Electoral reforms cannot... ensure democracy: Nayyar

New Delhi, Jun 6 (UNI) Electoral reforms cannot be the revolution for establishing and ensuring actual democracy in the country, eminent journalist Kuldip Nayyar said today.

Addressing a National Seminar on the subject of " Challenges on democracy and electoral reforms", Mr Nayyar said a mass movement is necessary to foster the values of Democracy and Nationalism in and around the country, so that the citizen, the basic unit of democracy, could be awakened to rise to the occasion in rejecting casteist, communalist and opportunist elements in the election.

The seminar was organised by Loknayak Jayaprakash International Studies Centre on the eve of total Revolution day was also attended by former Chief Election Commissioner G V G Krishnamurti who said, "Democracy in India is immortal." In 1975, when Indira Gandhi was found guilty of violating electoral laws by the Allahabad High Court, JP called for Indira to resign, and advocated a program of social transformation which he termed Sampoorna kraanthi (Total Revolution).

M P and chairperson of the Centre Braj Kishore Tripathi said real and actual Democracy can be established by ensuring total participation of the people in the election process. Another M P Vashishth Narayan Singh said there has been national need to discuss about the role and existing culture of the indian Bureaucracy.

Other eminent personalities, Gandhian Scholar and Journalist Dr Ajit Bhattacharya, erstwhile leaders of J P movement Dr Vijay Kumar Sinha and Akhtar Hussain also gave their views on the occasion amongst others.

The Seminar at Rajendra Bhawan started after garlanding the portrait of Jayaprakash Narayan.

UNI