Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
India has been in a state of denial for years. It is rightly proud of its vibrant and chaotic
democracy that has survived and been accepted almost without question across this vast
and diverse country for over 65 years. But it is in denial because it has not been prepared
to recognise that the vagaries of democracy are providing smokescreens that obfuscate
many of the negative aspects of how the country works. Democracy creates an environment
where jugaad fixes are easy, and where the failures of the system in terms of poor
governance and weakened institutions make the fatalism of chalta hai a welcome safe-
haven. Democracy has therefore become an unchallengeable fig leaf covering what is not
achieved. It allows the negative and underperforming aspects of Indian life to flourish, and
it blocks changes and acts as an excuse for what is not being achieved.
The country can no longer afford to allow this to continue. If it does, systems will de-
teriorate further, possibly leading to implosions as the functioning of institutions is un-
dermined and destroyed. India is far too large and diverse for a revolution to gain hold
and dramatically change the way that it is run, but implosion, where government authority
crumbles, systems break down, society becomes more lawless, and investment and growth
slumps, can already be seen.
This is not an argument for doing away with democracy, but to recognise and change
the negative way in which it operates. Democracy has helped to hold India together since
independence, providing an outlet for people's frustrations and anger, sometimes ousting
prime ministers, chief ministers and their governments. Though far from perfect, it has giv-
en the great mass of the population a feeling that they have a say in how the country is run,
however faint and rare that may be and however much they are cheated and maltreated by
those they elect. But it has also provided an excuse and a cover for the gradual criminal-
isation of politics that has been allowed to grow for decades to such an extent that election
campaigns are distorted, large bribes are paid when coalitions are being formed, and many
members of parliament and state assemblies have criminal charges pending against them,
often for serious offences.
Democracy is also used as an excuse for ineffective government. The most recent ex-
amples of this have come with the coalitions of the past two decades, especially in the past
ten years. Manmohan Singh has attempted to pass off prime ministerial vacillation in policy
and questionable decision-making as the inevitable result of the 'compulsions of coalition
of policy delays. But, while the recent years have been bad, the problems are deeper and
will not be solved simply by switching to another prime minister or political party that car-
