DEMOCRACY DYING IN INDIA, AND FASCISM TAKING BIRTH

Fascism is a system run or led by a dictator who has complete power in every aspect of a nation.

To achieve and maintain that hold, a fascist ruler suppresses any opposition and criticism. A false sense of aggressive nationalism and patriotism gets developed and promoted. Racism and xenophobia are encouraged in a dictatorial environment.

That is a typical explanation or scenario of a nation under fascist rule. In the contemporary world, despite still projecting itself as democratic, we find stains of authoritarian governments having essential control over their people and institutions.

For that reason, these nations fit very well as fascist regimes. But to the world and their citizens, such governments put on a democratic or socialist mask.

Under the fake democratic outfit resides the modern version of fascism, where almost all the elements of dictatorial control show their growth.

In this regime, the fear factor gets liberal infusion to weed out voices of dissent.

Bureaucratic and democratic institutions are restrained and corrupted. Manipulated elections decide the results before the polls take place. Religious sentiments of the majority community become a handy tool to suppress minorities. Bribed, threatened, and intimidated media sit on the “godi” (lap) of the fascist ruler, ever ready as a government mouthpiece.

A social media network goes full swing to manufacture and distribute false and propagated news and views that are efficiently spread within the country and exported abroad.

The judiciary, election commission, media, and statistics are some of the most operative integrals of democracy that keep it authoritative, functional, dynamic, and accountable. But when any or all these systems are damaged, corrupted, compromised, or abused, democracy collapses, and fascism emerges.

India today is one of those countries where signs of this new version of fascism are quite discernable and visible. Fascist developments are taking place for power’s sake, while the opposition gets suppressed when its leaders get threats, intimidations and fake raids.

All the democratic fundamentals have been brazenly and subtly fiddled with shrewd politics of religious fanaticism, murders, fake police raids, intrusions and influences in the media, obstructions and interference in the bureaucracy, and deceptive claims of accomplishments.

The autonomous, independent, and credible status of the democratic establishments has been defaced and undermined.

Cracking down on free speech, threats, murders of writers, dissident lawyers, and judges, and frequent imprisonment of those protesting constitute the new and dreadful feeling of the current political climate in the country.

Once all these developments take root and become a new norm, fascist India would destroy the very spirit and fabric of the nation as a free, secular, and multi-racial society where democracy dies and fascism takes birth.

“What’s happening in India is not that loose variety of internet fascism. It’s the real thing. We have become Nazis. Not just our leaders, not just our TV channels and newspapers, but vast sections of our population too.” -Arundhati Rao

by Promod Puri

promodpuri.com