In 2019, India, the world’s largest democracy, was ranked 27th in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Democracy Index. Now it is in 46th place. Other global indices such as Freedom House and V-Dem Institute have also raised questions about democracy in India. Even in the latest India Today mood survey of the nation, respondents expressed greater concern for the state of democracy than ever before—nearly half feel that democracy is in danger today and only 37 per cent think it is a threat. Lowest level of trust in 18 months
Suppression of citizens’ voices is a threat to democracy, and much of the concern about Indian democracy stems from the increasing number of criminal charges allegedly leveled against those who speak against the ruling party. This year, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showed that 356 cases of sedition were registered and 548 people arrested under Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code between 2015 and 2020. This prompted the Supreme Court to send a powerful action. Sandesh, asked the central and state governments to register FIRs and desist from taking action in sedition cases. No wonder, a high percentage of MOTN respondents (29) maintain their faith in the judiciary to uphold democratic values, although this has fallen by five percentage points from the previous MOTN survey.
Despite growing concern about democracy, only 9 percent of respondents believe they cannot express their opinion on religious or political matters. Nearly half say they can freely express their opinion on religion or politics, while 23 percent say they can freely express their views on politics, but not religion. However, only 23.1 percent see social media networks as a good platform to speak out, perhaps because many people have been arrested in recent years for their posts on social media. A significant 42 percent see social media as a means to stay connected and get 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. According to Rajya Sabha sources, Rs 133 crore was spent and 89 hours wasted in such disruptions. While 37.7 per cent of the MOTN respondents blamed the opposition, 33.3 per cent believe that the blame lies in the ruling party trying to enact legislation without discussion. Only 17 per cent blamed both sides for repeated disruptions, which led to the session ending four days ahead of schedule and passing only five bills.
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When it comes to his views on socio-cultural issues, there seems to be a conflict between the liberal and traditional sides. While apparently 63 percent believe semi-naked or nude celebrities are ‘obscene’, opinion is divided on whether cannabis should be legalized in India. Support for Uniform Civil Code has fallen from 72.7 percent in January 2022 to 65.8 percent. Nearly three years after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into union territories, unrest and uncertainties continue in the region. , While 28 per cent respondents of MOTN believe that Article 370 should be restored, 39.4 per cent are opposed to the idea. The majority (67%) believe that the way to normalcy is to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
On women’s safety, the MOTN shows an all-time high – almost half believe India has become safer for women, while 34 percent believe it is less safe than before and 9 percent Says nothing has changed. This could be a result of several measures taken by the central and state governments in the last one year. Technology has helped law enforcement come up with faster, more accessible and anonymous ways for women to reach out for help. Some states, such as Andhra Pradesh, have apps that enable users to send distress alerts to the police by simply shaking the phone. The center’s 112 app also sends such notifications along with audio or visual proofs and even tracks the progress of an incident through video. Other achievements include over 700 one-stop centers for psycho-social welfare of women, a special Railway Protection Force for them and a pan-India emergency response telephone line.
The entire country has faced many difficult challenges in the last one year. Estimates from the Lancet study for 2021 showed that there has been a 35 percent increase in cases of depression, sadness and anxiety in India in a year. Not only has the war exposed images and stories of rising economic uncertainties, but the pandemic has also shown no clear sign of an end. All this seems to have taken a toll, with only 51 per cent of respondents saying they are very or somewhat happy, down from 75 per cent in January 2022.