________________
appearing less dominating. Ultimately democracy has survived and India proclaims to stand as a democratic nation. But can this democracy be successful without making people democratic? The need of the hour is to train the citizens to develop anekāntic perspective, as people are not enough trained
in it.
Acārya Amrtchandra highlighted this view in a metaphorical form. He says, when a milkmaid churns for butter with a rope, one hand is outstretched and releases the same with the other hand. Then the hand behind comes in front and the one in front moves back. Following this order, she is able to extract butter. In this process, one hand sometimes attains primary and the other, secondary position and butter emerges.?
The development of democracy also works on the same. principle of the primary and the secondary.It is on this basis that relativity has developed. The one who is important will move ahead with reference to others. They can never progress independently or in absolute. They are connected to the leader and the leader keeps them connected to him. Therefore, of all forms of governance, democracy is considered the most effective and stable way, because it is based on the complementing structure of two opposites. This kind of anekāntic view is necessary to be developed in citizens for successful governance of democracy. In democracy, the ruling party takes the objections of opposite party in positive terms. One of the ācāryas has rightly commented on this situation in a Sanskrit śloka : jīvantu me satruganāḥ sadaiva yeşāṁ prasādād vigatajvarohań,
yadā yadā tam bhajate pramādāt tadā te pratibodhayanti.
Sagarmal Jain. Ed Multi-dimensional Application of Anekāntavāda.-Vārāṇasi: ParŚwanātha Vidhyāpitha & Navin Institute of Self-development, 1999, p. 25. 2 Puruşārtha Siddhupāya of Amrt Chandra. op.cit., verse-225.
144
