The following article is Ashok Lavasa’s foreword for journalist Poonam Agarwal’s book, India Inked.
There are two kinds of freedom struggle: one is to obtain it, the other to retain it.
The twentieth century saw the birth of many democratic nations. The twenty-first century poses before these countries and its people, the challenge of successfully safeguarding their hard-earned freedom. The year 2024 was an election year in India and many questions, concerns and warning signals emerged.
Over the years, India has surprised those who doubted its capabilities to function as a democracy because of low levels of literacy, deep-seated caste and communal divisions in society, cultural diversity and the lack of an able political leadership. India conducted successful elections and demonstrated peaceful transfer of political power. It has managed to endure the imposition of an internal emergency, during which civil liberties were suspended, and the ruling regime resorted to the suppression of dissent. Ironically, it was during this period that the slogan ‘eternal
vigilance is the price of freedom’ gained popularity.
Poonam Agarwal
India Inked: Elections in the World’s Largest Democracy
Bloomsbury, 2025
It has been seventy-seven years since we gained freedom from under the ‘men who ruled India’. Many questions have emerged since then: Have ‘we, the people’ been able to retain freedom considering our own political parties and leaders have ‘ruled’ the country since 1947? Have the leaders done enough to empower the people and strengthen the pillars of our democracy? Have they instilled a respect for the law, or a fear of authority in the citizens instead? Have they created an India where ‘the mind is without fear’ and every citizen holds his head high, enjoying his freedom? Have they improved accountability, promoted transparency, curbed corruption, and encouraged citizens to ask questions – particularly about the prerequisites of democracy and the electoral process that brings leaders to power?
This book is a bold attempt to raise some of these questions by citing facts and figures gathered with courage and analysed through painstaking research, aiming to make citizens aware of issues that may be inconvenient for the establishment. Citizens have the right to question executive decisions, probe government claims and hold leaders accountable. The questions posed in this book are valid, even if they appear sceptical. Political leaders once united the people during the freedom struggle; they now seem to unite in dividing them in their own struggle to remain in power.
These questions being raised today doesn’t mean that only the ruling regime is responsible for the present circumstances. The enquiries of cash, crime, caste and community, the integrity of the electoral process and political funding raised in this book must be addressed by all principal players of electoral politics. The long-term relevance of political parties depends on their ability to meet the requirements of the citizens.
Democracy is based on the rule of law. These rules contain both safeguards and loopholes. The rule of law entails the enactment of fair laws and their just enforcement. It is in the latter that questions arise regarding the quality and character of our democracy. Honest citizens abide by the law, and crafty citizens use loopholes to bypass it. Concerns of equality for all citizens remain valid despite economic progress. Is the system being steered by those who manipulate the levers of political power achieved by democratic elections?
The successful conduct of elections might be a source of satisfaction, but a democracy maintains its authority and protects citizens’ rights through constitutional institutions that function with honesty and effectiveness and hold ruling parties accountable.
Parliament is sometimes ‘used’ to enact unequal laws; the state occasionally discriminates in enforcing the law of the land; and the judicial system sometimes leans towards recognising illegality rather than punishing it. As if this were not enough to signal the decline of democracy, there is a growing tendency among people to accept, and even applaud, this situation.
In a democracy, people are considered the most powerful. They transfer their power temporarily to elected representatives, through elections, who form a government. It would be a mockery of democracy if those representatives desire to remain in power at all costs instead of serving the interests of the people. Political parties implement different formulae to retain power, sometimes attempting to co-opt the constitutional bodies in furthering their ambition – a clear breach of trust.
Trust is an evolving relationship that is earned, not commanded by authority. As citizens become more aware, they ask more questions. Institutions and people governing them must answer the questions instead of viewing them as a challenge to their authority or credibility. It is necessary to move away from a stereotyped loyalty to a civilised relationship of ethical trust and transparent conduct.
‘People get the government they deserve’ is a cliche that converts manslaughter into suicide. I do not believe the people of India vote for or deserve a divisive society. They don’t deserve to remain a developing country permanently. They don’t deserve to live in squalid surroundings, drink unclean water, breathe toxic air, receive substandard education and struggle for decent health facilities nearly eight decades after Independence. They vote for an honest day’s work and a decent quality of life – one that comes with comprehensive growth in an economy that provides opportunities to utilise their skills and talents, that is characterised by probity in public spending, and that features a responsive and accountable government machinery.
The people of India, who believe that elections are a ‘festival of democracy’ do not deserve to be left to fend for themselves while those in power are busy looking after their own interests. The sooner political parties realise
this, the better it will be for the survival of democracy. Otherwise, other forms of governance could be waiting in
the wings.
Ashok Lavasa is a former election commissioner.
