Question

There are 40 villages in a district where the government has made no provisions of drinking water. These villagers met and discussed many methods of forcing the government to respond to their needs.
Which of these is not a democratic method?
A.Filing a case in court claiming that water is part of the right to life.
B.Boycotting the next elections to give a message to all parties
C.Organising public meetings against government policies
D.Paying money to the government officials to get water.

Answer 1

Hint: Democracy allows its citizens to speak up against whatever they feel regarding the policies of the government with a few restrictions based on the fundamental right to freedom and speech. Due to the absence of drinking water, the basic rights of the villagers are threatened. This can be criticized through non violent and ethical means.

Complete answer:
India is a democratic country. It chooses its leaders based on elections. It is a representative form of government for the people, by the people and of the people.
In case of any criticism for the government, dissent is allowed. Here, in this case, it can be clearly seen that the fundamental right to life of the villagers is violated as even their most basic need of water remains unfulfilled. They can choose to file a case in the court for seeking justice based on these grounds and their fundamental right to redressal.
Elections are largely based on the votes, and without popular support, no party will be able to form a government; running it is out of the question already. Boycotting elections is democratic, and it is a personal choice to vote regardless of the duties of citizens. Organizing public meetings is a democratic method. However, these meetings shouldn’t instigate violence or harm other people's freedom or rights. Ultimately, paying the government officials money as a form of bribing is not only unethical, but also illegal. It is against the idea of democratic principles.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Note: Boycotting the next elections is a democratic method, but it isn’t the best of methods. Even if the message will be given, the right to vote is significant for all citizens who are eligible to vote.