4 ms·

The real heros are Indian Election Workers and security personnel who travel to towns and villages far away from their homes and set up the elections and many t

The real heros are Indian Election Workers and security personnel who travel to towns and villages far away from their homes and set up the elections and many times sleep on the floors of schools and offices to conduct these elections. India could never be authoritarian for one simple reason its too damn diverse, a country that is contradictory to every definition of nation state exists because it has adopted democracy how ever imperfectly and mastered elections.

satya71 8y ago
I am not sure about it can never be authoritarian. It went through an emergency situation, because the ruling part lost the election at the time. The current govt is whipping up mass hysteria, and might just succeed, based on what I see happening on the ground.
- portpecos 8y ago
  This is true. Congress leader, Indira Gandhi, suspended Indian democracy and assumed the titled of dictator for few years when she lost an election. She also jailed many people including many political leaders that are still active today. Her son engaged in forced sterilizations and another son brought in a bill to kill the press called "defamation bill". We need to recognize that’s it’s not just the right that can go authoritarian, but the left too. Authoritarianism isn’t a symptom of far-leaning political views but a failure in systems of checks and balances. Xi Jinping is a perfect example of a current failure of system of checks and balances when he removed term limits. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is another example of a failure of system of checks and balances. Saddam Hussein was a failure of system of checks and balances too.
_jgdh 8y ago
> India could never be authoritarian Don't get complacent. The man in power has never lost an election, so I don't know if he knows how to lose with grace. What's more, he has very authoritarian tendencies, like intimidating the press[1]. [1] - https://thewire.in/media/punya-prasun-bajpai-abp-news-narendra-modi https://thewire.in/media/punya-prasun-bajpai-abp-news-narend...
- zeropnc 8y ago
  I mean... the whole point of a democracy is to protect against powerful people having "authoritarian tendencies", whatever that even really means
- KorematsuFred 8y ago
  The Wire is a left-wing publication that routinely engages in propaganda. The current government has not brought in any new laws or regulations on press. India never had the journalistic freedom like in west. The opponent of current PM is a political royalty of India. They are the ones who dont know how to live without power. Indira Gandhi suspended Indian democracy and assumed the titled of dictator for few years when she lost an election. She also jailed many people including many political leaders that are still active today. Her son engaged in forced sterelizations and another son brought in a bill to kill the press called "defamation bill". Luckily it was repealed. The current PM by far is a strict improvement on anyone we has seen in past.
  - unmole 8y ago
    > The current PM by far is a strict improvement on anyone we has seen in past. The current PM came up with demonetization. Arguably the single worst idea in India's economic history since Tuglaq's copper coins. This is despite the central bank strongly advising against it. The RBI's governor even quit because of the government's meddling. The current government decided to suppress inconvenient NSSO jobs data leading the head of the National Statistical Comission to quit in protest of the politicization of the institution. The current government tried to take over control of independent tribunals by a backdoor 'money bill'. Thank goodness the Supreme Court put an end to that. The central government acting through its appointed state governors has repeatedly tried to snatch power from opposition parties with democratically won majorities. The judiciary had to step in time and again to stop this. The current government has lowered the standard of public discourse where any criticism of the government is immediately labelled 'Anti-National'. The government has shamelessly politicized military actions and is now resorting to jingoism to boost it's electoral prospects. Hell, a former chief minister was caught on camera admitting as much. The authoritarian tendencies of the dear leader are as clear as day. But sure, please tell me how Modiji is bringing us all Achhe Din. Oh, wait. Even the BJP has stopped talking about Acche Din now.
burfog 8y ago
You might have that backwards. Consider Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Iraq was diverse, with multiple languages and religions. The authoritarian strongman was needed to hold the country together against the divisive diversity. Without him, people quickly took to killing each other.
- pm90 8y ago
  No he doesn't. Comparing Iraq to India is just such a big Joke. Just look at the massive population difference between the two countries (37 mil v/s 1500 mil).

satya71 8y ago

I am not sure about it can never be authoritarian. It went through an emergency situation, because the ruling part lost the election at the time. The current govt is whipping up mass hysteria, and might just succeed, based on what I see happening on the ground.

portpecos 8y ago
This is true. Congress leader, Indira Gandhi, suspended Indian democracy and assumed the titled of dictator for few years when she lost an election. She also jailed many people including many political leaders that are still active today. Her son engaged in forced sterilizations and another son brought in a bill to kill the press called "defamation bill". We need to recognize that’s it’s not just the right that can go authoritarian, but the left too. Authoritarianism isn’t a symptom of far-leaning political views but a failure in systems of checks and balances. Xi Jinping is a perfect example of a current failure of system of checks and balances when he removed term limits. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is another example of a failure of system of checks and balances. Saddam Hussein was a failure of system of checks and balances too.

_jgdh 8y ago

> India could never be authoritarian Don't get complacent. The man in power has never lost an election, so I don't know if he knows how to lose with grace. What's more, he has very authoritarian tendencies, like intimidating the press[1]. [1] - https://thewire.in/media/punya-prasun-bajpai-abp-news-narendra-modi https://thewire.in/media/punya-prasun-bajpai-abp-news-narend...

zeropnc 8y ago
I mean... the whole point of a democracy is to protect against powerful people having "authoritarian tendencies", whatever that even really means
KorematsuFred 8y ago
The Wire is a left-wing publication that routinely engages in propaganda. The current government has not brought in any new laws or regulations on press. India never had the journalistic freedom like in west. The opponent of current PM is a political royalty of India. They are the ones who dont know how to live without power. Indira Gandhi suspended Indian democracy and assumed the titled of dictator for few years when she lost an election. She also jailed many people including many political leaders that are still active today. Her son engaged in forced sterelizations and another son brought in a bill to kill the press called "defamation bill". Luckily it was repealed. The current PM by far is a strict improvement on anyone we has seen in past.
- unmole 8y ago
  > The current PM by far is a strict improvement on anyone we has seen in past. The current PM came up with demonetization. Arguably the single worst idea in India's economic history since Tuglaq's copper coins. This is despite the central bank strongly advising against it. The RBI's governor even quit because of the government's meddling. The current government decided to suppress inconvenient NSSO jobs data leading the head of the National Statistical Comission to quit in protest of the politicization of the institution. The current government tried to take over control of independent tribunals by a backdoor 'money bill'. Thank goodness the Supreme Court put an end to that. The central government acting through its appointed state governors has repeatedly tried to snatch power from opposition parties with democratically won majorities. The judiciary had to step in time and again to stop this. The current government has lowered the standard of public discourse where any criticism of the government is immediately labelled 'Anti-National'. The government has shamelessly politicized military actions and is now resorting to jingoism to boost it's electoral prospects. Hell, a former chief minister was caught on camera admitting as much. The authoritarian tendencies of the dear leader are as clear as day. But sure, please tell me how Modiji is bringing us all Achhe Din. Oh, wait. Even the BJP has stopped talking about Acche Din now.

burfog 8y ago

You might have that backwards. Consider Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Iraq was diverse, with multiple languages and religions. The authoritarian strongman was needed to hold the country together against the divisive diversity. Without him, people quickly took to killing each other.

pm90 8y ago
No he doesn't. Comparing Iraq to India is just such a big Joke. Just look at the massive population difference between the two countries (37 mil v/s 1500 mil).