Rebuilding our democracy

The Taliban-scripted Afghanistan catastrophe is not a one-off tragedy. It is indicative of a larger trend at play: a meteoric rise of abject totalitarianism soaring high on the wings of regressive thought and inhuman atrocities. Taliban may be an extreme example of autocracy reminiscent of the dark ages, but the rapidly deteriorating fabric of democracy is a global phenomenon, as contagious as the pandemic, if not more.

No wonder, we are already witnessing the tell-tale signs of impending mayhem. All around us, we see fake narratives based on flawed notions of nationalism and religious protectionism playing havoc, what with minorities labelled as a downright threat to the majority, secular principles mocked at with unfailing regularity, selfless activists unabashedly belittled, and public broadcast heavily censored and blatantly sponsored.

Defamation laws and government machinery are being abused left, right and centre, and dissent is being nipped in the bud with sedition cases.

Even the most serious ‘eavesdropping’ accusations have been kept away from fair scrutiny.

There’s no denying the fact that India has a very transparent electoral system, theoretically devoid of any voter suppression. The inexcusable stain, however, is the fact that votes are cast based on caste, creed, language, and religion.

Given that this glaring socio-cultural bias happily meets political sanction, it is no surprise that corruption and favouritism loom large, evident in the disgraceful manner in which names are proposed, seconded, and nominated as electoral candidates or awarded ministerial berths. Vote banks continue to thrive on communal disharmony, largely the fallout of the ingenuous British move to form separate communal electorates in India.

Having said that, we can’t absolve ourselves of our role in depriving democracy of its vigour and vitality. Come what may, all we do is to look away, keep mum or worse, relish heated but impotent debates in the cosy comfort of our living rooms. The onus is on us, the citizens of India, to restore and revitalize our priceless democracy. We all know it is the most potent vehicle to ensure that our preferences and aspirations steer good governance and effective policymaking. But what are our preferences? Are there any in the first place?

We must first cherish the value of our votes before we cast them, which calls for deep introspection into the very meaning and significance of democracy and the pillars that uphold it - freedom of speech and expression, individual dignity, and mindful protection of the marginalised sections. Casting our votes is not about typecasting them with insular preferences based on caste, creed and religion.

The much-talked-about EVMs have only ensured quick electoral turnarounds, yet propaganda has made us believe as if they are harbingers of a new era in Indian democracy, which is yet neither in sight nor in mind. Let’s take it on ourselves to bring it back in sight and mind.

Changing the way people vote is a colossal and formidable challenge in India, a country where the majority of voters hail from rural and remote areas and hence are largely uneducated and ignorant. Hence, we need to organize a series of focused rural campaigns to sensitize rural voters on why caste, creed, religion, momentary gains and freebies should not be the basis of their invaluable votes.

Persuasive and persistent effort is required to help them internalise the fact that citizen votes must be necessarily cast on the basis of key issues towards electing genuine candidates with clean records and a clear conscience, rather than placing faith in people with shady pasts and suspect motives, only to lament in hindsight.

Let’s rebuild our democracy from scratch. Let’s join hands to try and steer a movement that alone will help us avert a despondent future led by despotism.

(The writer is Executive Chairman, HCG Cancer Hospitals)