Narendra Modi
Modi's India: "Harsh authoritarian methods"
Malin Carlsson/TT
Updated 2024-06-16 08.27 | Published 2024-06-15 13.07
After the huge election in India, it is clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue as leader for another five years. But despite the fact that India has been given the epithet "the world's largest democracy", there are question marks about how democratic the country is.
The problems Hindu nationalist Modi has on his table spans several subject areas.
642 million Indians have had their fingertips stained with ink in recent weeks. It is a special ink that can take up to two weeks to wash off. And a receipt that you have voted in the world's biggest election.
The purple ink, painted in a small line across the index finger, is an important part of the great apparatus that was set in motion when the world's most populous country went to the polls. The ink has been used to prevent cheating during the six-week election process.
In total, around 15 million election workers have worked with the election. Some of them have traveled by helicopter, others on camels, to reach all the country's citizens, reports the news channel CNN.
Modi's India: "Harsh authoritarian methods"
Malin Carlsson/TT
Updated 2024-06-16 08.27 | Published 2024-06-15 13.07
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets supporters outside the party's BJP headquarters in New Delhi. The BJP's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was expected to win a landslide victory, but the win was less than expected.
After the huge election in India, it is clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue as leader for another five years. But despite the fact that India has been given the epithet "the world's largest democracy", there are question marks about how democratic the country is.
The problems Hindu nationalist Modi has on his table spans several subject areas.
642 million Indians have had their fingertips stained with ink in recent weeks. It is a special ink that can take up to two weeks to wash off. And a receipt that you have voted in the world's biggest election.
The purple ink, painted in a small line across the index finger, is an important part of the great apparatus that was set in motion when the world's most populous country went to the polls. The ink has been used to prevent cheating during the six-week election process.
In total, around 15 million election workers have worked with the election. Some of them have traveled by helicopter, others on camels, to reach all the country's citizens, reports the news channel CNN.
"More ethnic state"
But in spite of the democratic ink line and the large democratic electoral apparatus, there are clear authoritarian tendencies in India. And they have increased during Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Modi's time in power.
- India has become a more ethnic state. Muslims have been given diminished rights and there is nothing to indicate that they would break away from that track. In addition, freedom of expression is bad and freedom of the press has decreased, says Sten Widmalm, India expert and professor of political science at Uppsala University.
Modi's party BJP acts authoritarian towards political opponents, according to Sten Widmalm:
- For several years, political leaders, trade union leaders and civil society leaders have been arrested and imprisoned without a proper trial. The country is governed by such harsh authoritarian methods.
But in spite of the democratic ink line and the large democratic electoral apparatus, there are clear authoritarian tendencies in India. And they have increased during Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Modi's time in power.
- India has become a more ethnic state. Muslims have been given diminished rights and there is nothing to indicate that they would break away from that track. In addition, freedom of expression is bad and freedom of the press has decreased, says Sten Widmalm, India expert and professor of political science at Uppsala University.
Modi's party BJP acts authoritarian towards political opponents, according to Sten Widmalm:
- For several years, political leaders, trade union leaders and civil society leaders have been arrested and imprisoned without a proper trial. The country is governed by such harsh authoritarian methods.
Opposition leaders were arrested
Arvind Kejriwal, one of Modi's main challengers in the election and leader of the opposition Aam Aadmi Party, was detained in March following corruption allegations. The arrest caused the country's opposition to react forcefully.
- A fearful dictator wants to kill democracy, Rahul Gandhi, one of India's political front-runners and former leader of the Congress Party, said of Modi at the time, according to The Guardian.
The case of Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the regional head of government in Delhi, became for many a symbol of the anti-democratic tendencies of the Modi government.
Sten Widmalm believes that the next five years will continue in the same way.
- Above all, many organizations in civil society have lost their freedoms and rights during Modi's time in power.
Arvind Kejriwal, one of Modi's main challengers in the election and leader of the opposition Aam Aadmi Party, was detained in March following corruption allegations. The arrest caused the country's opposition to react forcefully.
- A fearful dictator wants to kill democracy, Rahul Gandhi, one of India's political front-runners and former leader of the Congress Party, said of Modi at the time, according to The Guardian.
The case of Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the regional head of government in Delhi, became for many a symbol of the anti-democratic tendencies of the Modi government.
Sten Widmalm believes that the next five years will continue in the same way.
- Above all, many organizations in civil society have lost their freedoms and rights during Modi's time in power.
