Indians appear to love the practice of democracy so much that they are in danger of overdoing it. In February and March of 1998, the world’s largest democracy held its twelfth general election since gaining its independence a half-century ago. The voting was largely fair and peaceful. New, right-of-center rulers led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) replaced the old, left-of-center ones. The handover of power went smoothly.
About the Author
Atul Kohli, professor of politics at Princeton University, is the author of Democracy and Discontent: India’s Growing Crisis of Governability (1991). The research that led to the present essay has been supported by the Liechtenstein Research Program on Self-Determination at the Center for International Studies at Princeton University.
To say that Indian democracy is backsliding misunderstands the country’s history and the challenges it faces: A certain authoritarianism is embedded in India’s constitution and political structures.
