Arya News - Despite holding multiparty elections, India falls short of fundamental requisites such as freedom of expression, association, and free and fair elections due to ineffective enforcement agencies and a judiciary system that fails to check the unfair electoral system strictly.
NEW DELHI – George Orwell’s work “1984” has always been fascinating as it delves deeper into the relationship between truth, facts, manipulation and societal control in a totalitarian society. It exposes how reality can be distorted, and information can be manipulated and exploited by those in power to serve their agendas. The ruling Party, led by ‘Big Brother’, dictates what is acceptable and what is not. The people are under constant surveillance by the ruling Party to oppress and control them. They also control language and thought to limit free thinking and make people ‘Doublethink’ to hold ideas contradictory to ‘The Party’. The concept of the ‘Thought Police’ in “1984” highlights the risks of erosion of individual freedom. This theme warns about the importance of safeguarding democracy, human rights and the rule of the land.
The question is, “Are there parallels between George Orwell’s 1984 and our society? Are we living in an Orwellian reality?” The novel’s themes revolve around excessive government surveillance, manipulation of truth and loss of individual freedom that prompts us to reflect on our world. India’s democratic story is not about preserving uniformity but celebrating diversity with single citizenship, allowing people from varied backgrounds and identities to coexist and thrive. Democracy becomes a powerful tool for managing differences and promoting inclusivity. However, the Preamble to the Indian Constitution, which was based on the drafted objective resolutions declaring the Indian State as sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic and republican policy with justice, liberty, equality and fraternity as its objective, has been challenged by the growing intolerance and divisive politics threatening the secular fabric and democratic values of the nation and compromising the Constitution’s commitment to social justice.
Despite holding multiparty elections, India falls short of fundamental requisites such as freedom of expression, association, and free and fair elections due to ineffective enforcement agencies and a judiciary system that fails to check the unfair electoral system strictly. These electoral systems erode people’s trust in their leaders and leadership, ultimately leading to questioning of elected representatives. This signifies a notable decline in democratic norms and institutions, marking a shift towards autocratic tendencies. It can be maintained that the Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index has evaluated India as a “flawed democracy” in its 2019 report. Another report by the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute has categorized India as an “Electoral Autocracy”, highlighting a significant decline in its democratic credentials. Indians’ support for democracy has seen a decline, according to a 2017 study by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) found that the percentage of Indians who supported democracy dropped from 70 per cent in 2005 to 63 per cent in 2017. Simultaneously, there has been a rise in support for authoritarian rule. Data from the World Values Survey shows that between 1999-2004 and 2010-2014, support for rule by a strong leader increased from 43 per cent to 56 per cent.
The biggest challenge of the sudden death and lumbering pace of democratic decline is because of the disregard and negligence of the social foundation that upholds and sustains democratic values. Democracy extends beyond politics and government institutions but involves people’s everyday lives, interactions, and the social fabric that binds them together. The strength of government institutions lies in the daily cooperation and relationships with the people, from intimate family settings to broader communities, their way of living, and social spaces. People will cooperate with the government only through the trust-building process by being transparent, fair and dedicated in their actions. These everyday connections form the foundation that supports democratic governance. A strong democracy relies on how the citizens practice their core values – equality, freedom, justice, solidarity and respect for differences. These values at the grassroots level decide the nature of democratic governance, even at the higher levels.
A topsy-turvy state: Manipur
The unscrupulous attitude of the central government during the ongoing crisis has exaggerated the unrest. Their deliberate, irresponsible action towards the crisis and their narratives to conceal their unaccountable tactics and defend themselves from the people’s and others’ acquisition has showcased a flaw in democracy. Low-graded politics have also been seen in how the government’s attitude portrays the genesis of the crisis. The government has shifted its narrative on the crisis, attributing it to various factors at different times. Initially, it blamed the High Court’s order on Schedule Tribe status and then pointed to illegal immigration, transnational conspiracies, increased poppy cultivation and narco activities. Later, the narrative shifted to portray the conflict as a simple ethnic issue between the Meitei and Kuki communities. However, these shifting narratives divert attention from the core issue, i.e. the government’s failure to maintain law and order in the state. By changing its explanation, the government is sidestepping its responsibility to address the root causes of the crisis and ensure accountability for its actions. Sometimes, they act as a mediator instead of using their legitimate power to enforce the rule of law that ensures the protection of lives and properties of the people and has compelled the crisis to drag out.
