Concepts and Problems Associated with eDemocracy

Information and communications technology (ICT) plays a major role in modern society. The Internet has certain unique factors which make eParticipation and eGovernance particularly appealing, namely the size and extent of the Internet, which enables it to be a medium whereby information can be very widely dispersed. This in turn has made political participation easy online. However, there is also a propensity of ICT to be used to interfere with our right to privacy. There is a need to factor in present and future requirements in the scope of eDemocracy and eGovernance generally, and one of the key issues is the devising of methods to narrow the prevailing digital divide. There is also more need for creation of adequate support tools to enable the user to navigate through vast contents, while also engaging and interacting in a meaningful manner with others. For eDemocracy to flourish, what is needed are newer versions of ICT, interest in eDemocracy (both by the government and public), suitable legislation, financing, and a generally conducive environment for enhancement of democratic ideals. However, by its very nature, technology is not inherently democratic. To indulge in eParticipation, we need to understand the concept of ePersonality. This in turn leads us to the question of what is an ePerson? In order to enable the ePersonality to flourish, the authors propose the need to create a parallel online universe, where rights and liabilities mirror those found in our various earthly conventions and declarations related to human, cultural and political rights, but where the distinction between the real world and the online world persists—thereby creating a situation wherein the twain shall coexist but never meet. This is the cloned heaven specially made for Trishanku, a concept taken from Hindu mythology in an attempt to find the answer for the future from our past.