Harmony, participation, transparency key to enhancement of democracy: Modi

Bharatiya Janata Party's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Monday, addressed the Global Emerging Markets Forum in the United States, via videoconference, where he identified appreciation of harmony amongst people, participation of the people and transparency in governance as key areas which would enhance the democratic functioning in an emerging country.

Elaborating on the key areas that he felt that needed to be enhanced, Modi said:"First is enhancing level of harmony. Many villages where elections are held unanimously, they are held as celebrations. There are no fights. Women are getting elected."

Modi identified higher level of participation from the people as the second area that would boost democratic functioning.

"We need to move ahead from representation to participation. We have made programmes where people participation is the key especially in the social sectors like education, health," Modi said.

As the final factor to enhance the democratic fiber of emerging markets, Modi said: "Present age is the age of information. Governments cannot run from secret files - that time has gone."

Building on his argument for the need of 'good governance' for development, Modi brought his focus back to India and stressed that the people were ready for change as they wanted development.

"People are ready for bitter-pills too, only assurance they want is what is being done is for a greater good," he said.

"There is a process and possibility to people's voices. Problem comes when disconnect comes, when one forgets after elections. ...A democracy is true sense is an organic system. Every moment and every activity is interplayed between people and government. ...Problem is we take government as provider and this prevents people from being active partners in development," he added.

Modi said that his own re-election in Gujarat stands proof to the power of the voice of the people, and added that India needs to listen to the voices of the people, who, he said, want development.

"In India people are not ready to be fooled anymore, they want development. People are the best judges and they have been given us a chance, and have been voting for us (in Gujarat)," he said.

"All this can be overcome - what you need is honesty of purpose, integrity in intentions

People can discriminate between good and bad - this has been by us in four assembly elections. ...Those in Government have to understand that people's good is the biggest agenda. Governments are guardians of people interests," he added.

Modi also stressed that humility was of prime importance and governments should accept the collective wisdom of people.

"We need to keep decentralizing once they become mature. We need to enhance our own capacity to listen. In a democracy listening to people is a must," he added.

The Global Meet of the Emerging Markets Forum was held in Washington D.C. earlier today.