IT is a challenging time for democracy in our country. We are observing the 75th anniversary of our Republic, but we have failed to seriously take stock of our journey as a democracy. It is noteworthy that India is one of the very few countries which kept its polity democratic amidst serious challenges. Many nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America fell prey to military juntas, authoritarians, communist despots and religious obscurantists. Most post-colonial societies could not nurture democracy. Compared to them, our country’s record is exemplary.
However, in the recent past, our political discourse has increasingly turned undemocratic; our commitment to core democratic values such as diversity and tolerance is weakening; centre-state relations are frayed, causing deep fissures in our federal structure; legislatures have turned dysfunctional; our national statistical architecture stands compromised, impeding efforts to make the government accountable; media freedom is severely constricted; expression of dissent is smothered; and state institutions which ought to act as guardrails are being manipulated and undermined. The independence of our judiciary is questionable now. Evidence that the state enforcement and investigative agencies are deployed to serve the ruling dispensation’s partisan interests is mounting. All these trends are reflected in the rankings published year after year by several reputed global watchdog organisations.
OUR POLITICAL DISCOURSE HAS INCREASINGLY TURNED UNDEMOCRATIC; OUR COMMITMENT TO VALUES SUCH AS TOLERANCE IS WEAKENING.
Esta historia es de la edición February 11, 2024 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 11, 2024 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The 'Invisible' Dalits
The debate over sub-categorisation of castes is likely to shape the political discourse in the upcoming state elections
Caste Census: To Conquer Or Conserve?
The caste census is generating heated debate, but even its most ardent proponents are not able to articulate a plan about how to use the resulting data
THE FATEFUL COMEDY
Actor-director Rajat Kapoor talks about adapting Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov into a Hindi play
Mad Hatter
When a leader takes off his topi and holds it in his hands while appealing for votes, it signals something extraordinary
Circle Within Circles
The caste question in Muslims.
Backward March
The Maratha reservation question may continue to mire the next government in the state
The 69% Exception
Quota within quota: lessons to be learned from Tamil Nadu
United Indifference
The perils of tweaking tribal identities
Two Nations, Two Destinies
The widely differing balance of power between the military and civilian leadership in India and Pakistan has significantly impacted democracy in the two countries
Crème de la Crème
The mainstream society thinks reservations are against right to equality. It’s high time they are seen in the context of right to justice.