Opinion : India loosing on democracy index : The toxic dream of Hindu republic
History is witness that the roots of democracy have been very strong in India since centuries and the present testimony is that the foundations of democracy in India are getting hollow. India is ranked 51 in the Global List of Democracy Index 2019 released by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) of the British institute ‘The Economist Group’ and has dropped 10 places from the previous year. The 6th century BC Vajji Republic presented a wonderful tableau of the republican system in India, while this Global List of Economist Groups provides a blueprint of the pathetic state of democracy in 21st century India.
Those who never consider their whey as thin as an ostrich can deny the existence of a storm by burying their heads in the sand and calling it an ‘alien’ mischief, but those who make democracy ‘by the public, the public For this, they consider the rule of the people ‘, they will definitely be worried by looking at this index, in which countries like Taiwan and Malaysia have also been shown above India. There is no intention to degrade the countries above India in the list here, but being the largest and ancient democratic country in the world, this will not be called an honorable position for India.
Ancient texts refer to small republics like Shakya, Lichchivi, Vajji, Ambastha, Agray, Yudayya, Manav, Arjunian, Arishta, Autumvar, Kath, Kunind, Kshudraka, Patanaprastha etc. In his democratic system, before any decision was taken, there was an open discussion among the members of the council made up of the electoral system. But today, on the issues related to the security of the country and the identity of the citizens, there is no attempt to build consensus among the public representatives. Elections are held just to get the numbers and laws are being passed on the basis of specific agenda.
Governments have started using the power entrusted to them by the people to crush its dissent. This can also be understood by the government’s strict and violent action against people performing in every corner of the country against the Citizenship Law, National Citizenship Register i.e. NRC and NPR. The citizenship law has empowered the Muslim population of India as well as the Hindus of the North-East. As a result, protests are taking place in big cities from Bihar to Kerala and communal tension has increased. The peaceful protest of women in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh is making headlines around the world.
The unilateral reshuffle of Article 370 giving autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir having special status from the constitution and the situation in the state arising thereafter cannot be called a democratic step. Internet services, counted in fundamental rights, have been stagnating for months in Kashmir, additional military forces were deployed to instill fear among the local people and local leaders were under house arrest.
Today, India is simmering like a cauldron due to the reduction of democratic space by the state. In fact, the democratic system provides for a mechanism under which a large section of the population selects from among the contestants who want to get political charge and influence important decisions. But this does not mean that the aspirations of a large section of the public should be crushed. Characteristic features of liberal democracy include protection of minorities, law and order, distribution of powers, etc. Apart from freedom of expression, language, assembly, religion and property are the major ones. Therefore, the attitude targeting Muslim minorities on religious grounds cannot be called democratic in any case.
If seen, India’s score has been the lowest this time since the Economist Group started this ranking in 2006. That is, the decline continues continuously on the scale of weakening of democracy. The laxity of democracy simply means the manifestation of an autocratic state and reducing the participation of citizens in the political process by shrinking every kind of freedom. It is also not that before 2006, Indian democracy was not clouded by crisis. In the independent India, the practice of imposing President’s rule on the states by sacking the elected governments with the help of the governors by the Center has been going on since Nehru’s time. In this too, Indira Gandhi imposed the biggest blot on democracy by imposing emergency. Then the basic constitutional rights of the people were revoked. It is seen today that the people who do not get the yes of the people who are in power, are directly declared as anti-national. The one who does not agree with the policies of the government is seen as a rebel who came out to overthrow! This cannot be a democratic vision. Dushyant Kumar’s lion is missing – “Don’t say the fog in the sky is thick / this is a personal criticism of someone.”
The recently released democracy index is based on the functioning of elected governments around the world, election process and pluralism, political participation, political culture and civil liberties. At most of these points, the Government of India has proved to be a laggard during the last one year. Modi government can certainly be happy that Pakistan ranks 108th and Bangladesh 80th in this list because it gives satisfaction to compete with these Muslim majority neighbors in every case.
If this is not the case, then the present central government will have to adopt the methods of the great republics of ancient India, which are judged by right and wrong.
