Indian democracy is facing one of its most serious challenges. Principal opposition party has been feeling aggrieved that the current dispensation has been unlawfully manipulating elections, by subverting the institution of Election Commission itself. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) faces allegation of acting in a partisan manner to help the current dispensation win.
The role of CEC to Chief Justice of India, who are expected to be impartial entity has probably never faced so much suspicion. While issues are far too complex but history will surely judge both incumbents fairly. Principal opposition party faces recurrent allegation that it assumes ruling India, more for private gains of its members and loyalists rather than national good, is its divine right. It is feeling aggrieved that this divine right has been usurped by incumbent dispensation. But the same appears to be deploying more or less similar tactics, albeit at a much higher scale, that the current opposition deployed while it was in power.
My understanding is that. “vote Chori” is a reality but this is not the only way of subversion of democracy. Yesterday, I posted a hard hitting article on social media platform X. I am being perennially blocked on every social media platform over integrity of my view that many find quite unnerving. My objective is not to cause any inconvenience to anyone. I believe that the world’s oldest humanist civilisation, that has seen terrible time, has a right to evolve to its optimal potential. The content of my concerned post captures the essence of my perspective. The same is being produced as under:
A democracy is endangered not only when votes are stolen.
It is also endangered when governance is reduced to leader worship, when the rule of law becomes a fiction, and when the life, liberty, and dignity of citizens depend on the whims of powerful individuals or their cronies.
In such a system, both democracy and national security stand weakened.
Electoral manipulation, whether subtle or crude, is a serious threat.
But if votes are stolen, who is expected to investigate?
Ultimately, some institution must do so.
Why, then, is there so little discussion about institutional subversion, institutional integrity, or institutional reform?
And if elections are fundamentally compromised, why do different parties continue to win in Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and other states governed by the opposition?
At times, one gets the uneasy feeling that much of India's political space has been cartelised in ways that prevent the nation from realising its full potential.
A democracy is imperilled when public life is dominated by power-seekers preoccupied with themselves rather than the nation; by hereditary entitlement masquerading as leadership; by personality cults masquerading as politics; or by perpetual agitators who offer outrage in place of a vision for governance.
Allegations are easy. Agitation is easy. Instigation is easy. They often resonate with people carrying genuine pain and frustration.
But a calm mind eventually asks a more important question:
Will any of this solve the problem?
A politician may mobilise support through allegations of vote theft and favourable caste coalition and demonising numerically minor castes.
He may even succeed in capturing power. But does that, by itself, strengthen the nation?
Governments do make mistakes and must be held accountable.
Yet allegations alone are not a governing agenda.
A country of India's scale cannot depend on the discretion, benevolence, or impulses of powerful leaders.
It requires credible, effective and resilient institutions. It must be governed by the rule of law, not by personalities.
Institution-building is hard.
Outrage is easy.
Governance is complex.
Demagoguery is tempting.
National transformation is hard.
Exploiting public discontent for political gain is easy.
Before seeking power, every political leader should answer:
• How will you reform the judiciary? • How will you modernise policing? • How will you strengthen national security? • How will you retain talent and reduce brain drain? • How will you build world-class public infrastructure and security of citizens? • How will you promote enterprise, innovation and wealth creation? • How will you secure the dignity, liberty and safety of citizens? • How will you prevent institutional capture and enhance institutional integrity and effectiveness?
These questions lie at the heart of national progress.
The present government is far from perfect. It has several weaknesses. People have paid enormous personal price over their integrity and patriotism. Opposition is only bothered about its power grab rather than offering any solution.
India needs to undertake a larger and arduous journey of institution building.
Citizens are entitled to ask every claimant to political power a simple question:
What is your agenda for the nation beyond criticism of the government?
A civilisation of India's scale cannot be governed through grievance, inheritance, rhetoric, personality cults, or perpetual agitation alone.
India needs leaders who can present a serious blueprint for governance and institutional reform; a blueprint grounded in competence, courage, integrity, accountability, and measurable outcomes.
That is the standard every thinking Indian should demand from every politician seeking power.
@RahulGandhi @narendramodi @ShashiTharoor @yadavakhilesh @tvkvijayhq @myogiadityanath
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