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India’s democracy: Not all that glitters is gold
Several issues, both past and current, especially those that have emerged in relation to India's ongoing elections, suggest that not all is well in the nation dubbed the "Mother of Democracy" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP.
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Security personnel stand in line on April 16, 2024 to cast absentee ballots at a polling station in Agartala ahead of India’s general election, which runs from April 19 to June 1. (Reuters/Jayanta Dey)
“We have established Bharat as a reliable, trusted and dependable voice globally in the last ten years. We have demonstrated Bharat’s independence of thought and action for the benefit of humanity,” reads the official manifesto of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It asserts that the nation is taking a pathway, which the nationalist BJP proudly refers to as Bharat, to becoming an assertive and confident nation and one of the world’s strongest economies.
The rise of India in a more multipolar world is welcome and long overdue.
“Our human-centric worldview has helped to be a consensus builder, first responder and a voice of the Global South. Today, the world believes that Bharat is the Mother of Democracy,” the manifesto continues.
But is India really the “Mother of Democracy”, or is it fair to contest this central idea? Should the country really be considered one of several definitions that authoritative democracy indexes around the world have rated it, such as “partly free”, “electoral autocracy” and “flawed democracy”?
For sure, there is something wrong going on, despite the denials from Modi and his party. During a campaign event, Modi was seen ramping up his already polarizing rhetoric by using even more inflammatory words than usual.
Their targets have been Muslim communities and the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), which is accused of prioritizing Muslims over others.
