“If you don’t demand better of those who lead you, you will be part of fashioning the dictator who will control you.”
Craig D Lounsbrough
The context
Owing to the present scenario like the inciting call for 400 MP seats in the 2024 election to change the constitution by a sitting BJP MP, call for ‘opposition mukt Bharat’ (desire to eliminate the opposition by hook or cook, like framing almost all the opposition leaders with court cases, and using machinery to converting votes in its favour like the Chandigarh Mayor election), the everyday hate speech by politicians and religious leaders against the religious minorities, open disregard for the just-liberal-equal-secular constitution and dreaming of ‘Hindu Rastra’ and the mainstream medias tuning with and for the authoritarian and majoritarian state, we must examine and act accordingly to save our country from having a seizure and a knocked off structure of democracy.
BR Ambedkar’s warning on Democracy, Bad Parliamentarians, and hero worship
Pertaining to Indian democracy, given the context of constant attacks on the constitution and envisioning a majoritarian nation-state, we cannot ignore the warning and concern of Dr BR Ambedkar about the success and failure of democracy. In his last constituent assembly debate in 1949, he warned of losing democracy again in India. His concern was that India had a democratic system, but it got lost. This time, although we got democracy again, there is also a chance of losing it for the second time. Here, he apprehends that dictatorship may emerge and we may lose democracy in a real sense despite having the structure of democracy when he says:
“This democratic system India lost. Will she lose it a second time? I do not know. But it is quite possible in a country like India – where democracy, from its long disuse, must be regarded as something quite new – there is a danger of democracy giving place to dictatorship. This newborn democracy can retain its form but give place to dictatorship, in fact. If there is a landslide, the danger of the second possibility becoming· actuality is much greater.
(BR Ambedkar’s speech in the Constitutional Assembly debate in 1949)
He warned the assembly of leaders and executors of the constitution about the possible failure of democracy. He says:
“however good a Constitution may be, it will turn out bad if those who execute it are bad. However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those who execute it happen to be good. The working of a Constitution does not depend wholly upon the nature of the Constitution. The Constitution can provide only the organs of the State, such as the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary. The factors on which the working of those organs of the State depends are the people and the political parties they will set up as their instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics.”
(BR Ambedkar’s speech in the Constitutional Assembly debate in 1949)
There, he stressed that people and political parties are crucial to the success or failure of democracy. According to him, hero-worship in religion may be a way to salvation, but hero-worship in democracy is a sure sort of disaster and paving the way for dictatorship when he says:
“Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship.”
(BR Ambedkar’s speech in the Constitutional Assembly debate in 1949)
Therefore, we must understand where we are heading. Are we going to witness the failing of democracy and heading towards an authoritarian state, as warned by Dr BR Ambedkar? This query holds much priority now because if we are heading towards a totalitarian or authoritarian state, we must be at least prepared for it or change our fate in the upcoming elections with our precious right to vote and choose our elected government, whichever suits us better.
Authoritarian Leader and Parliamentarian
The common parlance that all dictators have is a self-inflated ego to consider oneself as the ultimatum with no check of their power and become an almost cunning survivor who is allergic to the welfare of greater interest. They seem to cut every limb and even the hands of the opposition or anyone with the faintest disregard or critical view of them, thus leaving no room for any voice against them, thereby eventually settling with an unquestioned and unlimited power. That is a dangerous state of affairs for any government, as witnessed in history with the infamous dictators that have existed. It is often said that dictators have a peculiar charismatic nature and impeccable persuasive oratory skills that either tend to lure the masses like rats behind the pied piper or employ techniques such as gaslighting mass propaganda to stir cult-like feelings of blind support and fake nationalism agendas based on emotive issues like superior race, religion, nation, etc.
The Near Collapse of the Structure of Democracy in the real sense
We can witness the near collapse of the structure of democracy in the real sense through the misuse of power. The authoritarian power and bad parliamentarians tend to have full control over the mass media and are relentlessly working to portray a rosy picture if not publicly worshipping the one in power, which is undeniable by anyone who is glued to these primetime shows disseminated via the Idiot Box (as rightfully called) these days. Now, this seems to have broken the fourth pillar of democracy into two halves, leaving behind the other half of the pillar unheard or silenced by countless modes of oppressiveness.
