1. It is with considerable uneasiness of mind and a sinking feeling in the heart that we approach this appeal and the proposal of the Tata Iron Steel Co. Ltd. that they should be permitted by an amendment of their Memorandum of Association to make contributions to political parties. Democracy in this country is nascent and it is necessary that that democracy should be looked after, tended and nurtured so that it should rise to its full and proper stature. Therefore, any proposal or suggestion which is likely to strangle that democracy almost in its cradle must be looked at not only with considerable hesitation but with a great deal of suspicion. Now, democracy is a political system which ensures decisions by discussion and debate, but the discussion and debate must be conducted honestly and objectively and the decisions must be arrived at on merits without being influenced or actuated by any extraneous considerations. On first impression it would appear that any attempt on the part of anyone to finance a political party is likely to contaminate the very springs of democracy. Democracy would be vitiated if results were to be arrived at not on their merits but because mon