Let’s celebrate the vibrancy of Indian democracy and reaffirm our faith in its principles of freedom, equality, and justice.
As the second phase of the general elections of 2024 concludes with a 64.7% voter turnout, it’s time to celebrate the vibrancy of Indian democracy. Despite concerns raised by leading newspapers and think-tanks across the globe, there’s no sign of democracy being strangled in India. Instead, what we witness is a thriving democratic process, where the voice of the people resounds louder than ever.
In recent times, headlines like “Modi’s Temple of Lies” (New York Times), “India’s election: fixing a win by outlawing dissent damages democracy” (UK Guardian), and “Modi Is Making India’s Election All About Himself” (Bloomberg) have flooded international media platforms. Such narratives suggest a sinister picture of Indian democracy, painting a portrait of authoritarianism and suppression of dissent. However, it’s imperative to dissect these claims and reveal the ulterior motives behind them.
While 970 million Indians freely exercise their franchise in the general elections over the next two months, the outcry of an array of global media outlets, global think-tanks, activists, and NGOs concerning democracy in India being compromised is unfounded and reeks of sinister motives. It’s easy to lose sight of the truth, but it’s essential to remember one crucial factor: the wisdom of Indian voters.
Indian voters have consistently proved their resilience and wisdom. The voter turnout in the second phase of the general elections is a testament to their belief in the democratic process. Earlier too, when people in the world had shed tears over healthy democracy in India, the so-called illiterate people of India had given a befitting reply and had shocked people because democracy is not just a foreign idea in India; it is the way of life here from time immemorial. There have been instances when doubts were raised, and popular perception was something different, but the outcome outsmarted all of them.
For instance, in the fourth general elections in India, held in 1967, it was expected that Indira Gandhi would soar to victory in front of the Congress stalwarts. However, voters did not give the same support to Congress that they had given in the first three general elections. Out of a total of 520 seats in the Lok Sabha, Congress could only secure 238 seats, and the vote percentage also declined drastically. Half of the ministers of Indira Gandhi’s cabinet had lost the elections. However, she managed, and people, who were discounting her as “Goongi Gudiya” (mute doll), she proved all of them wrong.
By the time of the fifth general elections in 1971, the Congress had split into two. All the old friends of Nehru were against his daughter Indira. Indira was facing challenges from within the Congress itself. Morarji Desai and Kamaraj were in the field again. The slogan of the opposition was “Remove Indira”, But Indira Gandhi came to power again due to her slogan, “Remove Poverty”.
The wisdom of Indian voters was written large in 1977 when, despite the Intelligence Bureau report indicating a favourable atmosphere for Indira Gandhi and a scattered opposition, the public gave her the dust. But seeing the infighting among the opposition, the voters of India again handed over power to Indira Gandhi in the 1980 elections. The same voters who gave an unbelievable mandate to Rajiv Gandhi on the death of Indira Gandhi in 1984 made Vishwanath Pratap Singh the king in 1989.
Vajpayee, who had run a good government for many years, when he came up with the India Shining campaign in 2004, the public rejected him and handed over power to the UPA. These mandates have reflected the intelligence of the people of India and their tendency to vote peacefully. Which was neither and is not much affected by publicity and propaganda, if the likes on social media had been converted into votes, then BJP too would not have lost in the Assembly elections of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Himachal. It has proved to be foolish to question the understanding of the voters. If the votes were based on the digital footprint found on X, Congress would have been a strong opposition after Rahul’s long padayatra.
As we navigate through the noise of social media and sensational headlines, let’s remember the wisdom of Indian voters. Let’s celebrate the vibrancy of Indian democracy and reaffirm our faith in its principles of freedom, equality, and justice. Because in the end, elections are not won on social media binaries; they are won by the collective intelligence and discernment of the people.
Anurag Punetha, senior journalist, is Head, Media, IGNCA.