EDGE OF DEMOCRACY: BETWEEN DIVIDENDS AND DIVISIVENESS

As the attempt on Donald Trump showed, democratic dividends can turn into disasters if diverse democracies do not heal bitter schisms. The onus is as much on politicians as on the people.

- MAKARAND PARANJAPE

THERE is a common cliché, "The more things change, the more they remain the same." With Modi 3.0, however, its inverse may be more apposite: the more things remain the same, the more they change.

What do I mean by this? Modi 3.0 seems as keen as before to render the opposition inconsequential, in addition to illegitimate, using every trick in the book. But it is not going to be so easy. With 233 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, not only is the opposition INDIA bloc only seven seats short of BJP's 240, but it is much more vocal and visible than in Narendra Modi's previous two terms as prime minister.

Therefore, no matter how much the entire ecosystem along with media supporters keep up the appearance that nothing has changed, the fact is it is not business as usual. More significantly, the prospect of ushering in post-independence India's 'second republic' now appears quite remote.

This brings us to the central issue. Democracy, hailed as the custodian of freedom and pluralistic society, stands at a precipice in today's politically charged and divided environment. But diversity, weaponised into divisiveness, threatens the fabric of our nation. Especially if we are not careful to step back from the abyss when it comes to the game of political brinkmanship.

This stark reality was showcased in the shocking assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 12. It was an event rippling with consequences, the turning point in an electoral race that had become increasingly toxic.