September 15 is
observed as International Day of Democracy by the United Nations General
Assembly. The purpose of marking a day for democracy is to review the state of
democracies in the world and to strengthen the democratic spirit. The first International
Day of Democracy was celebrated in 2009. Since then, every year politicians and
citizens of democracies renew their pledge to pursue governance of the people,
by the people and for the people.

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On Wednesday, Indian
politicians took to Twitter to discuss the fate of Indian
democracy and reflect on where its headed. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister
Vasundhara Raje wrote, “On this day, let’s pledge to uphold democratic values
and promote harmony.”

Member of
Parliament (MP) from the BJP, Vinay Tendulkar, wrote, “Democracy is not only
about casting vote to your favourite leader. It is about inclusion, it is about
participating in a collective process which shapes our country’s future. As
part of world’s largest democracy. Let’s be an example for the world(sic).”

Bhupendra Yadav,
India’s minister for environment forest and climate change tweeted: “On
International Day of Democracy, let us remind ourselves of what PM Shri
Narendra Modi has said: We are not just the world’s largest democracy but the
nation where democracy took roots. In India, democracy has been a value, a way
of living and the soul of the nation’s life.”

MP Diya Kumari
called upon citizens to reiterate their commitment to democratic values and
nurture the spirit of democracy to improve the quality of life of all citizens.

The International
Day of Democracy observance by the United Nations affords a unique opportunity
to reflect on the challenges plaguing democracies across the world. The theme
for International Day of Democracy 2021 is: Strengthening democratic resilience
in the face of future crises. This year’s thing takes the conversation ahead
from 2020’s International Day of Democracy theme of “COVID-19: A Spotlight on
Democracy”.