Those who vehemently oppose Narendra Modi prefer sensationalism fuelled by disinformation and distortion.
The discourse surrounding democratic backsliding in India has reached a fever pitch due to the general elections. On one front, the Congress party daily asserts that elections are fixed. On the other front, the media, especially Western media, is painting a doomsday scenario for the world’s most populous democracy. The claims range from the usual (EVMs are hacked) to the outlandish (2024 general elections are the least free and fair in the nation’s history). Some have resorted to fear-mongering, suggesting that Narendra Modi would abolish elections in his third term.
No democracy is without its flaws, and there are aspects of Indian democracy that warrant examination. However, those who vehemently oppose Narendra Modi prefer sensationalism fuelled by disinformation and distortion. While their collective efforts may not influence the electoral outcome in their favour, they could potentially shape how history remembers this election and the level of turbulence that Modi 3.0 will encounter.
REJECTING A DEMOCRATIC VERDICT
The most significant threat to democracy stems from the refusal to accept and respect democratic outcomes. This trend has been evident in the conduct of the Opposition and its ecosystem over the past decade. They attribute their electoral defeats to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The widespread use of EVMs across all constituencies started in the 2004 general elections, when, in a political upset, the Congress-led UPA government came to power defeating the BJP-led NDA. Since then, various political parties have emerged victorious in three general and many state elections—the Congress party won two major states, Karnataka, and Telangana, in 2023.
Of late, there appears a scary shift from the “divide and rule” policy towards “divide and destroy.” The Opposition is blatantly exploiting caste, class, and regional divisions. Rahul Gandhi, in particular, is fixated on castes. Interestingly, he identifies as a Brahmin for electoral purposes, rather than being a Dalit, OBC, Muslim, or his parents’ religion of Parsi or Christian. Among the Hindu Prime Ministers of Congress, Jawaharlal Nehru, and P.V. Narasimha Rao were Brahmins, as was Indira Gandhi by birth (PM Lal Bahadur renounced his caste and adopted the honorific title “Shastri”).
The Gandhi scion has made statements that could be easily perceived as threatening. The investigative agencies have been declared guilty by him and warned of “strong action” if the Congress party returned to power. He has issued a dire warning that if PM Modi’s third term results in any alterations to the Constitution, India will burn.
It is crucial to recall that the Indira Gandhi government implemented several amendments to the Constitution while the entire Opposition was incarcerated during the Emergency period. Those who are in power today were among those who fought against the Emergency. The current Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, was jailed for 18 months and was not permitted to attend his mother’s funeral. Neither the Congress party was derecognised for its crime of severely undermining democracy, nor were all the amendments rolled back.
When in power, Congress and its allies tried to get the BJP banned. Navin Chawla, an Election Commissioner perceived as a Congress loyalist, was part of the derecognition hearing in 2007. Chawla was declared unfit to hold any public office that required impartiality, by the Justice Shah Inquiry Commission on Emergency. Despite the then Chief Election Commissioner writing to the President of India about Chawla’s partisan approach and despite the allegations that he received political favours from Congress, Chawla became the CEC and oversaw the 2009 general elections. The UPA returned to power. Democracy observers were not concerned about free and fair elections then.
Congress is maligning Indian elections and institutions as it does not stand a chance of denting the BJP’s tally. It has failed to prevent the exodus of its leaders and members. It claims that these individuals left due to fear of government agencies; the reality is that few want to remain on a sinking ship.
THE SANCTIMONIOUS WEST
India is the mother of democracy, with more people than the entire population of North America and Europe. However, the brown masses, once ruled by white colonial masters, must be told what is right for their nation. India is ranked as having a higher probability of mass killings than all the other countries in the world except for Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Sudan. This marks an improvement from the number 2 position we were listed at in 2021-22. We are labelled as an “electoral autocracy.” Given this context, let us examine a few nations regarded as exemplary democracies and staunch defenders of democratic principles.
In January, a Canadian Federal Court ruled that the Trudeau government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act in early 2022, which included the freezing of bank and credit card accounts to financially disempower protesters, was not justifiable. Canada’s Online Harms Act has drawn criticism for being “Orwellian,” with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association opining that it could lead to broad violations of freedom of expression, privacy, protest rights, and liberty. It permits thought policing by allowing house arrest if there are grounds to believe that an individual may commit a future hate crime. Similarly, Ireland, a leading liberal democracy, is preparing to introduce a hate speech law that has raised concerns about its potential threat to individual liberties.