The displaced and affected person should not be ignored when addressing the issue when fundamental rights and needs are not met, causing loss of their culture and their livelihood, thereby eroding their sense of living, leading to further injustice and marginalization. India’s glorified story of being the largest democracy and its fourth position in the nation’s superpower is questioned by their manipulated political response in the crisis, thereby mounting degraded social institutions, clampdowns on freedom of thought and expression, liberty to express, intimidation, internet blackouts, injustice and tyranny attitude in Manipur. On the other hand, there are also rising concerns about the cult of many self-proclaimed leaders who are empowered by some who enjoy an iron grip on our society. The law in the pocket crushes the ideas and ideologies that contradict theirs in the name of the ‘People’ and protection of the ‘Land’, which is also the circumstantial effect of the government’s failure, thereby undermining democratic values.
As Manipur is embroiled in an armed conflict with separatist movements seeking to regain sovereignty, concerns arise about whether the emergence of self-proclaimed leaders is a strategy to dilute the long-standing sovereignty movement, thereby keeping the people confused. In both the hills and valleys of Manipur, mysterious and external forces exert power over the people, fostering fear, mistrust and social injustice, ultimately leaving them feeling hopeless and voiceless. In Noam Chomsky’s 1967 essay “The Responsibility of Intellectuals”, intellectuals are positioned to expose government lies, analyse actions according to their causes and motives, and reveal often hidden agendas. By doing so, intellectuals can significantly influence society, informing public opinion and policy decisions, educating the public, and fostering a more informed and critically thinking society. In Manipur, where unseen forces wield significant influence, there is a pressing need for “New Intellectuals” who can empower people to think beyond the existing power structures. These “New Intellectuals” would challenge dominant narratives and foster critical thinking.
Silence should not be a self-preservation strategy; remaining silent is not the best way to save oneself in the current environment. A culture of healthy debate and constructive criticism should be encouraged for better democratic values and critical thinking. The impotent of questioning those in power makes people disinformed. This disinformation has emerged as a potent tool exploited by those in power to polarise communities further and undermine democracy. By manipulating information and narratives, truth is obscure and maintains control, ultimately eroding trust in institutions and the democratic process. It also reveals that governments in autocratic countries often employ disinformation and misinformation to manipulate citizens, leaving them confused. This raises unsettling questions: Will it be the new responsibility of the new intellectuals to craft a solution akin to finding a silver bullet?
In Manipur, popularising infamous phrases like ‘Laokhatpa lakkani! Sengdokraku! (that are used in a threatening and derogatory manner) should not become a haunting reminder of terror and intimidation. Instead, the role of upholding new ideas, expression, criticism, thoughts and actions of the ‘New Intellectual’ must be nurtured. Our collective concern and principle should create an ideal ecosystem for grooming the ‘New Intellectual’, fostering a culture of critical thinking, creativity, and intellectual freedom. Periyar EV Ramaswamy, the founder of the Self-Respect movement, opines that a well-functioning democracy requires an extraordinary social life. In its purest form, democracy is freedom, freedom from fear and the right not to be killed, freedom from violence; democracy has a decent living standard; democracy is free from poverty, democracy is questioning the unjust, democracy is having jobs that bring satisfaction and sufficient reward to live comfortably, democracy is safe and peace. However, the Indian state of Manipur has exposed deep fractures within the democratic fabric. Despite being part of a democratic country, the region has withstood displacement, human rights violations, failure to uphold justice and lack of political accountability, with many accusing the state and central governments of remaining silent or biased, leading to tearing apart its social foundations, encouraging few that holds power to play the role of saviour and experiment with despotic politics.
India’s claim to being the world’s largest democracy is questionable, especially in Manipur. To legitimise this claim, it is essential to uphold democratic and human values, eliminate fear and horror, and address the mysterious forces that perpetuate them. If not, the claim will remain hollow.
The writer is currently doing her PhD in the department of sociology, Manipur University. Views expressed are personal.