The fall and fall of democracy

For far too long, I have read the hegemonic mainstream media’s deliberate, unfair and negative portrayal of India and did not know how to act or react. I decided to do the best thing I know — write. This is an effort to get into their shoes and write one such article myself. It took me no additional research or reading, and about an hour of work, which is probably how these articles are written in TIME, The Economist etc. This is probably not worth your time, just like the biased articles in those magazines. But since you are here anyways, read on.

— — —

The fall and fall of democracy, by Mo KnowsaLot

Mo KnowsaLot is LNN’s India Desk Head, and a Professor of International Peace, Nuclear Arms, and Coconut Cultivation at Hegemony State University. His upcoming paperback is “The impact of coconut water on aerated drinks market: Lost opportunities in India.” Some of the views expressed in this commentary are his own, and LNN is not responsible for anything that is published.

A casual observer in New Delhi’s power corridors might wonder why so many foreign diplomats and senior fellows of governments are visiting these days. This matter is neither casual nor the corridors have too much power, with Delhi having suffered electricity blackouts due to the heavy load on its power grids the last few days.

The entire problem starts with the general election held in 2014, when a fringe group took over reins of the country. From that time, India has slid into electoral autocracy or authoritarian democracy or something like that, you get the picture. Even if you don’t, there is enough evidence to prove that democratic institutions are being taken apart systematically. One such evidence is the proposal to rebuild the existing Parliament building, which is not possible without shaking its very foundation.

Another sign of dangerously sinking into depths of democratic darkness is the obsession with cows. Renowned international experts in democracy and culinary matters have pointed out that cows, like most animals that are domesticated, are just the same as others with two legs forwards and two afterwards. While cows continue to enjoy special status and ceremony despite their lack of such differentiation, it is horrifying to note the unceremonious way in which Article 370 was abrogated in 2019 by this hyper nationalistic regime. Democracy Index maintained by global powers like Liechtenstein and Monaco ranks India 374th, close to the bottom. Leading human and goats’ rights advocates in India, including the now banned Majesty International, have pointed out that India should be ranked even lower since goats are just eaten, and do not get as many salutations as the cows.

While goats in India deal with their complexes, a far more sinister design is taking hold on her immigration policy. The previously liberal and egalitarian order of open borders is slowly giving way to a brutal tyranny where you have to actually apply to get immigration benefits. The recent resolutions by certain neighborhood blocks and municipalities in the US against this policy are expected to further isolate India internationally.

The stunning complacency with which COVID-19 is being handled is evident from the abysmally low vaccination coverage. When confronted with the figures including the total number of doses administered (close to only 2 billion), Indian officials pointed to a lower coverage in many other countries. A classic case of whataboutery — which is compounded by the cavalier attitude towards the possible 23rd wave predicted by WHO and other experts who got it right in early 2020.

With all this background, it is not hard to see the reasons for India’s confused foreign policy, and its stand towards NATO’s defensive posture (or offensive posture, it’s hard to tell). The diplomats streaming in to woo the allegedly neutral nation should be aware that neutral is not the right gear for moving forward, unless you are rolling downhill.

I fully expect my column to raise the troll armies who will probably question my credentials to write about India. To my critics, I cannot be any clearer in my response. I have not only seen many documentaries about India on the Discovery Channel, I have traveled extensively to Fremont city in California and visited several Indian grocery stores. I can even bring my palms together and say “Namaste” at the same time.

The next general election is round the corner, in 2024. As the ruling nationalistic dispensation makes a mockery of the Constitution by asking people for votes in every election, a progressive opposition heralds hope for a rebirth of democracy by garnering likes on Twitter and Facebook.

As eminent intellectuals look for postage stamps to return their government-granted awards in protest, democracy in India is now akin to a coconut — strong only on the outside but hollow on the inside.

— — —