Undemocratic protests

someone of his generation,this gentleman pinpointed the Emergency. Contrasted with the experiences of neighbouring countries in South Asia,it is remarkable that democracy has sustained itself in India,but for that aberration of the Emergency.

But notwithstanding Amartya Sen’s arguments in “The Argumentative Indian”,how deep is democracy and respect for democratic institutions ingrained in India? One may,or may not,question Headline Today’s “sting” operation. Even if one questions it,there are legitimate forums for challenging it. As anyone witnessing the agitation will vouch,this was anything but peaceful. And the immediate reactions of BJP leaders,many of whom had been influenced by the Emergency,wasn’t one of condemnation.

The immediate reactions of political parties like Congress,RJD,TMC and CPM was to condemn both BJP/RSS and the act. But is it the case that in States where they have influence,and in comparable situations,these political parties invariably resort to democratic forms of protest? The answer is in the negative. Or witness the standard reaction of those who are pro-economic reform,arguing that India pays a “democracy tax”.

The doubtful correlation between democracy and economic development has systematically and empirically been explored by Paul Collier and has also been highlighted in Pranab Bardhan’s recent book. Democracy is never about protecting rights and entitlements of aristocracies and elites.

They can always devise means to work the system. Democracy is about the rights and entitlements of the relatively poor and deprived. It is perhaps understandable that undermining of democratic institutions is typically articulated by the elite and it also has a lot to do with the decay of institutions,actively propagated and pushed since the late-1960s.

The Preamble to the Constitution makes us a democracy,one that is secular and socialist. However,for each of these three appellations,the support is probably only skin-deep.