India’s claim of being ‘largest democracy’ questioned

Islamabad: Khalid Rahman, Chairperson, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), has questioned whether the claim of India being the ‘largest democracy’ reflected true democratic substance or was merely a façade.

Rahman was delivering keynote address at launching here of Special Study on ‘Quantifying electoral politics of Congress and BJP’ authored by Dr Khurram Abbas, Maheen Shafeeq and Usama Hameed of Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS).

Rahman provided a critical perspective on India’s electoral process highlighting systemic issues such as the manipulation of voter rolls, suppression of civil society organisations and changes to the Chief Election Commissioner appointment process that consolidated executive control. These factors, he argued, raise serious concerns about India’s commitment to much-celebrated democratic principles and electoral integrity. He also underscored the importance of expanding the data-based research work on India-related subjects.

Dr Asma Shakir Khwaja, Executive Director, Centre for International Strategic Studies, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, said that the facts revealed in this study outwardly deny the BJP’s claims of representing a common Indian. She critiqued the current state of Indian democracy, highlighting that a fundamental set of democratic values is increasingly absent there.

She emphasised that this erosion of democratic principles undermines the true essence of democratic governance in India. Dr. Khwaja also highlighted the role of electoral bonds in the Indian political system, suggesting that the donations and funds received by political parties through this mechanism reveal deep linkages between the political elite and powerful capitalists.

Maryam Mastoor from Institute of Regional Studies raised critical questions regarding the grave political disenfranchisement of religious minorities in India, Congress Party’s commitment to secularism and the future of secular face of the country when secular parties are increasingly falling for a ‘Soft Hindutva’ approach. She also questioned the BJP’s reluctance to conduct a countrywide caste census, pointing out such a census could directly harm privileges and opportunities that a chunk of upper castes was enjoying under the present structure.

Former diplomat Babar Amin drew attention to the systematic exclusion of minorities in BJP-governed India arguing that their rights and interests are increasingly sidelined with a particular focus on religious minorities who face growing marginalisation. Furthermore, he warned about the alarming role that wealth plays in the Indian political system where financial elites exert disproportionate influence over key decisions. This concentration of economic power, he suggested, resulted in policies that cater to the interests of the rich while exacerbating social inequalities. Sohail Mahmood, DG, ISS, and Dr. Khurram Abbas also addressed the gathering.