Indian democracy on its last legs: Prem Shankar Jha asks tough ques in new book

Dictatorships are one-way streets. Democracy boasts two-way traffic — this quote by Alberto Moravia, the celebrated Italian anti-fascist author, perfectly encapsulates the perfunctory but necessary nature of democracy in our developing nation.

Moravia’s cynical yet supportive take on democracy is akin to Prem Shankar Jha’s latest book “The Dismantling of India’s Democracy”.

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Jha, with his insightful and cutting-edge writing style, lays bare the nation’s gradual yet consistent movement towards nascent fascism and away from its nature as a democratic republic that once described us perfectly.

The book is a thorough and sharp critique of the various governments and their failures to nurture and maintain the democracy that was lovingly fostered upon us by our nation builders during and after the brutal struggle for independence from British colonialism.

The book leans to being more forgiving of the blunders of the Indian National Congress, but despite this slight and human bias, does hold it accountable for its actions which led to the undermining of democracy during its rule.

The book is, in particular, critical of Indira Gandhi due to her slap in the face of electoral democracy by way of declaring the infamous Emergency. Various other party leaders such as Lalu Prasad Yadav are also held to the same standards as the book’s main point of critique – the BJP, or as it was known in its earlier days, the Jan Sangh.

The author is particularly focused on the role of the right wing in inching close to fascist authoritarianism, and holds Narendra Modi accountable for his actions, both as the Chief Minister of Gujarat during one of the worst communal riots in the modern history of India, as well as the Prime Minister of an increasingly ‘undemocratic’ India.

However, the critique is not simply limited to political parties. The RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) as a far – right influence on the inner workings of the BJP has also been heavily criticized by Jha.

All in all, the author reminds us of what is at stake in this battle between the flesh and spirit of India – with the flesh being under the current erosion of civil liberties and democratic nature, while the spirit is the sense of democracy imbibed in us since the last days of British colonial rule.

“Indian democracy is on its last legs,” says Jha in a sombering epilogue. It is thus, our duty, to provide democracy with some new muscle for its limbs in order to keep it alive and kicking.