A state-specific adaptation

Issue based politics, Need of hour

- Dr. Ravi Chaturvedi

Indian democracy today stands not at a mere turning point, but at a moment of moral reckoning.

It is a republic forged in ideals, nourished by sacrifice, and sustained by the will of over a billion citizens. Yet, for too long, its political bloodstream has been flooded with emotion-carefully cultivated passions of identity, fear, grievance, and _ pride. These sentiments, orchestrated with dramatic flair, have often replaced deliberation with spectacle, policy with provocation, and governance with grandstanding.

Emotion has undeniable power, It rallies crowds, fills streets, and sharpens slogans. In the early decades of democratic participation, emotional mobilization played a catalytic role, awakening political consciousness and drawing millions into the electoral process. But when emotion becomes an end rather than a means, democracy risks losing its compass. Governance degenerates into performance, and elections turn into contests of decibel rather than deliberation.India's present challenges are far too complex to be resolved through rhetorical thunder alone. Unemployment cannot be shouted away, farmers’ distress cannot be drowned in applause, and fragile public health systems do not heal through symbolism. Climate change, educational decline, gender insecurity, and widening economic inequality demand seriousness, expertise, and sustained policy attention. They demand answers, not applause lines.