Fact is that the systems of Government in Britain and in the U.S.A. have grown out of their history. Instead of trying merely to imitate the one or the other, let us try to evolve democratic practices suited to our own genius. Actually, during the past 50 years or so we have been working with the parliamentary system of Government. It would be more fruitful if we try to mould this to suit our changing politics”. – Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya, Presidential Speech at Calicut in Kerala in December 1967
Democracy in Bharat is in danger yet again. The sudden proliferation of reports demonising Bharatiya democracy emerging from the Western world has found unprecedented traction in media and intellectual circles. Since the declaration of Narendra Modi’s candidature as Prime Minister by the Bharatiya Janata Party, democracy in Bharat has been in danger for some people. Now it is being described as an ‘electoral autocracy’ with ‘partial freedom’. Should we take these reports seriously? What are the real threats to our democracy?
All the reasons cited by the reports by various organisations do not stand any test of logical reasoning. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) just provided a concession to minorities persecuted in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and entered Bharat before 2014 to acquire citizenship. It has nothing to do with the existing citizens of Bharat, irrespective of religion. The Western prism, which does not have a civilisational understanding of Bharat and having a minimal grasp of the legacy of Partition, cannot understand the need for such step-like CAA.
The same is true about the narration around Jammu-Kashmir, where people now enjoy greater freedom from terrorism and more access to Constitutional Rights. Somehow, Western intelligentsia who do not get enough access in Communist countries and Islamic dictatorship find them ‘liberal autocracies’. Instead of piping into their systems, these global intellectual elites impose their flawed criteria to judge a system with a colonising mindset.
The Western reports like ‘Freedom House’ which describe our democracy as ‘autocratic’ with less freedom should not be a worrying factor. Even in 1947, when we attained Independence, the Western monopolists were confident that the democratic system would not prevail for a long time in this diverse country. What must worry us is the attitude of certain people in Bharat who feed these Western organisations for their petty interests.
Since 2014, top-level corruption has been curtailed to a large extent. Authoritative allocation of resources based on caste, regional or religious identities is being controlled. Transparency is brought through digitising the tendering process and delivery mechanisms like Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT). Historical wrongs are being corrected, and civilisational Bharat is finding a new assertion with a collective will. Even in strategic and foreign policy matters, Bharat is finding a unique place in the global power dynamics. Recognition of the policy of Vaccine-Maitri is just a symptom of the same. The vested interests benefitting from the old dynastic system are naturally upset. The fact that this ‘third world’, ‘developing’ country is setting the world’s agenda through vaccines, solar alliance and Yoga Day celebration is not acceptable to many even in Bharat. Some intellectuals and media houses running their shows through State patronage and foreign funding are frustrated as their manipulations no longer work. They are the ones who are advisors of these foreign groups assessing freedom and democracy. Foreign funding, outsourced activities and fake-narrations are being cleverly played out to vitiate the atmosphere. The emergence of a deadly network of breaking-India forces who are attacking various faultlines to create further divisions is the real cause of concern.
What is all the more worrisome is the irresponsible attitude and behaviour of the main Opposition party in Bharat. Congress, committed to dynastic interests, has forgotten that there is ‘Indian’ and ‘National’ in its name. This colonised attitude of exploiting foreign platforms to demean Bharatiya polity is the biggest threat to democracy. Not that democracy in Bharat is perfect or flawless; we have civilisational values to nurture democracy that had inspired us during the Freedom Struggle and enabled us to enact our Constitution. This spirit will guide us to find solutions for the present issues in democracy, not fake foreign narratives.
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