Ethical Leadership and Inclusive Governance in India: Role of Political Parties
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120130313 |
| Author | S. N. Sangita |
| Date | 01 July 2013 |
| Published date | 01 July 2013 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
ETHICAL LEADERSHIP
AND
INCLUSIVE
GOVERNANCE IN INDIA: ROLE
OF
POLITICAL PARTIES
S.
N.
SANGITA
Ethical political leaders
in
public life are central
to
promote
efficient, equitable, transparent, responsive and accountable
governance. An analysis has been made here on the nature
and pattern
of
ethical political leadership in India over the
years with a view to understand its relation with the society
and political parties.
The
important issl{es raised are: how
ethical leaders' effect inclusive governance? What are the
factors responsible for the decline
of
ethical leadership?
To
what extent, these factors can be attributed
to
society, which
is
responsible for socialisation and inculcation
of
values and
selection
of
leaders? Or to what extent these factors can be
attributed to political parties (ideologies, socialisation and
internal democracy), electoral laws and ethical institutions.
I
INTRODUCTION
LEADERS WITH noble qualities are instrumental for peace and prosperity,
while bad rulers have been responsible for human miseries, including loss
of
life throughout human history. Nowhere is this truer than in developing
countries. The misrule and shortsighted policies
of
the leaders forced post
colonial states
of
the 1950s into the fold
of
military dictators. There have
been no improvements in the quality
of
governance in these countries even
after the restoration
of
democracy (under third wave) and introduction
of
structural adjustment policies (SAP). Instances such as leader violation
of
democratic norms, rule
of
law and human rights and abuse
of
authority are
prevalent particularly in countries like Latin American, African and post-
liberalised communist countries. Even the crisis in many other countries
can be attributed partly to misrule and cronyism
of
the rulers.
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