Germany is desperate to ban the Alternative for Germany (AfD), or at least, cut off its funding. In March 2022, a German court enabled the domestic intelligence agency to spy on AfD. A couple of state chapters of the AfD are classified as “right-wing extremist.” In Hesse, the mainstream parties rewrote parliamentary rules to block AfD from the intelligence committee, even though it came at the cost of weakening opposition oversight. Germany is also facing a lawsuit by several human rights organisations, aiming to block arms exports to Israel amid its war in Gaza.
In the United States, a disturbing trend has emerged with the deaths of 12 Indian students or people of Indian origin this year alone. The most recent case is of 25-year-old Mohammed Abdul Arfath, who was pursuing a Master’s degree at Cleveland University. Another tragic incident was that of Jaahnavi Kandula, killed by a speeding police vehicle in January 2023. The Police Department mocked that her life had “limited value,” and the police officer walked free. Consider the international outcry and scrutiny if 12 Americans were found dead in India in a three-month period, or if the Indian police had dismissed an American as having low value, or if a bright Muslim youth were found dead in India. There is also an alarming rise in racism against Indians as well as Hinduphobia.
Nobody is safe in the world’s most powerful nation, where the right to life, a cornerstone of human rights, is brazenly violated. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 656 mass shootings in 2023, defined as incidents where four or more people were shot, killed, or injured. The total number of gun violence deaths was nearly 43,000. Aishwarya Thatikonda, a 27-year-old Indian, was among the victims of a mass shooting in Texas in May 2023 that claimed eight lives, including three children. America is the only developed nation where firearms rank among the leading causes of mortality among children. The pervasive gun violence, coupled with violent protests, bizarre laws that encourage criminals and squatters, rising crime rates, and indiscriminate illegal immigration that burdens the system, is breeding an atmosphere of anarchy. This undermines trust in the rule of law, crucial for a functioning democracy.
US citizens are questioning the fairness of its elections and political system. Concerns are arising over the potential weaponisation of the Department of Justice to target and silence opponents. Elon Musk and many others view the January 6th prosecutions as excessive. Additionally, there are numerous attempts to bar former President Donald Trump from the presidential race—justified under the guise of safeguarding democracy.
The United Nations is not perfect either. Whistleblower Emma Reilly’s revelations paint a damning picture of the UN and its agencies, depicting them as puppets of China. Not only do they edit reports to Beijing’s liking, but they also divulge the names of human rights activists to the authoritarian regime, resulting in the arrest of their family members.
CONCLUSION
Recently, an activist named Riddhi Patel was arrested in the US for threatening to kill Bakersfield City Council members. In India, Imran Masood, who threatened to chop Narendra Modi to pieces a decade back, contested the general elections on a Congress ticket in 2014 and is contesting in 2024 as well. In January, a journalist was arrested for trying to question Chrystia Freeland, the Canadian Deputy PM. In March, the father of a Marine, who was killed in Afghanistan, was arrested for disrupting President Joe Biden’s speech. Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces daily abuse from the Opposition and its ecosystem. Some Chief Ministers breach protocol to disrespect him. On one occasion, he was blocked on a bridge in Congress-ruled Punjab, posing a grave security threat. Despite these provocations, he refrains even from verbal retaliation using similar low language.
PM Modi remains unperturbed by criticism, and electorally, the BJP is mostly positively impacted by what the Opposition or the West says about the Modi government. However, if left unchecked, the “democracy in danger” narrative could be exploited to delegitimise the election results, discredit India’s democratic institutions, and coerce other nations into condemning the perceived “democratic backsliding” of India. It could further worsen global rankings and impact investment decisions. When combined with the talks of wealth redistribution and caste census, the increasing protest culture, and the threat of chaos if Modi 3.0 attempts major reforms, it does not create a pretty scenario.
India must heed lessons from history, where foreign narratives have often shaped its story. In the era of Artificial Intelligence, we have an opportunity to undo the damage and craft a discourse that authentically reflects India’s unique identity and aspirations.
Semu Bhatt is a strategic adviser and author specialising in governance, geopolitics, and conflict. She has a comprehensive understanding of Narendra Modi’s politics and policies and a consistent track record of accurately predicting his political decisions.