RISING INDIA, FALLING DEMOCRACY

India - a nation which was named as the “Golden Bird” has been a hub of human civilization since time immemorial and has witnessed the rise and fall of several kingdoms and empires, endured foreign invasions, experienced colonialism and what not?! Despite all these challenges, it has emerged as a ‘global power’ with remarkable progress in several spheres of technology, healthcare, education etc. India is a country on the rise. It is the fastest growing economy in the world with a great GDP growth rate. From tackling COVID-19 pandemic to developing a great startup ecosystem, India is progressing on the path of becoming a major economic superpower. However, despite being the Largest Democracy in the world , a concern for India is its declining and eroding democracy. Our political establishment has come under fire by the opposition, international agencies and the media for what they describe as an “authoritarian government”.

India has been witnessing issues with civil liberties, communal tensions, press freedom and independent judiciary. This is not an empty claim but can be backed with tangible data. The recent draft amendments to the IT rules is a classical example of laws being used for political purposes. The media, supposed to be the backbone of a vibrant democracy, seem to be lacking the courage in the face of an unrelenting attempt by Central agencies to intimidate them. With the judiciary under constant pressure from the government, there has been a weakening of checks and balances on the union government’s powers and rise of authoritarianism and populism. These instances generate a paradox with the concerning trend of “Rising India, Falling Democracy”. India, which once struggled with poverty and economic decline has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It had also suffered one of the worst recessions in the world during COVID-19 pandemic, but still India has managed to maintain its economic clout as the 5th largest economy in the world. The World Bank ranks the Indian economy as the fastest growing among the “seven largest emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs)”. The IMF called the Indian economy “A Bright Spot” with a projected rate of growth at 6.1% , surpassing China, US and Japan. There has been significant progress in areas such as agriculture, technology, infrastructure, healthcare, innovation etc. There has been substantial economic expansion this decade, driven by a range of factors like a growing middle class, expansion of the manufacturing sector, more job opportunities and focus on the startup ecosystem. Sectors like agriculture which has more than 50% workforce employed saw a significant rise in the economy. Modern farming techniques, MSPs, improved irrigation and better access to markets improved this sector. Another crucial factor for this growth is the economic reforms implemented by the Indian government like introduction of goods and services tax (GST), liberalization of trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) which allows Indian entrepreneurs and businesses to work freely globally. Government-launched initiatives like the Make in India, Skill India, Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign boosted the manufacturing sector and attracted foreign investments. India’s strategic international diplomacy and geopolitics helped in establishing friendly relations with different countries which flourishing trade and commerce. A recent example to this is India’s G20 presidency which is a great opportunity for India to showcase leadership and emerge as a ‘Global Leader’. This will enable India to reach constructive solutions to various challenges, like reviving global growth, climate actions and other matters. Through the G20 presidency, India, the largest democracy will be able to showcase the glory, diversity and the excellence it has achieved in various fields like economic progress, technology, innovation, and startups. In this startup era, the Indian youth is actively involved in problem-solving through their startups, innovations and ideas. The country is now the ‘hub of startup ecosystem’ in the world, ranking 3rd with 90,000 start-ups and has now witnessed more than 100 unicorns(startups with valuation over $1 billion) and this number is still growing significantly. India’s startup ecosystem is equipped with skilled professionals and investors(both domestic and international) who are supporting these startups through fundings. Government incentives and initiatives like Startup India are key reasons for such growth in this industry.

Despite India’s economic success, its democratic institutions are facing several challenges. The rising tide of majoritarianism and the ruling party’s overwhelming mandate in parliament has the government more or less a free hand in launching attacks on freedom of speech or liberty and the media. With a solid voter base and little or no public backlash, the regime has no incentive to act in the interest of civil liberties. the Indian constitution, the largest written constitution, gives several fundamental rights to its citizens, but are these rights enforced as mentioned? Do we have freedom of speech in practice? Are these laws selectively implemented for political benefits? These are a few questions to be asked in the present case of Rahul Gandhi being handed down a two-year prison term (which is just the amount needed for a MP to be eliminated). Today, the erosion of civil liberties is one of the major threats to democracy. The article 19(1)(a) states that all citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression which implies that all citizens have the right to express their views and opinions freely. Even in the case of politicians it has been observed that such liberties are not properly utilized or wrongly expressed causing political disturbance in the country which causes disturbance in parliament work, eventually affecting the country’s growth. But is using freedom of speech illegal? Or the one who will use this right be put behind the bars under defamation case? Yes, this is what has happened recently with a senior Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi. Mr. Gandhi gave a speech in lok sabha where he accused the prime minister Narendra Modi of favoring business conglomerate Adani Group, was disqualified from membership of Lok Sabha under the Article 102(1)(e), section 8 of the Representation of People Act of 1951. A statement of Rahul Gandhi, which he gave in 2019 elections where he referred to thieves as having the surname “Modi” has been identified as “defamatory” by the Surat court according to the IPC section 499(which criminalizes defamation). The court said that he intentionally made this statement that hurt individuals with Modi surname, so under IPC section 500 he has been sentenced to the maximum punishment i.e. imprisonment of two years. “Defamation cases should not be used as a political weapon” said the Supreme Court but this verdict of the Surat court has come when elections are just 1 year away. Therefore, it is a dishonor of the apex court and it seems that the court is itself under the influence of the government. Several political leaders have also argued that sections 499 & 500 are trying to curb the ‘free speech’ given under the constitution. Indian democracy is facing several other drawbacks like criminalisation of elections, use of unfair means, hate speech, increased money and muscle power, voter intimidation and many more. There have been several instances of human rights violation and extrajudicial killings which questions the law and order system of India. While it is good that the government is cracking down on corruption, it is disheartening to see the selective targeting of opposition leaders.

- Nishpreet Singh