In a country where democracy is on the quest to be relevant and significant again, it’s not a shock that the basic value of the World’s largest democracy is on the verge of dying. Students-led marches, and women-led 24-7 protests attest to the fact that whatever might be written on paper, in reality, WE ARE STRUGGLING.
On 5th of January 2020, Students were beaten of a university, Jawaharlal Nehru University, that is so often called as the “factory of the terrorism” by leading news channels and even by the ruling ministers. Their fault: dissent, the utmost ethic of a democracy. Some students have been recognized and some men have admitted to carry out the attacks, and very atrociously, there have been no arrests up until now.
So you ask me, how has democracy been degraded, when on 15th of December 2019, police of a state entered the campus of Jamia Milia Islamia University that has been protesting against the act. Police entered libraries and even beat up professors, Police entered campus accommodations and beat up, scarred, and manhandled countless students and professors or civilians, and you ask me, how has democracy failed.
The same students that were beaten up on 15th of December, sang “Jana Gana Mana” on 1st of January, welcoming New Year, filled with hope and a belief that democracy will prevail, because they thought, in their stupidity or in their innocence that The Constitution still has some value in this country. The same students, have been continuously protesting, solidarising rallies and helping people coming to protests, making placards, and chanting slogans against the barbarism. The same students full of wounds and aches, won’t back down, standing up against all in this Delhi winters.
I did not know about women unity and the power of women until I visited the Shaheen Bagh protests. Sure, I’ve seen women in my family being more exposed to duties than men, outfacing monthly pains and bearing children, sure I’ve seen women being scared to travel at nights and being overly aware of the surroundings and being so much responsible than men. Sure, I’ve seen women, but I did not expect them to be be so overly responsible towards our Constitution, sitting 24-7 in a tent, making food, and taking care of the children, how have women have punched up on the system is beyond my understanding, and beyond my capabilities. Women of Shaheen Bagh have attested to the fact that there is declination of democracy.
Hundreds of universities across the nation, and across borders being vocally against the act, and the Center’s ignorance towards the consensus of the people have attested to the fact that there is depletion of democracy.
I had never seen a party’s governance so ignorant towards people and so adamant of igniting differences through their propaganda and brainwashing that this does not come as a surprise. But right now, there are mass destructions taking place, for they say: “there is utmost brutality in killing expression as there is utmost brutality in killing someone.”
So when, World’s largest democracy India dropped 10 places in the 2019 Global Democracy Index, prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit, I was not shocked, neither disappointed. I have been following the news so closely due to the nature of my job that it comes naturally, but I’m writing this one, so people know, sitting in their homes, sipping up their chai, know that democracy is indeed endangered. This is an SOS! Save it while you can.
