Why India’s democracy is on path of steep decline, turning into electoral autocracy

By Bharat Dogra
India recently celebrated 75 years of Independence. While there are many reasons of happiness and pride while observing this important anniversary, perhaps the most important feeling should be of the compelling need to stand up at this critical time for saving and protecting democracy in India. The reason is that during the last 8 years of the NDA/BJP regime democracy has come under increasing strain in India.
The people of India have for long taken well-deserved pride in their democracy but this is now changing. A recent India Today poll had 48% of the respondents stating that the democracy is in danger while 37% said that it is not, with 15% not responding.
Social activists, academics, students, journalists and opposition leaders have faced more arrests, harassment, intimidation and assaults in recent times compared to any other time during the last four decades. Although the emergency of 1975-77 was even worse in terms of the number of political opponents arrested, it lasted for less than 2 years before the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced its end. However there is no telling when the present phase of the assault on human rights and civil liberties, as witnessed during the NDA/BJP regime (2014-continuing) will end.
Fr. Stan Swamy was a Jesuit priest who devoted himself to serving the poorest tribal communities all his life. He was arrested in October 2020 at the age of 83. As his health deteriorated rapidly in jail, messages poured in for his release. These were ignored and he died nine months later on July 5, 2021. Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders, said that she is devastated and Fr. Swamy was arrested on false charges.
G.N.Saibaba, who taught in a Delhi college, is 90% disabled physically. After his arrest, he was placed in an egg-shaped cell, designed to make him visible all the time but very inconvenient for a person of severe disability. On top of this when CCTV was also installed , he had to go on a hunger strike to get some relief.
Teesta Setalvad, a lawyer, activist and journalist who devoted herself for decades to helping victims of violence and riots, became co-petitioner with a woman who had seen her husband being killed before her eyes by rioters in Gujarat in 2002. This petition was not just dismissed but in addition Setalvad has been arrested. Mary Lawlor has said that Teesta Setalvad is a strong voice against hatred and discrimination, while asking for her release. Two police officers who helped to expose facts relating to riots are also in jail.
Himanshu Kumar had felt inspired by Mahatma Gandhi to work among the poorest tribal communities in Chattisgarh. When he drew attention to serious human rights violations and atrocities, his office was demolished. His petition to court was not just rejected but in addition he was asked to pay a huge fine and guidelines for further proceedings against him were issued.
Even when some victimized activists and opponents get some relief some courts, the tactic of implicating them in some other case is used to prolong their imprisonment. Opposition leader Jignesh Mewani and journalist Mohammed Zubair provide recent examples of this, although they finally got some relief from judiciary.
On May 3 World Press Freedom Day ten leading international organizations called for stopping assaults on press freedom in India. The Watch of the State initiative of the Polis project has mentioned 256 incidents of assaults and intimidation of journalists in India between May 2019 and August 2021.
Minorities have become significantly more insecure during the last 8 years or so of the NDA-BJP regime. They have faced entirely avoidable assaults and insults in matters relating to food, dress, livelihood and place of worship. Those accused of terrible violence against them, or of issuing threats of future violence, have been time and again allowed to escape serious punishment.
Democratic reforms introduced by the previous regime relating to right to information and transparency by the previous UPA/Congress government have suffered a huge setback. A scheme of election bonds was perfected in 2017 to allow the ruling party BJP to amass huge funds in conditions of complete non-transparency. Massive funds collected in this way not only help to win elections, these ( as well as intimidation)have been also used to topple state governments of opposition parties.
The Varieties of Democracy Institute, Sweden, has stated that India’s democracy is on a path of steep decline turning it into an ‘electoral autocracy’. Certainly the spirit of democracy has been increasingly missing in recent times and when this happens in a country of 1.3 billion people, then this has serious worldwide implications for democracy. Nevertheless, what still keeps hope alive is the robust resistance still being shown by several citizens, activists and media persons as well as opposition parties. Democratic traditions strengthened over several decades will not collapse so easily and a very good way of observing the 75th independence anniversary by Indian citizens will be to strengthen their commitment to democracy.
---
The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now and was formerly, Honorary Convener of National Campaign for People’s Right to Information. His recent books include ‘A Day in 2071’, ‘Planet in Peril' and ‘Man over Machine—a Path to Peace'

Comments

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor* A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas* Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Search This Blog