What Iran’s Revolution Can Teach India Ahead of the Elections

Over the course of my travels in Iran, I came across many ordinary Iranians who lamented over their country’s situation. The reintroduced US sanctions have decimated Iran’s economy, with high inflation and a rapidly depreciating currency. Numerous activists, environmentalists and opposition leaders have been jailed.

Many Iranians trace the origin of their problems to the country’s 1979 political revolution. Economic underperformance and corruption allegations led to the ouster of the Shah and the installation of a conservative leadership. Despite counting on the support of many intellectuals and women during the revolution, the new leadership introduced many social restrictions. Their aggressive foreign policy led Iran towards international isolation.

Many Iranians wistfully asked me about India’s democracy and envied the personal freedom that Indians enjoy. I found that surprising, since the average Iranian citizen has three times higher per capita income that the average Indian. The country also enjoys vastly superior infrastructure, a highly-educated workforce, low poverty and clean, well-planned cities. All the universal signs of development that many Indians crave.

What Iranians lack though, are ‘basic personal freedoms’. Ahead of India’s general election, it’s important that Indians don’t take their personal freedoms for granted before casting their vote. Although Indians might scoff at any comparison with Iran’s religious leadership, a conservative Hindu monk runs India’s most populous state.

India can learn many lessons from Iran’s experience under an authoritarian regime. Here are some of them.

It’s not worth trading off personal freedoms for economic prosperity

Iran is one of the few countries where citizens cannot legally access popular social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Although Iranians circumvent the ban using a virtual private network (VPN), in “times of agitation”, many believe the internet speed is regulated by the government. This crackdown on internet usage is broadly indicative of the vast restrictions placed on the personal freedoms of its citizens.

Although India enjoys more internet freedom, there have been steadily growing restrictions on the personal freedom of its citizens. The prohibition of beef-consumption and ban on controversial books and films are indicative of the government’s disdain for personal freedom. And the use of draconian laws, such as sedition, to detain activists and journalists suggest an intolerance for independent views. Sadly, many citizens too appear to undervalue the personal freedoms enshrined in India’s constitution.

A 2017 Pew survey found that 55% of Indians supported autocratic rule, higher than any of the 38 nations surveyed. Interestingly, the support for autocratic rule was the lowest among older people. Many experts speculate that the results reflect the youth’s impatience for economic prosperity, even at the cost of personal freedom.

However, India’s experience shows that autocratic leaders aren’t more likely to stimulate economic development than coalition governments. And for every story like China, there are numerous failed states across Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Leaders come and go, but institutions remain

During my visit, many Iranians bemoaned the arrest of their friends and environmentalists, and the lack of a proper trial. I was shocked to hear of the conviction of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer, to 38 years in prison. Government authorities routinely invoke national security laws to jail dissenters and stifle civil society. The nationalistic fervour unleashed during the 1979 revolution enabled government authorities to amass support for repressive legislation that subjugated Iran’s judiciary.

India’s constitution provides for a separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary. However, in reality, there is frequent tension between these organs of state. In recent years, the executive has tried to interfere in the judiciary’s functioning by meddling in the appointment of judges. Although many justify this intrusion by citing the precedence of national interests, these institutions will remain long after India’s current leadership. Future Indians are likely to suffer the consequences of weakened institutions.

(From left) Sudhir Dhawale, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut and Rona Wilson.

Encouraging women to be part of the workforce is essential for a well-oiled economy

Iranian women’s participation rate in the labour force at 14.9% is one of the lowest in the world. Women in Iran face many social and legal hurdles that restrict their ability to secure employment. Although the religious leadership implemented many discriminatory laws that restricted women’s participation in the job market, the deeper challenge is patriarchal mind-sets and societal stereotypes. And similar to India, Iranian women are severely underrepresented in managerial positions and face wage disparities compared to men.

According to India’s Economic Survey, women’s participation in the workforce has fallen dramatically – from 36.3% in 2005-06 to 24% in 2015-16. This is surprising, since it coincides with a period of rapid economic growth and increased educational attainment for women.

In Punjab and the conservative northern Hindi belt, the female employment rate is below 15%, lower than even Iran. This indicates that social stereotypes and cultural factors again are the main factors in curbing female employment. According to McKinsey, equal opportunities for women could add $770 billion to India’s GDP by 2025, representing a missed opportunity.

Being inward-looking could be a disaster for the country's natural resources

The economic sanctions placed on Iran have prompted its leadership to focus inward on domestic manufacturing. Although this strategy could yield short-term economic benefits, it has already begun to threaten the country’s natural resources.

An environmentalist shared how the construction of many dams along the majestic Zayandeh river reduced it to a trickle in Esfahan. These dams were created to divert the river’s water for manufacturing units that dot the outskirts of the city. And, these factories are in-turn responsible for emitting smog that harms the city’s inhabitants.

As India seeks to boost domestic manufacturing with schemes like ‘Make in India’, its policymakers are underestimating the potential damage to the country’s natural resources. India is already facing an air pollution and water scarcity crisis, and can ill-afford further environmental degradation. Rather than implementing inward-looking measures like import tariffs, policymakers should instead focus on integrating India’s economy with the world.

When my Iranian friend asked if I’d consider extending my visa to explore more of Iran, I told him no. I was determined to fly back to India for the general elections, for at this crucial juncture, my vote matters. “Lucky you,” he said ruefully. “Under a religious leadership and puppet president, our votes don’t really count.”

Gayatri B. is a research analyst specialising in the Middle East for an international MNC.

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