HOW MANY MORE DAYS, DEMOCRACY?

SAMEER TANTI

I. Answer the following questions in a sentence or two:

1. “I hear your bedlam, democracy.” Explain
Ans. ‘Bedlam’ can mean commotion, confusion, turmoil, ruckus, turbulence,
anarchy, lawlessness. The poet is directly addressing democracy and making
it known that he is able to comprehend and understand the turmoil India is going
through; the intense confusion that is prevailing in the country and the absolute
lawlessness that is ruling the roost.

2. How does democracy appear to the poet?

Ans. Democracy appears muted and blinded to the poet; muted as in the sense,
not possessing the freedom to express and blinded means, not given an
opportunity to view the truth.

3. Why does he call democracy barren?

Ans. ‘Barren’ means being unproductive. Democracy in India is barren because
of the innumerable restrictions inhibiting the progress of the country in inimical
manner.

4. “Democracy, I wish you a long life!” Identify the Figure of Speech in this line.
Ans. ‘Apostrophe’ is the Figure of Speech used in this line. Apostrophe is a type
of Personification.

II. Answer the following questions in a paragraph:

1. How does the poet describe the present conditions of democracy?
According to Sameer Tanti, democracy has turned subdued, spiritless
and servile. Democracy is being used by people as a tool to serve
individual preferences instead of the society as a whole. The voice of the
people has been silenced; the eyes of justice have been blindfolded –
every option of improvement closed; all sorts of confusion prevails. It
appears, as though, Democracy is on the verge of an abyss; ready to
tumble down into nothingness.
 2. Explain the significance of the title “How many more days, Democracy?”
Ans. The title is significant on two counts – the first is that the poet is trying to question
Democracy about the adversities faced and for how long a time can the suppression
be borne; secondly, the poet is scared to think of the time Democracy can survive the
test without ending in bloodshed.

3. Pick out the words from the poem that suggest that the democracy is in
a bad state.
Ans. Head down, bended knees, eyes closed, mutilation, humiliation, lips sewed, eyes
covered, darkness inside, barren, bloody.

1. Answer the following questions in about 300 words: How does the poem
bring out the dire condition of democracy?
Ans. Democracy which is supposed to represent the general will of the people, reflect
their self-respect, mirror the faults of the society and seek solutions for them; is in
India, in a desperate condition. A few of the power wielding business tycoons, political
megalomaniacs are indeed ruling the roost. The situation is that of total chaos wherein,
truth is made invisible, voices remain inaudible and rebels mowed down into eternal
silence. Democracy was adopted in India with a hope that all the people will get a
chance to represent their grievances; but even this noble form of government has
been subjected to a lot of humiliation. The uproar trying to silence the truth is
deafening. The candid opinions necessary for its survival have been muffled, nay,
muted. The country is in total darkness – darkness being symbolic of not having a
single ray of hope, wherein not a single force is ready to impart its share to the whole.
The poet’s hesitation to question Democracy on its well-being is thwarted by the doubt
that it might be a cause of offence which is dangerous for the survival of Democracy.
Unable to keep pace with the darkness inside, democracy is unable to perceive the
light outside. Though the poet wishes Democracy a long life ahead, he is still
apprehensive about Democracy turning barren, i.e. becoming unproductive; or even
going through a bloody revolution. Democracy has been brought on to its knees in
total supplication to the capitalistic powers. It has been made to hang its head down,
in total helplessness, which symbolically may mean that it is ashamed at all the
undemocratic methods being implemented in the country. Democracy is thus
represented as becoming totally a spineless institution in the country, acclaimed as
the “largest democracy in the world.”

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