The Duel Of Democracy

The world’s largest democracy squirmed through its 17th Lok Sabha election this year, presenting an almost 65% turnout in every one of its seven phases. India has 900 million eligible voters; the number is astounding, as was the chaotic campaigning and mudslinging that the Indian public was privy to over the last couple of weeks.

As everyone waits with bated breath for the result on May 23, we can’t help but look back at how the country stands divided, much like so many large nations around the world. The subjects of Trump vs Hillary, Brexit, immigration in Europe and the more general opinions on racism, religion, democracy and free speech have all been slotted into the ‘For’ and ‘Against’ with voracity, with one prevailing over the other by merely a hair. We see divides cropping up in countries, cities, towns and even within families, and with this election, India only seems to be catching up.

For the last few weeks, everywhere we turned, every conversation we had, and every meme we came across on social media, rung with mentions of the current political climate. All eyes have now turned to India, to see whether the Modi-led BJP will maintain its foothold with a majority, or the Gandhi-led INC will overcome their embarrassing defeat in 2014. We, in turn, decided to be a mouthpiece for our readers this time around; to put them in the spotlight for their two cents on what they think of the current and future India and where we’re likely to find ourselves in the years to come. Read on to know more…

Deepak Rupani - Mumbai