Nepal, June 2 -- The truest test of an evolved, flourishing and mature democracy is not its electoral culture, or the right of every citizen to vote, or a diverse political system, but where it stands on the scale of freedom of expression. On a scale ranging from absolute to highly restrictive, freedom of expression in a democracy should unequivocally remain towards the former.

India is a brilliant example of a democracy that has weathered much and where only the vote of its citizens determines who will rule. Voters decide the fate of political players, and right and power remain total and undiluted. Any political highhandedness or attempts to establish hegemony have been humbled at the hustings.

The hiccups in India's democratic struct...