Book Review : Presidential Democracy-India s Dire Need for Better Governance by Jashwant B Mehta

In concern to the review of this book, I want to add some lines written by our famous parliamentarian and farmer Lok sabha speaker Mr. Somnath Chaterje in Business Today on 08 Jan 2012. He wrote "What I am worried about is the way our most important three organs are functioning in this country, as well as the media, I must confess. It seems that everybody wants more power than the Constitution has given them. Or people are not interested in discharging the obligations which the constitution has imposed on them. I think judicial overreach is a matter of great concern. I have repeatedly said that matters of policy are for the government, not for the Courts. But today not only matters of policy, we are deciding what punishments should be given, what sort of fine government should impose, even the dresses of school teachers are being decided by the courts. Executive and legislature are also not functioning these days. That is of greatest concern to me. According to my, the greatest problem for our country today is the politics of confrontation.  As a Speaker on several occasions, I had expressed my agony that members are not attending to their duties in the Parliament. Now decisions to disrupt the Parliament are taken even before the house convenes at 11 am. Because parties meet and decide before that today they won't allow parliament to function. And in that situation, parliament does not function. I also ask myself, what is the alternative or substitute for parliamentary democracy in this country?"

I think Jaswant B Mehta is presented with the best possible answer of the Chaterjee's questions by his book Presidential Democracy: India's Dire Need for Better Governance. In this book, Mehta is given an Institutional Cure for Indian Institutional Melody. The exercising seven decades of parliamentary Democracy, we were witnessed of the so many undesirable things like dictatorship under the very popular prime minister, helplessness of very genius prime minister and many more corruptions under a very honest prime minister. In these situations, Mehta's argument for the presidential system by his book is very relevant, current and necessity for our political set up.

Presidential Democracy: India's Dire Need for Better Governance is authored by Mehta, who has no political background, The journey of the High Rise Buildings to Presidential Democracy: India's Dire Need for Better Governance via Presidential System-A Better Alternative? And Quest for a better Democratic Alternative is the journey of the transformation of a man who became more and more stronger with his beliefs. When he defines Democracy as a rule of the Politician, for the politician and by the politician, it is the clear reflection of the common man's belief about democracy as a rule off the people, far the people and buy the people. So it is very necessary to change this scenario. This book is for that.

Presidential Democracy: India's Dire Need for Better Governance not only a title for safe or a Library, It is the most rigorous conclusion of long-time studies and analysis of several liberal democracies like the USA, Germany, Britain, France, Australia, Japan, and others. By this book, the Author proved himself as a great researcher of the Indian Political System. He never hesitates to express his thoughts in this book, He proved that our system is a by-product of the love for the Britain of our constitution-makers. He has also expressed his thoughts of the dissatisfaction with our present political system by the use of the common man language like "we are not fit for democracy, Democracy is not going to solve our problems" Author is fully devoted to his ideology that parliamentary Democracy is not fit for Indian Situations and Presidential form of government can be the best alternative for this largest democracy of the Word.

Mehta is an Engineer and it is showing in the construction of the chapters in this book. Presidential Democracy: India's Dire Need for Better Governance is well constructed, In thirteen Chapters construction, he has used cartoons, figures and illustrations like sandstone and cement….. Great. In between the Role of Indian President (Introduction) to the Urgent Need for Alternative Democracy (Epilogue) the author used his views and build his ideas in the chapters. He has taken good theoretical bases for his ideas- In the chapters Democracy vs. Dictatorship; he has created a base for Presidential Democracy. In Stability he has tried to seek out the evils of Parliamentary Democracy, By the chapter The Cabinet he has shown how present system denied the quality and ability, Chapter Ministerial Corruption is a real picture of the government in the absence of Check and Balance while The legislature completely deals with legislative procedures of the system of India and others.

In the Chapter Endless Games of Defections, Toppling, and Shameless Lust for Power, author focused on the History, how a leader change his liability from one party to another, how this game was played in India, In Chapter Checks and Balance authors checks the Indian Political System on the ground of Separation of Powers, in this chapter he has also checked that how India Refuse the Reforms, Chapter Promotion of Leadership Qualities is very interesting, Author explained how Direct Elections of Presidential Democracy promote positive impact and what are the benefits of Fixed Tenure. Chapter Selection of Candidates deals with the candidature by the Parties and the basics of Parties and National Interests.

In the Chapter, Electoral Reforms author examines the reforming measures of the Electoral process and in the last two chapters, the Author strongly proposes the US Model of Presidential Democracy for a better alternative for our system. Overall Jaswant B Mehta has emerged as a researcher, writer and guide with the optimistic approach, who is dissatisfied with the present form of Government, warns at many places and very optimistic about Presidential Democracy. He has a strong belief that the separation of power of the alternative system can be helpful to prevent corruption and Fixed Tenure can be helpful for Stability.

Finally, publisher Forum for Presidential Democracy has proper right to getting heartily thank for publish the Book. Book can be more attractive by the change of some fonts, style, and spaces. As a reader and like a scholar of Political Science and Indian Political System, I would like to see this book on my reading table, and I think this book should be a part of all libraries and all the readers who are interested in Political Systems.

------Ajay Singh