“I want this government to be criticized. Criticism makes democracy strong”
-Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 18th, 2018.
So our prime minister said, but the current political climate encourages anything but dissent. Pressure on civil society and media to conform to the ruling regime have intensified. Many mainstream media organizations prefer to stay safe and have become overly cautious when it comes to criticizing those in power. While BJP spokesperson claim that the issue of free speech and dissent have been sensationalized to show the government in a bad light, it is no exaggeration to say that the government’s current tactics of stifling opposition voices takes a cue from Indira Gandhi’s emergency in 1975-1977.
Actions speak louder than words, and the actions of the authorities indicate how dire the current situation is. Amnesty International had to close its offices in India as their bank accounts were frozen by the Enforcement Directorate, which is seen as a reprisal from the government for the organisation’s human rights work in the country, and their constant questions into the government’s repressive laws like the CAA/NRC, the abrogation of Article 370, which had granted Jammu and Kashmir a certain level of autonomy, and the use of the draconian UAPA by the state to arrest activists. The organisation had also questioned the complicity of the Delhi police in the violence that engulfed Delhi in February.
In March, two Malayalam T.V. channels were banned for 48 hours by the I.B. Ministry due to their coverage of the Delhi riots. Nowhere in the report did the ministry say that the coverage was factually incorrect, which begs the question, why then, were the channels banned. The channels’ executives claim the ban was put in place because they did not conform to the narrative that the government was trying to push regarding the riots.
India’s ranking in the Global Press Freedom Index has been on a steady decline. In 2016, India was ranked 133rd out of 180 countries. In 2017, it was 136th . Next two years, India slipped two ranks to be at 138th and 140th in 2018 and 2019 respectively. It fell further to 142nd in 2020. While the government disputes the accuracy of such reports, one only needs to follow the mainstream Indian journalism and the depth it has stooped to, to gauge the truth. With the exception of a few channels and a minor number of journalists, the rest of the media indulges in shameless bootlicking of the government. Instead of trying to hold the government accountable, all the efforts are applied to attack the opposition, brand anyone who dares question the government as anti-national and spread hate, bigotry and sow communal disharmony when the government needs to divert attention from their shambolic governance.
Apart from using electronic and social media as a tool to spread propaganda, arresting activists and using UAPA to silence dissenters is another bone of contention between the government and its critics. Dr. Kafeel Khan, who had previously been in trouble with Yogi Adityanath’s U.P. government and was made a scapegoat during an accident in a public hospital in 2017, was arrested after he made a speech in Aligarh Muslim University in December 2019 against the controversial citizenship law. However, the Allahabad High Court quashed the detention under National Security Act, and in its order, said that Dr. Khan “did not promote hatred or violence” but that his speech actually gave a call for “unity amongst citizens”. While Dr. Khan was arrested for a speech that gave a call for unity, Kapil Mishra, a BJP politician, who played a major role in instigating the Delhi riots with his inflammatory speech got off scot-free. These are clear intimidation tactics which sends a sinister message – bow to those in power, or suffer the consequences.
Another instance of subverting dissent had been seen during the monsoon session of parliament. Despite voracious resistance from the members of the opposition party, three farm bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha via a voice vote.
The opposition members had asked to postpone the voting as they wanted to discuss certain aspects of the bill, but in truly undemocratic fashion, the government denied the request. The speaker then denied a division of votes, and proceeded to conduct voice votes. While the rules of the parliament were being flouted so blatantly, Rajya Sabha TV stopped broadcasting the proceedings and muted the mic of the members.
Such actions have made it clear that the government believes it will not be held accountable for blatantly disregarding rules and subverting dissent. This is a sad tale for the world’s largest democracy. These incidents are just the tip of an iceberg. The problems run so deep that even international media platforms, which had praised the prime minister for his huge mandate, have taken notice. The Times magazine included Narendra Modi in its 100 Most Influential People’s list of 2020. The reason – plunging Indian democracy in the shadows. Though the students, activists and all the other voices which have tried to hold the government accountable would like to hope of a better future, the truth is, if things continue the way they are, the very foundations upon which the Indian democracy is built is in grave danger.
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