INDIAN DEMOCRATIC RECESSION: AN ALARM FOR THS US

Saima Ghazanfar

Publishing date: 03 April 2024

Over the past two decades, democracy, as a shared value has contributed to evolution
of India- US bilateral ties, even emphasized in the Biden administration’s strategic
document, 2022 US National Security Strategy (NSS). The NSS describes India as “the
world’s largest democracy,” and US envisions to woo India to achieve its
objectives in Indo-Pacific strategy. Further, June 2023, US President Joe Biden and
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joint statement emphasized that “The US and
India reaffirm and embrace their shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights,
inclusion, pluralism, and equal opportunities for all citizens,” thereby, democratic values
underpins perception of each other as “natural” or “like-minded,” allies and adherence to
these values defines strengthen and future trajectory of bilateral ties.
As per hyper nationalist Indian media rhetoric, India is the largest democracy in terms of
population, 960 million Indians, over 10% of the global population are eligible to vote.
The 2024 general elections — April 19 to June 1 — will take nearly 7 weeks and results
are to be announced on June 4 for 543 Lok Sabha seats. The mammoth undertaking, is
also being touted as the biggest peace time logistical exercise anywhere in the world.
However, in reality, several prestigious Democratic watchdogs and political scientists
have concluded rise of the worst autocratic rule and resultant constants Democratic
recession in India, under a nine years premiership of Narendra Modi.
This grim assessment is finding its way into the world’s leading democratic watchdogs’
indices with continued decline in Indian democratic metrics.
According to the Sweden based, V-Dem Institute, 2020 Report on Democracy, India was
on “the verge of losing it status as democracy,” under Prime Minster Modi’s
government. The watchdog downgraded India to status of “Electoral Autocracy”, in its
2021 report. The institute further relegated India as “one of the worst autocratizers, in
its ‘2024 Democracy Report”. Not surprisingly, the US freedom house also placed India
to ‘Partly-Free’ in 2024 country report. The conclusions of international watchdogs are a
huge blow to the India’s threadbare democracy card.
According to media reports, after global democratic ranking decline, the Modi’s
government has decided to prepare homegrown democratic rating index, in
collaboration with pro-BJP, The Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
As per Oxford Journal of Democracy, Free and Fair elections and genuine political
competition are part and parcel of democracy, this is not the case in India under
BJP’s rule.
On 21 March, chief of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Delhi chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal was arrested on corruption charges by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The
ED, has power to arrest and search without a court-orders. It is worth to mention here
that Kejriwal is anti-corruption campaigner and a key opposition leader. In protest,
several Kejriwal supporters attempted to march Prime Minister Modi’s house. The BJP
also sealed off offices of the AAP. The government detained dozens of peaceful
protestors of the AAP. The party has denied the allegations and termed arrest of sitting
Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal as “politically motivated,” and BJP’s ploy to suppress
the opposition ahead of 2024 general elections.
On the same day, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi the
party is unable to campaign properly with its accounts frozen by the income tax
department. As per section 13(A) of the Income Tax Act, political parties in India do not
have to pay income tax.
“There is no democracy in India today. The idea that India is a democracy is a lie. We
have no money to campaign, we cannot support our candidates. Our ability to fight
elections has been damaged,” said Rahul Gandhi.
In a rare but much needed move, the US and Germany also casted aspersions over BJP’s
suppression of political oppositions. On 22 March, Sebastian Fischer, a spokesperson for
Germany’s foreign ministry stated that “We have taken note of the case. India is a
democratic country. We assume and expect that the standards relating to the
independence of the judiciary and fundamental democratic principles will also apply
in this case.”
Followed by the Germany’s scathing remarks, on 25 March, the US state department
spokesperson, Matthew Miller also raised concerns and emphasized Modi’s government
to ensure there was “fair, transparent, and timely legal process,” on arrest of Kejriwal
and freezing accounts of Congress party.
However, the feisty Indian Foreign Ministry strongly objected to a US State Department
official’s call for a fair and transparent legal process for Kejriwal, and termed the US
objection as interference in India’s domestic affairs, and summoned a senior U.S.
diplomat.
In contemporary India, just ahead of upcoming national elections, sealed off offices
of opposition, arrest of key opposition leaders and freezing bank accounts of the
main rival party clearly indicates that India is mere an Electoral Autocracy and
simply holding an election doesn’t not mean that the process will be free or
fair.
Of course, with precipitous decline of democratic norms, India has emerged as the
worst exemplar of Democratic recession. And apparent third success of the incumbent
Prime Minister Nandra would create irreversible backslide and ultimate Coup de grâce to
the so-called Indian democracy. No doubt, democracy has played as catalysts for
increased India – US convergences over the past two decades. Notwithstanding, perilous
and alarming democratic situation in India makes India as an unreliable US’ ally and calls
out the US policy makers to revisits their policy of unconditional support to India.