Assessing the quality of Indian democracy

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Assessing the quality of Indian democracy

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• Seven years of Modi: In 2021, as PM Modi finished seven years in office, the overall democratic backsliding of India has formed the main theme of assessment of his work. Covid-19's handling added to already existing anxieties about democracy.
• Rankings: Various global ranks in 2021 (by Freedom House, V-Dem, Polity) called India a "flawed democracy" or an "electoral autocracy". Questions have been raised about how democratic strengths are evaluated, and what variables shape internal or external democratic health, and why liberal democracy is in crisis, at all.
• Pattern or exception: So whatever is happening today, is this exceptional (bad) or just a pattern? 

1. In 1990s, Samuel Huntington spoke of global democratisation as a series of 3 waves, and reverse waves
2. The first long wave was from 1820s to 1919 (end of World War I). 
3. The second short wave was from 1945 to 1970.
4. The third medium wave was from 1970s to 2000s. Then started a democratic recession globally, and "democracies started dying".

• Subjectivity: All reports on assessing democracies ultimately can be contested, as there are subjective elements in each, no matter how robust they try to make them. Democracy is always a complex social phenomenon, so each report may catch some parts of reality and not all. But their methods are very rigorous and data produced is used globally by many institutions.
• Identities unknown: These report hide the identities of local country experts, for safety reasons. These reports are warning of rising populism, the same populism that hates experts! But almost all may agree that democracies everywhere are under attack from populist leaders who use nationalism to concentrate power. Almost everywhere, dissenting voices are under attack from the anti-pluralist backlash.
• For India: Most of the big decline for India has come from loss of civil liberties and political tolerance. The actions and inactions of Modi govt. are cited everywhere. 
• Global references: In the previous two global reversal waves, the key drivers were - (i) shocks to geopolitical order (wars), (ii) new states with weak institutions (system breakdown), and (iii) neighbourhood effects. Today, the steady rise of China and global inequalities are contributing too. Developing nations aren't able to provide proper governance due to economic slowdown. Add to that the impact of "Big Tech" non-State actors.
• Indian case: While the rate of backsliding is high, despite being a consolidated democracy, the earlier system has also collapsed due to its own inefficiencies. The promise was of equality for all, and voice for all, but went unfulfilled. Ambedkar's warning was clear: political democracy will sustain only via social and economic democracy.
• Why populism emerged: Since 2010, the global surge of populism was due to some good reasons, and these leaders have built a strong base of very loyal supporters, while the opposition has been mocked and held in submission. Dissent and disagreement is no longer what it used to be in 1980s and 90s. 
• Summary: Those who believe in democracy and value of dissent, have to rationally think of what's happening, and how they can continue the dialogue. A more inclusive India is the future for all.

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