It is futile to mention the array of arrests going on before the election with the help of executive bodies who are toiling towards fulfilling the bill of fare set out by the soon-to-be totalitarian government. The executive bodies have almost turned a deaf ear to their oaths taken and have started working as the force of the dictator to overthrow every line of opposition, thus corroding the pillar of the executive in the democracy.
Now, how do these armies function with so much unparalleled self-built confidence in framing self-suited laws and rules, thereby blinding the votes of legislators? The kind of amendments that have been brought about to self-suit the plan of the dictator needless to remind the procedure followed in the appointment of election commissioner, the amendments of all major Acts, the amendments of the most notorious piece of legislation in the name of Prevention of money laundering Act, etc. have only thrown light on the cracks of the pillar of legislative of democracy.
The recent letter to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India by several advocates and another letter from retired judges of our country is just the tip of the iceberg of attempts to shake the independent pillar of democracy, which is the last and firm pillar of the structure of democracy.
The claims of the opposition leaders of being deprived of their right to speak freely, stripped of their access to their bank accounts, hindered from raising any voice or even contesting in elections for those matters is nothing short of a death blow to democracy.
Emotive Issues over Real-Life Issues and Hero Worship Tendency
The time has come for authoritarian leaders, and parliamentarians are resorting to emotive issues over the citizens’ real-life issues, creating a hero-worship tendency within the people and leaders. What is left to be tolerated is “we the people” being dismembered of our rights and renounce our dignity. The farmers’ claim is half-heartedly addressed; the status of Ladakh was ignored, and the people of Manipur were left on their own to destruction. The unemployment rate has risen, the GDP growth has fallen, and the prices of basic amenities have doubled, in fact, tripled. Amidst all this, the time invoking religious supremacy and the claims of “Hindu Rashtra” only fuels the fire spewed by the dictator, thus strangulating the necks of a secular state. The parliamentarian’s call for change to the constitution is part of the same project. Instead of giving his report card in his previous term, he demanded 400 seats to change the constitution itself. Recently, the Prime Minister also claimed in an election campaign that ‘if the Congress comes to power, public wealth will be distributed against the Muslim community.’ This is nothing but to antagonize Hindus against Muslims by invoking majoritarian sentiments to get votes. On the other hand, he should ask for votes for his performance in the last two parliamentary terms and what his plan is for rising unemployment, inflation, growing inequality, and price rises in basic amenities like gas, groceries, oil, and fuel. What is his plan for environmental protection and global warming, and his plan for Manipur ethnic conflict and the people of Ladakh?
There are also attempts to promote the hero-worship tendency among citizens for authoritarian leaders, as well as mythical and religious characters. Continuous and vicious narrative campaigns through mass media, social media, publicity, and films have made them successful. YouTubers who may not have read any history books make YouTube campaigns to deconstruct history and historical events. The target is to engage citizen minds in mythology, abstract nationalism, and sensitive religious hurtful sentiments. That is why some citizens claim they are ready to pay thousands of rupees for fuel and basic amenities, but they love to talk about abstract issues. They have no concern for increasing inequality and youth unemployment. Some failed journalists even persuaded citizens not to depend upon the leaders and state for unemployment and to become entrepreneurs.
Conclusion
Over the years, the world has witnessed the dictators and authoritarian leaders that have lived and breathed on the face of this Earth. The world also has witnessed the repercussions of such a state owing to the whims and caprices of the self-inflated authoritarian personifying almost like self-claimed cult personalities. Therefore, we must analyze and act accordingly to save our country from having a seizure and a knocked-off structure of democracy. As BR Ambedkar claims, we cannot afford to lose democracy for the second time in the history of India. Some authoritarian leaders and parliamentarians constantly attack the just-liberal-equal constitution, and Godi media does their work by spreading their narrative, and people in institutions are increasingly failing it day by day. Hero worship tendencies are rampant and spread like wildfire, diverting citizens’ real-life issues and engaging their minds in abstract issues. The claims to change/repeal our inclusive and visionary constitution are nothing but the last nail in the coffin of our democracy.
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