Sir,

The greatest Jew of modern times and one of the greatest philosophers "Spinoza" has pointed out defect of democracy in his words "The defect of democracy in its tendency to put mediocrity into power, and there is no way of avoiding this except by limiting office to move of "Trained Skill" Numbers by themselves cannot produce wisdom and may give the best favours of office to the greatest flatterers. The fickle disposition of the multitude almost reduces those who have experience of it to despair, for it is governed solely by emotions and not by reason. Thus democratic government becomes a procession of brief lived demagogues and men of worth are loath to enter lists where they must be judged and rated by their inferiors. Democracies change into aristocracies and these at length into monarchies. People at last prefere tyranny to chaos. Equality of power is an unstable condition. Men are by nature unequal and he who seeks equality between unequal seeks an absurdity. Democracy has still to solve the problem of enlisting the best energies on men while giving to all alike the choice of those, among the trained and fit by whom they wish to be ruled."

Articles 84(C) and 173(C) of Constitution of India has specifically provided that Parliament and State Legislature members should possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed in that behalf by or under any law made by the parliament.

For the last fifty years our politicians intentionally did not enact a law laying down additional qualification for becoming Member of Parliament or State Legislature and have not acted upon warnings given by the Philosopher Spinoza.

VASANT J. DESAI
AHMEDABAD.

DATE : 25/03/2003
NOT PUBLISHED.