Democracy’s roots run deep and strong in India: Dr Shamika Ravi

GUWAHATI: Democracy is flourishing in India, and its roots run deep, said Dr. Shamika Ravi, Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, while delivering the 8th Professor Sarat Mahanta Memorial Lecture at the Royal Global University on Monday. Dr. Ravi effectively demolished the myth, propagated by the self-styled ‘democracy watchdogs’ in the West, that democracy is in peril and on the decline in India under the present Narendra Modi government. These ‘watchdogs’ also allege that India has turned majoritarian under Narendra Modi.

While questioning the objectivity of such assessments and their flawed designs and methodologies, Ravi said that such perception-based surveys are unscientific, non-representative, biased, and non-verifiable. While the classification of countries as ‘democratic’ and ‘non-democratic’ is based on objective and verifiable criteria, “quantifying the functioning of democracy or objectively assessing whether democracy is strengthening or weakening remains a challenge”.

She said that “international attempts to qualify the functioning of democracy are made essentially by conducting perception-based surveys of academics, professionals, and members of civil society.”.

As for the measurement or quantification of democracy, Ravi argued that the “elite opinion-makers” who participate in the international surveys are always favourably disposed towards those regimes that give them privileged access to power.

Ravi suggests that rather than perception-based surveys of the strength and functioning of democracy in India that are biased and unscientific, an objective to assess the functioning of democracy in India would be to measure the “responsiveness of the democratically elected government to the material needs of the marginalized people across religions, social groups, and geographies”. “Perhaps a fundamental feature of strengthening democracy in India is that the voices of the weak and the marginalized cannot be suppressed or silenced by the elites,” said Ravi.

Ravi analysed the household-level nationally representative data from two rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)—round four conducted in 2015–2016 and round five in 2019–2021. She pointed out that since NFHS data is self-reported by respondents, it is likely to underestimate but never overestimate the ground realities across the country. “The primary objective of this exercise is to scrutinise whether there is any discernible bias in favour of or against any particular population within the country,” she said.

“Based on the nationally representative sample of more than 12 lakh households across 2015–2016 and 2019–2021, we do not find any evidence that the government catered to only one community (the Hindu majority) or against any minority groups in the country. We also do not find any discrimination between geographies or religious clusters in the provision of basic amenities such as electricity, toilets, water, bank accounts, mobile phones, or LPG,” she revealed.

Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria paid rich tributes to Professor Mahanta and called upon the present generation to follow his ideals. The governor, recalling his days as a school teacher, said that it was the most satisfying time of his life. A good teacher, he said, leaves behind a legacy that survives and inspires generations.

The Professor Sarat Mahanta Memorial Lecture is held every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of the late educationist, social worker, and human rights advocate. Born on May 1, 1937, into a reputable family from the historic Sri Sri Chaliha Bare Xatra in Nazira of Sivasagar district, Professor Mahanta served as Head of the Department of History at Sivasagar College for more than 33 years, stated a press release.

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