Need for Greater Strides Toward Democracy

Newsreel Asia Insight #310
August 15, 2024

India’s fight for independence from British colonial rule is celebrated as a victory that replaced foreign dominion with native governance. However, this traditional narrative overlooks the broader vision for India—a vision centred on establishing a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” In this context, gaining independence from the British was just a step in a longer journey that continues today, as evidenced by historical events like the Emergency and current issues such as authoritarian laws and the suppression of dissent.

The independence movement was a diverse and nuanced struggle, involving various ideologies and visions for the post-colonial nation. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru envisioned a free India where civil liberties were safeguarded and governance was transparent and accountable. This vision aligned with the spirit of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, which famously advocated a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Gandhi once said, “My notion of democracy is that under it the weakest shall have the same opportunities as the strongest. No country in the world today shows any but patronising regard for the weak. Western democracy, as it functions today, is diluted fascism. True democracy cannot be worked by twenty men sitting at the center. It has to be worked from below, by the people of every village.”

In a speech, titled “A tryst with destiny,” to the Indian Constituent Assembly in the Parliament House, delivered on the eve of India’s Independence towards midnight on Aug. 14, 1947, Nehru said, “The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.”

The Preamble to the Indian Constitution, adopted in 1950, embodies these ideals, advocating for justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. These aspirations suggest that changing rulers was merely the initial step toward a profound transformation in the nation’s governance.

However, as expected, the path of true democracy has been fraught with deviations and challenges. The most stark among these was the Emergency declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1975 to 1977. During this period, constitutional rights were suspended, press freedom was curtailed and political dissent was brutally suppressed.

The situation has echoes in contemporary India, where several incidents suggest a departure from the democratic ethos. The enactment and implementation of laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have been criticised for undermining civil liberties and discriminating based on religion, respectively.

Moreover, the suppression of dissent, whether through the arrest of activists, academics and journalists, or through indirect censorship and surveillance, raises serious concerns about the health of democracy in India.

The central government’s response to protests and civil unrest further show this ongoing struggle. For example, the reaction to the farmers’ protests in 2020, which involved the use of tear gas, water cannons and batons against protesters, appeared to be reminiscent of colonial tactics of suppression. Such measures reveal a governance style that prioritises control over dialogue and contradicts the democratic aspirations of India’s founders.

This reflection on historical and contemporary challenges indicates that India’s struggle continues, now for true democracy. The essence of the independence—establishing a society where governance is conducted with the consent and for the welfare of the governed—remains an ideal yet to be fully realised.

To move closer to this ideal, India requires a renewed commitment to uphold constitutional values, protect civil liberties, and ensure that governance is transparent, inclusive and accountable. It’s not solely the government’s responsibility; every citizen plays a vital role through their voting choices and interactions with fellow Indians. By promoting the ideals of human dignity, upon which democracy and its associated civil liberties are founded, everyone contributes to the strengthening of our democratic framework.