Wanted Real Two Party System

“What this country - or any democratic country - needs is one party which holds things steady and a second which shoves things along. Neither should be crazily radical or stupidly stationary. If they understand each other's language and are moderately patient about each other's ways, they can go on for years - even generations - supplementing each other's efforts as British Conservatives and Liberals used to do."

     Thus columnist William E. Bohn of The New Leader correctly summarizes the political wisdom of decades of modern experience. He says this in emphasizing the need for a change in American politics. He is not happy with the present two party structure system in America which divides votes between the Democratic and the Republican parties. The real necessity “for this campaign-battered country," he says, " is a genuine, blown-in-the-bottle Conservative Party”. He does not think that the Republican Party has been filling the required role. Mere clannism is not a two-party system. The Congress Party in India may be opposed to the Communist Party in India. But it is just tribal warfare, not that counter-balance of approach which democracy needs.

     'Progress' cannot be wise unless balanced by a spirit of conservatism. The two functions cannot be combined in the same party, although each group may claim to do it in the desire to hold exclusive power. If we do not have true balance we shall find industry and labour not pulling in a team; we shall not have a sound money policy; we shall be where we are today in India, on the road to a terrain where we shall not know what to do and will depend perforce on foreign 'advice', irresistible advice coming from the wise men of creditor-countries.

     The two counter-balancing forces in modern politics should both be led by leaders, capable of learning from each other.

     History has records to demonstrate that one of the biggest fallacies of critics and analysts is to ascribe views to birth and education, without taking proper count of acquired wisdom born of experience and reflection. 'High-born' men have very often been radical and 'plebeians' have been conservative. The true vitamin of progress is responsiveness. The enemy of progress is, obstinacy.

     A real two-party system would alone furnish the healthy opportunity for beneficent osmosis. There would be no osmosis but meaningless dilution if we cut out the dividing membrane.

     We in India would be committing the greatest mistake if we deem the Congress and the communist parties to be a balancing system that can support the working of democracy. Both have hitched their wagons to all-round State control. Individual incentive and freedom must be powerfully represented by a political party led by wise and good men. Otherwise, enterprise will be choked. There can be no national progress without the fullest freedom and encouragement for individual enterprise. Bureaucratic trade and industry, for which both the Congress and communists stand, will lead the country into a morass. The bureaucrats will draft beautiful apologies and explanations for every tragedy, but the suffering people cannot live on such explanations.