Socio-political issues | Diminished freedom

In 2019, India, the world’s largest democracy, was ranked 27th in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Democracy Index. Now it is at the 46th position. Other global indices such as those of Freedom House and V-Dem Institute have also raised questions about democracy in India. In the latest India Today Mood of the Nation survey, too, respondents have expressed greater concern for the state of democracy than before—almost half feel that democracy is in danger today and only 37 per cent feel it is not in danger, the lowest level of confidence in 18 months.

In 2019, India, the world’s largest democracy, was ranked 27th in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Democracy Index. Now it is at the 46th position. Other global indices such as those of Freedom House and V-Dem Institute have also raised questions about democracy in India. In the latest India Today Mood of the Nation survey, too, respondents have expressed greater concern for the state of democracy than before—almost half feel that democracy is in danger today and only 37 per cent feel it is not in danger, the lowest level of confidence in 18 months.

Suppression of citizens’ voices is a threat to democracy, and much of the concern about Indian democracy stems from the growing number of criminal charges allegedly slapped on those who speak out against the ruling party. This year, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showed that 356 cases of sedition were filed and 548 people arrested under Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code between 2015 and 2020. This prompted the Supreme Court to send out a powerful message, asking the central and state governments to refrain from filing FIRs and conducting proceedings in sedition cases. No wonder, a higher percentage of MOTN respondents (29) retain their faith in the judiciary to uphold democratic values, though it has fallen five percentage points from the previous MOTN poll.

Despite the growing concern about democracy, however, only 9 per cent respondents feel they cannot express an opinion on either religious or political matters. Almost half say they can freely express their opinions on either religion or politics, while 23 per cent say they can freely air their views on politics, but not on religion. Only 23.1 per cent, however, see social media networks as a good platform for speaking out, perhaps because several people have been arrested in recent years due to their posts on social media. A significant 42 per cent see social media as a means to stay connected and receive information.

In the latest monsoon session of Parliament, 24 Opposition MPs—20 from the Rajya Sabha and four from the Lok Sabha—were suspended for unruly behaviour. Such disruptions, according to Rajya Sabha sources, have cost Rs 133 crore and caused a wastage of 89 hours. While 37.7 per cent of MOTN respondents blame the Opposition, 33.3 per cent believe the fault lies in the ruling party trying to enact laws without discussion. Only 17 per cent hold both sides responsible for the frequent disruptions that led to the session ending four days before schedule and only five bills being passed.


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When it comes to their take on socio-cultural issues, there seems to be a conflict between the liberal and the traditional sides. While a clear-cut 63 per cent believe celebrities posing semi-nude or nude is ‘obscene’, opinion is divided on whether India should legalise cannabis. The support for a uniform civil code has fallen to 65.8 per cent from 72.7 per cent in January 2022. Almost three years after Article 370 was abrogated and the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir bifurcated into Union territories, unrest and uncertainties conti­nue to plague the region. While 28 per cent of the MOTN respondents believe that Article 370 should be reinstated, 39.4 per cent are opposed to the idea. A majority (67 per cent) believe that the way to normalcy is through restoring full statehood to J&K.

On women’s safety, MOTN reflects an all-time high—almost half believe India has become safer for women, while 34 per cent feel it is less safe than before and 9 per cent say nothing has changed. This could be an outcome of the several measures taken by central and state governments in the past one year. Technology has helped law enforcers come up with faster, more accessible and anonymous ways for women to reach out for assistance. Some states like Andhra Pradesh have apps that enable users to send out distress alerts to the police by simply shaking the phone. The Centre’s 112 app also sends such notifications along with audio or visual proof and even tracks the progress of an incident through video. Other achievements include over 700 one-stop centres for women’s psycho-social wellbeing, a special railway protection force for them and a pan-India emergency response telephone line.

The country as a whole has faced many tough challenges in the past one year. Estimates in a 2021 Lancet study showed that cases of depression, sadness and anxiety had risen by 35 per cent in India over a year. Not only have there been growing economic uncertainties as well as exposure to images and stories of war, but the pandemic too has shown no clear sign of getting over. All these seem to have taken a toll, with only 51 per cent of the respondents saying they are very happy or somewhat happy, down from 75 per cent in January 2022.