Do democracies lead to peaceful and harmonious life among citizens

• Outcomes of Democracy (C10)

Do democracies lead to peaceful and harmonious life among citizens? Clarify.

Answer

a. Non-democratic regimes often turn a blind eye to or suppress internal social differences. Ability to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts is thus a definite plus point of democratic regimes.

b. But the example of Sri Lanka exhibits that a democracy must fulfil two conditions in order to achieve this outcome:

• That democracy is not simply rule by majority opinion. The majority always needs to work with the minority so that governments function to represent the general view.
• That rule by majority does not become rule by majority community in terms of religion or race or linguistic group, etc.

Democracy lead to peaceful and harmonious life among citizens:

1. Democracy accommodates various social divisions.

2. Democracy reduces the possibility of tensions becoming explosive and violent.

3. Ability to handle social differences and conflicts among different groups is a plus point of democracy.

4. Democracy develops procedure to conduct healthy competitions among different groups in a society.

5. Democracy respects differences and provides mechanism to resolve them.

6. Democracy always accommodates minority view.