Climate and environmental problems
The BJP won the election, although the margin of victory was smaller than expected. With this, Narendra Modi now enters his third term as the leader of 1.4 billion Indians.
- Although the BJP's position in parliament has weakened, it is important to remember that they received almost the same share of the voters' votes as in 2019, says Sten Widmalm.
It is not only the critics' voices about how democracy is being broken down that will be the main concern for the long-standing leader. India has been struggling with environmental and climate problems for many years.
- I think one of the biggest challenges is the water shortage. It is a problem that is acute in places, says Sten Widmalm.
- You also have terrible environmental conditions in the big cities. People get sick from the air, which is largely due to local environmental pollution from domestic industry.
The BJP won the election, although the margin of victory was smaller than expected. With this, Narendra Modi now enters his third term as the leader of 1.4 billion Indians.
- Although the BJP's position in parliament has weakened, it is important to remember that they received almost the same share of the voters' votes as in 2019, says Sten Widmalm.
It is not only the critics' voices about how democracy is being broken down that will be the main concern for the long-standing leader. India has been struggling with environmental and climate problems for many years.
- I think one of the biggest challenges is the water shortage. It is a problem that is acute in places, says Sten Widmalm.
- You also have terrible environmental conditions in the big cities. People get sick from the air, which is largely due to local environmental pollution from domestic industry.
"Make in India"
Just over a year ago, India took over the title of the world's most populous country from China. And earlier this year, the independent analysis firm Jefferies made the assessment that by 2027, India will be the world's third largest economy, surpassing both Japan and Germany.
At the same time, the country continues to have problems with unemployment. When Modi first came to power in 2014, he promised to create 20 million jobs a year under the "Make in India" initiative - a promise that has not been fulfilled. And according to the think tank Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India's unemployment rate rose from 7.4 percent in March to 8.1 percent in April.
In other words, Modi has a lot to tackle in the next five years.
Just over a year ago, India took over the title of the world's most populous country from China. And earlier this year, the independent analysis firm Jefferies made the assessment that by 2027, India will be the world's third largest economy, surpassing both Japan and Germany.
At the same time, the country continues to have problems with unemployment. When Modi first came to power in 2014, he promised to create 20 million jobs a year under the "Make in India" initiative - a promise that has not been fulfilled. And according to the think tank Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India's unemployment rate rose from 7.4 percent in March to 8.1 percent in April.
In other words, Modi has a lot to tackle in the next five years.
"Positive for democracy"
Despite the authoritarian tendencies and the fact that the line of purple ink was soon washed away and forgotten, Sten Widmalm is nevertheless cautiously optimistic about the development of democracy in the world's most populous country.
- Democracy is not gone in India, but this is what authoritarian states do today - hijack institutions. But it is good that they have held elections. It shows that there is an opportunity for change and is positive for democracy.
Despite the authoritarian tendencies and the fact that the line of purple ink was soon washed away and forgotten, Sten Widmalm is nevertheless cautiously optimistic about the development of democracy in the world's most populous country.
- Democracy is not gone in India, but this is what authoritarian states do today - hijack institutions. But it is good that they have held elections. It shows that there is an opportunity for change and is positive for democracy.
FACTS
The biggest election in history
As the population has grown since the last time (2019), this year's election in India is the biggest vote in human history so far.It is such a large apparatus to organize the election that the voting in different parts of the giant country was spread out over six weeks, from April 19 to June 1.
The election concerns the lower house of India's parliament, the Lok Sabha, which has 543 members.
The term of office is five years. Thus, the last two elections were held in 2014 and 2019. Both times, Narendra Modi and his BJP, at the head of the party alliance NDA, won.
The main competitor for power has been an alliance abbreviated as India (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). It is led by the Congress Party, which previously ruled the country for several decades.
FACTS
Narendra Modi
Born 1950 in Gujarat. Sold tea together with his father at a young age.Was married off at 18 to 17-year-old Jashodaben. But just a few months later, he left his wife and home. Instead, Narendra Modi traveled around to various ashrams, secluded places for Hindus, and joined Hindu nationalist organizations.
Never started a family, but only admitted when legally forced in the 2010s that he was married. But his childlessness is held up by supporters as a kind of insurance – so that Modi's rule would not, like the famous Ghandi family, degenerate into a dynasty accused of misogyny.
Was the Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014. Was accused of then ordering the police to be passive during a massacre of around 1,000 Muslims in 2002. But was finally acquitted in the Supreme Court.
Prime Minister since May 2014.
Source: Indian media
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