Context: Farmers’ protest shows loss of trust in processes of governance and is a reminder of the tyranny of laws.
India’s success story since Independence
Emerged as a powerful voice in the comity of nations.
Economic success: India is predicted to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2050.
Success as a democracy: India successfully conducts the world’s largest electoral exercise.
Governance: India conducted the largest digital individual identification programme and the largest vaccination programme in the world.
Science and Technology: enviable success in the fields of space and nuclear programmes.
Negatives that hold back India’s success story.
Lower ranking in various reports and Indices:
India ranks 144th out of the 153 countries in United Nation’s World Happiness Report for 2020.
Ranks 51st in the Economic Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index of 2019.
Ranks 129th out of 189 countries in United Nation’s Human Development Index report of 2020.
Low spending on Health: Only 2% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is spent on securing the health of 1.3 billion people.
Skewed Income distribution: The richest 1% own 53% of the national wealth while the poorer half shares only 4.3 %.
Society is under strain and in distress: Due to the rise of political extremism, domestic terrorism, escalating ethnic and caste-related violence, a pervading sense of hopelessness, bitterness, rage and the alienation of vast sections of our people.
Not fulfilling promises of Constitution: Like assault on multi-culturalism negates our commitment to a common cultural heritage.
Resilience of democracy is under threat: Due to Falling standards of moral rectitude in the conduct of politics, loss of inclusiveness and public contestation, etc.
Denudation of moral legitimacy of democracy: Due to
Persecution of political opponents and laws constraining liberties.
Disturbed constitutional equilibrium of power and responsibility between the three branches of government.
Demonstrated disdain for the discipline of federalism and constitutional principle.
Loss of confidence in the processes of governance: Due to selective enforcement of draconian laws.
Problems with the pillars of democracy: Increasing dysfunctionality of Parliament and failure of accountability of other democratic institutions.
Power over principle: polity that invokes moral relativism and promotes the triumph of power over principle.
Way forward
Establish Constitutional morality as a national sentiment.
Reject a willingness to be deceived: “lies don’t work unless they are believed”.
Beware of trappings of authority and temptations of uncontrolled ambition.
Choose leadership wisely: support leadership that is not “wrapped up in itself”.
Commit ourselves to plurality: So that “disagreement need not lead to disunion”.