Democratic Politics

Reason Out Why ?
(i) Why is it necessary for people to discuss politics without fear ?
As a result of the presence of secret police in public places, the people could not discuss politics without fear. Without freedom of speech people could not possibly discuss anything and form their opinion about anything.
(ii) Elections were held in Salazar’s Portugal. Why should it not be called a democracy ?
Elections, without the freedom of speech, was a mere farce. It was like a body without the soul. How could a dead body be expected to work, act or react.
(iii) Why do countries and cities change their names given by their colonial rulers ? Can you think of examples of similar change of name from India ?
Countries change their name, after independence, because no one wants to like the names given to them by their colonial rulers, who ruled them arbitrarily and unjustly.
In India, Madras has been changed to Chennai, Calcutta to Kolkata and Bombay to Mumbai. Likewise, the province of Madras has been changed to Tamil Nadu, Bombay to Maharastra etc.
(iv) Can you think of reasons why people like to have change in their undemocratic government ?
Freedoms denied to the people when a Democracy is overthrown by the Military. In 1973, a military rule or a non-democratic government was established in Chile, while in Poland, there was a non-democratic government before 1989. In both these countries, the people were denied the following freedoms when they did not have democracies :
1. The people had no ‘Right to Freedom of Speech’ as was the case with the women of Calama in Chile.
2. The people had no ‘Right to form Associations or Trade Unions’ as was the case with the workers (crane operators and electricians) in Poland.
3. The people had no ‘Right to have Free Elections’ as was the case in Poland before the dawn of democracy there.
4. It was because of the above reasons (i.e., no freedom of speech, no freedom of forming their own Trade Unions, no right to have free elections), the people liked to have a change in their dictatorial government.
(v) Why was an independent trade union so important for Poland ?
Because only it could save the interest of the workers.