Q3 Answer the following questions n your notebook:
a. China’s famine of 1958-61 was a result of government policies. Explain.
b. Compare the government of China and India.
c. “The fate of the country depends not just on what the rulers do, but mainly on what we,
as citizen do.” Justify the statement.
d. Why is Pakistan under Parvez Musharraf not called a democracy?
e. List the arguments against democracy.
f. What is representative democracy? Why do we need it?
g. Democracy is better form of government because it allows us to correct its own
mistakes. Justify the statement.
class9 civics
Answers
Answer:
a)China's famine of 1958-1961 was the worst recorded famine in the world history. Nearly three crore people died in this famine. The government in China did not respond to the problem of food scarcity the way it should have because of a not so good government policy. If China had multi-party elections, an opposition party and a press free to criticize the government, then so many people may not have died in the famine.
b)India has a Democratic form of government whereas China is a communist state.
c)the fate of a country depends not just what the rulers do but mainly what citizens do. This is particularly true in a democracy. For in a democracy, it is citizens who elect the rulers. Hence, the actions of rulers reflect the wishes of citizens
d)Pakistan under General Musharraf is not called a democracy because the rulers were not elected by the people.
People might have elected their representatives to the national and provincial assemblies but these elected representatives were not really the rulers. They could not take the final decisions.
The power to take final decisions rested with army officials and with General Musharraf, and none of them were elected by the people.
e)We can give the following arguments against democracy:
(i) Leaders keep changing in a democracy which leads to instability.
(ii) Democracy is all about political competition and power play. There is no scope for morality.
(iii) Delays are often made because many people have to be consulted in a democracy.
(iv) Elected leaders do not know the best interest of the people. It leads to bad decisions.
(v) Democracy leads to corruption for it is based on electoral competition.
f)Representative democracy is necessary because the framing of laws and rules which are to be followed by an entire country is a tedious process. It demands the knowledge of well-educated as well as experienced faculties. If a common man is made to involve in such a process, it may create a problem.
g)Democracy is considered the best form of government for these reasons.
(i) It is a more accountable form of government as it has to respond to the needs of the people.
(ii) Democracy improves the quality of decision- making as it is based on consultation and discussion.
(iii) Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts as differences are bound to occur.
iv) Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens as it is based the principle of political equality.
v) It allows us to correct its own mistakes in which rulers have to change their decisions or the rulers have to be changed