At 75, India’s democracy is under pressure like never before

Hats off to India. Celebrating 75 years of freedom is no mean achievement. Vande Mataram. Jai Hind.

Experts and critics say trust in the judiciary as a check on executive power is eroding. Assaults on the press and free speech have grown brazen. Religious minorities are facing increasing attacks by Hindu nationalists. And largely peaceful protests, sometimes against provocative policies, have been stamped out by internet clampdowns and the jailing of activists.

A govt that takes away freedom of speech, freedom to protest, freedom to assemble, and adds censorship is unless become a dictatorship is the goal. We can look at some countries which have turned from democracy in to dictatorships recently:

Nicaragua, Venezuela, Hong Kong and Hungary is headed there now.

India does so many things well, but they also are doing some things wrong, like censorship and internet service shutdowns to prevent opposition organization. Democracy needs opposition and free sharing of ideas to work. The press needs to be involved in critical thinking on each issue, without fear of govt reprisal.

India has much to blame the British about, but the British Empire did 4 things nice for India.

English (who can speak 1500+ unrelated languages?)

Railways (standards are good)

Cricket - national pass time

That's all I got. ;)

A government of the people, by the people and for the people is a precious and delicate thing. Once you slip into a dictatorship, it’s hard to bring back to life and resuscitate a democracy.

India has been busy stripping millions of Muslims of their Indian citizenship. Christian churches are attacked. Muslim worship services broken up and mosques attacked by Hindu nationalist mobs. Mr. Modi and BJP propaganda portray Muslims as foreign invaders controlled by Pakistan, notwithstanding the centuries they have lived there. Mr. Modi used this trope successfully in his 2014 election campaign. Once Indian Muslims are stripped of their citizenship they are imprisoned and have no legal rights. Hindu nationalists openly call for the extermination of Muslims in India. Journalists who write critically of the Modi government are arrested and imprisoned. India might still be a democracy but it is falling fast into a harsh, autocratic Hindu theocracy.

BJP IT cell is now active on JT also it seems.

India was always a flawed democracy. Indians think that voting in elections is equal to democracy but what actually takes place in the political process is horse trading of MPs, buying votes enmasse, manufacturing artificial issues to win votes and giving tickets to deep pocketed criminals.

This democratic tradition existed long before Modi came on the scene. Modi merely made all these tactics acceptable to the apathetic middle class.

Caste based democracy with one of the worst woman’s rights in the world.

The writer of this article in influenced by anti Modi sentiments because Modi Government doesn’t believe in appeasing only one Community which traditionally was pampered by successive Congress Governments. Congress is staging protests to save its corrupt Leaders. India is very much in safe hands.

This is a rather one-sided article. There is no supporting argument in the entire article for its grand title. "At 75, India’s democracy is under pressure like never before"

Perhaps the writer needs to be reminded of the 21 month emergency imposed in 1975 by Ms.Gandhi when quite literally democracy was suspended.

India’s Democracy is very much Safe in the hands of PM Modi, The Country is becoming stronger & Self Reliant. Modi is the most popular Leader in India. Congress which is synonymous with corruption is not at ease that’s why it’s staging protests to save its corrupt leaders who face jail. Moreover the writer of this article is from the community which hates Modi & is largely considered un Patriotic. Congress & other Political Parties have traditionally appeased the Muslim community & rely on their votes whereas Modi Government has welfare schemes for everyone.

The Aug 5 demonstrations by India’s main opposition Congress party a

At least the Modi regime is still allowing an opposition party to exist and hold protests, which is better than some of its fellow BRICs.

Not surprisingly, Bolsonaro, another BRICS authoritarian leader is also facing major challenges, with many Brazilians worried he might might do a Trump/Lukashenko. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/09/brazil-election-bolsonaro-dictatorship-democracy