How do illiteracy, poverty and communalism act as hindrances in the formulation of sound public opinion? Explain
Answers
Democracy is defunct without active participation of people as democracy is all about people. the factors like illiteracy, poverty and communalism act as hindrances because if a person is illetrate then they cannot make rational choice i.e they can't choose the representative rationally, the political parties easily influence the decision of poor people by giving them money and the most crucial hindrance is the communalism because everyone things from the perspective of community but not from the country's perspective which is very important
Some of the major obstacles faced in the formation of healthy public opinion are as follows:
1. Illiteracy and Ignorance:
Illiteracy is the biggest obstacle. An illiterate person has a very limited knowledge and he cannot fully understand politics and its allied complex problems. He is also incapable of making independent decisions and follows others blindly in the formation of his opinion. Along with ignorance, the inability and unwillingness to participate in the political process due to ignorance is also a big hindrance in the way of formulation of healthy public opinion.
2. Poverty & Backwardness:
A poor person remains engrossed in his own economic problems and his efforts are directed to their solution. He is tempted by the lust of money and sells off his free will. As such he remains incapable of making or taking any independent decision and genuine public opinion cannot be formulated.
3. Unsound Party System:
The parties formed on wrong basis are also an obstacle in the formation of public opinion. The parties organised on the basis of narrow factors like language, religion, region etc. make wrong propaganda and remain involved in grinding their own axes. These often ignore the demands of national interest for the sake of their selfish interests. In this way they make the thinking of the people parochial.
4. Controlled and Un-free Press:
The partial press presents to the people one sided view point, and keeps the people away from truth. At present some political parties have their own newspapers which project and propagate their respective views.
These newspapers present even the good points of the other parties in a distorted form. These are at times involved in yellow journalism and practice sensationalism for increasing their sales. All this acts as a hindrance in the way of formation of healthy public opinion.
5. Authoritarian Government:
In the countries where there are autocratic governments, there is limited freedom in the expression of free views. In these countries, the people have to suppress their views. They cannot afford to open their mouths freely against that government, and they have to express the same views which their government represents. It does not help in the formation of genuine public opinion. Dictators have never permitted the people of Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) to freely express their views.