In the name of Allah Who is the Most Merciful and the Most Beneficent
Honorable Chief Guest, Respected President, Praiseworthy teachers, Trustworthy jury members and dear student fellows: Assalamu Alaikum:
Today I have got a golden opportunity to express my opinion on the topic ‘In Democracy People are counted, not weighed’
Dear audience, I truly favor this beautiful and ideological quotation that the real essence of democracy is that it is for the people, by the people and elected among the people. Hence, it becomes a universal truth that people are the democracy makers and people are the beneficiaries of democracy in a democratic state.
According to Abraham Lincoln, “Democracy is a rule of the people, by the people and for the people.” It means that in a democracy, the ruling power of the country is not given in the hands of a particular person or a group of persons, but in the members of the community as a whole, without any distinction of caste, color, creed or gender. But this is only a concept of political democracy. True democracy, as we understand by the term now, is not merely a political idea, but a complete social philosophy. It is a way of life; it includes all the social, political, religious, moral and economic aspects. In such a democracy, different classes of people have free inter-changes of thought and action which promotes the development of all.
Dear audience, in democracy the word ‘Vote’ has a strong meaning inside it. In democracy your vote is a trust, a safe-keeping, a protection, a vision, and most importantly it is a favor to elect your representative to raise your voice at high forum.
Democracy carries with it great respect for the individual, greater opportunity for freedom, independence, and initiative in conduct and thought, and correspondingly demand for fraternal regard and for self-imposed and voluntarily borne responsibilities.”
Dear audience, “Democracy is not a mere political arrangement but it is a complete way of life. Democracy is the name of a absolute principle which shares equal freedom and equal rights for all its members, regardless of race, religion, gender, occupation or economic status. Therefore,” The Constitution of Pakistan says, ‘The Islamic Republic of Pakistan will secure all its citizens rights and social and religious norms where every individual is given complete freedom to practice his norms and traditions in the domain of complete code of law.
This is the prime responsibility of the state to provide fundamental rights of life to every citizen without considering any discrimination. The real essence of democracy favors to maintain harmony and equality among the members of the society. When the life of the citizens are not secured, not protected, not facilitated, not valued, or not respected then the soul and spirit of democracy go away from the democratic states where only the powerful figures exploit the due rights of the poor citizens. Therefore, it is obligatory upon the state to eliminate certain practices from every institution.
I thank you all for hearing me.