Democracy is not merely about electing a government every few years. It is about ensuring that those entrusted with power remain answerable to the people every single day. Elections give governments the authority to govern, but they do not give them a free pass from scrutiny. When governance fails, institutions weaken, public trust declines and ordinary citizens are left asking a fundamental question: who holds power accountable?
A healthy democracy depends on accountability at every level. Ministers must answer for decisions taken by their departments. Bureaucracies must implement policies effectively. Public institutions must function independently and transparently. Legislatures must question governments rather than simply endorse them. And the media and civil society must have the freedom to investigate, question and highlight failures.
Yet accountability often becomes selective.
Political parties are quick to demand answers when they are in opposition, but sometimes become uncomfortable with scrutiny when they occupy power. The same criticism that appears legitimate when directed at an opponent can suddenly be described as politically motivated when directed at one’s own government. This double standard is dangerous because accountability cannot depend on which party happens to be in office.
Governance should ultimately be judged by outcomes.
Citizens do not experience government through speeches or political slogans. They experience it through schools, hospitals, roads, public transport, employment opportunities, law enforcement, welfare schemes and the quality of everyday public services. When these systems fail, people deserve explanations—not excuses.
A government may have ambitious policies, but implementation is where governance is truly tested. A scheme announced with great publicity means little if its benefits do not reach the intended people. A recruitment process loses credibility if examinations are repeatedly disrupted by irregularities. Infrastructure loses its value if projects are delayed for years or public money is poorly managed. Similarly, a law may look impressive on paper but remain ineffective if institutions lack the capacity or willingness to enforce it.
This is why institutional accountability matters.
Independent oversight bodies, audit institutions, courts, legislatures and investigative agencies all play important roles in preventing excessive concentration of power. Their purpose is not necessarily to obstruct a government. Their purpose is to ensure that authority is exercised within the law and in the public interest.
Strong governments should not fear strong institutions.
In fact, the opposite is true. A government confident in its record should welcome scrutiny because transparency strengthens legitimacy. Questions from journalists, opposition parties, civil society organisations and citizens should not automatically be treated as attacks on the nation or attempts to undermine the government. In a democracy, criticism of a government is not the same thing as criticism of the country.
At the same time, accountability must be responsible.
Opposition parties and commentators also have a duty to distinguish genuine governance failures from political opportunism. Not every administrative mistake is evidence of corruption, and not every government decision deserves to be portrayed as a conspiracy. Constantly exaggerating failures can be just as damaging to public discourse as refusing to acknowledge them.
The media therefore carries an enormous responsibility.
Journalism should neither function as a government publicity department nor as an automatic opposition platform. Its responsibility is to ask difficult questions, verify facts and give citizens information they can use to judge those in power. Investigative journalism can expose wrongdoing, but credible journalism must also acknowledge when governments succeed.
Unfortunately, public debate increasingly risks becoming trapped between political camps. Social media has made it easier for misinformation, propaganda and outrage to spread faster than facts. Citizens can quickly become exposed only to information that confirms what they already believe.
This makes independent thinking more important than ever.
Citizens themselves are perhaps the most important accountability mechanism in a democracy. They have the right to question their representatives, demand transparency, participate in public debate and ultimately vote based on performance. But voting should not become an exercise in permanent loyalty to a political party.
Governments should be rewarded when they deliver and criticised when they fail.
There is also a broader question of political culture. India is a vast and complex democracy, and no government can solve every problem immediately. Mistakes will happen. Policies will sometimes fail. Unexpected crises will emerge. What matters is how governments respond when something goes wrong.
Do they acknowledge the problem?
Do they investigate it honestly?
Do they fix the system that allowed it to happen?
Do they hold responsible officials accountable?
And most importantly, do they communicate honestly with citizens?
These questions should apply equally to every government, regardless of ideology or political affiliation.
Accountability should not be a weapon used against political opponents. It should be a principle applied consistently.
The real strength of democracy is not that governments never fail. Governments will inevitably make mistakes. The strength of democracy lies in whether its institutions and citizens are capable of identifying those failures, correcting them and preventing them from becoming permanent.
Power without accountability can become complacent. Accountability without responsibility can become political theatre. What India needs is neither blind support nor perpetual opposition, but a culture where performance, transparency and constitutional responsibility matter more than political loyalty.
Ultimately, the question is not simply who holds power?
The more important question is: who makes sure that power is used responsibly?
The answer must be institutions, the media, the opposition, civil society—and above all, the citizens themselves.
Because in a democracy, power belongs to the people. Governments merely receive the responsibility to exercise it on their behalf.
And when governance fails, citizens have every right to ask for answers.
DA Editorial Desk (Dhruba Deka)