are the servants of the people, our servants. But it is not seldom that they end up acting like our bosses, and making us feel like their servants!
 
Judiciary
 
It has been a long time since our wrestlers – women as well as men – are protesting against the heinous crimes committed against them by the man put in charge by the Government to look after their sporting interests. Obviously these interests are not only their individual interests but our national interests. The man chosen to be the defender of these young athletes has been taking advantage of his position, even to sexually harass these girls, one of whom is a minor. What a matter of shame!! These athletes who have brought a name and fame to our country to be treated like this! The whole world is laughing at us, when they see, and read about this sad situation. What a disgrace!
 
Our country had done well to come out with the POCSO Law in India for the protection of children and minors from sexual offences, way back in 2012. Will this law lie dormant, protecting the offender and perpetrator of these crimes instead of protecting the victims? This has been the fate of RTI, which has all but become toothless. Is this giving any credit to our Government? Is the criminal Mr. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh such an important person, a VVIP who is to be kept in charge and protected by the Government?
 
And where is the Judiciary in this matter? After all that I read and learned about this case, and the silent protests of these youngsters, who should have been treated as our national heroines and heroes, I think the Supreme Court should come out  SUO MOTU to put some sense into our rulers. But the Apex Court seems to be silent, hopefully not under any duress from the Executive. Here is why I was saying, right at the beginning, that the Four Pillars of Democracy need to have freedom to function independently and freely. Do they have it, and do they use it? Then, why is the Judiciary silent, when the whole country and the world are shocked at these shameful acts.
 
Media, the fourth Pillar
 
Very recently our Prime Minister made a round of visits to countries like Australia and New Guinea. It was soon after the BJP debacle in Karnataka. I was quite amused to read that the Prime Minister of Australia Mr. Anthony Albenese called him the “Boss”. And the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape welcomed Mr. Modi by bending and touching his feet. I can imagine that our Prime Minister has come back from these countries feeling quite inflated. To be called the “Boss” by the Prime Minister of Australia, and then his feet to be touched by the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea must have given the Prime Minister a lot of joy. But, as I said earlier, I was quite amused because this happened after the Karnataka debacle. I wonder if the Prime Minister of Australia was not aware of the terrible loss of the BJP and of Prime Minister Modi, in the important elections of Karnataka. Or did the Australian Media hide this result from him and from Australia, like some of our Indian Media do, out of pressure from their Bosses? We hear about some of our Media people, anchors quitting because of the duress from above!! That is where the independence of the 4 pillars is needed in a Democracy. 
 
I, for one, feel that this is missing, and our democratic edifice is slowly caving in. The Prime Minister who should act like the Prime Servant of the Nation, and who has labelled himself the “Choukidar” is actually acting like an Emperor. The recent Inauguration of the Parliament building done by him, leaving out the President and the Vice President, points to this attitude. 
 
Power corrupts truly. That is why Jesus was telling his disciples: “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mathew 20: 26-28). 
 
Our leaders need to shun power and boss over the people. They must rather be servants, which in fact they are. We must reach a stage in which we will say that nobody wins until all win. Let us pray for our leaders that they may act with this mentality and attitude. Only then will our Democracy be a true Democracy. Let us pray for our country which is badly in need of prayers.