Questions for the Republic

The Indian Express     1st February 2021     Save    

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”.