Guwahati: Renowned economist and political commentator Parakala Prabhakar on Thursday delivered a stark warning about the state of Indian democracy, asserting that the country’s Republic is facing a “deep and ongoing crisis.”
Speaking at the 8th Foundation Day of digital news platform Northeast Now in Guwahati, Prabhakar said India is no longer merely “staring at a crisis” but is already “in the midst of it.”
Delivering a lecture titled “Is Our Republic in Crisis?”, Prabhakar said the question was rhetorical. “To be upfront, yes, the Republic is in crisis,” he said, adding that if corrective action is not taken urgently, “it could be too late.”
Fearless Journalism Under Pressure
Congratulating Northeast Now on its anniversary, Prabhakar praised the platform for its commitment to speaking truth to power, noting that such spaces are increasingly rare. He candidly admitted that he had hesitated before accepting the invitation, not out of concern for his own safety but for that of his hosts.
“The atmosphere in the country is not conducive to speaking truth to power,” he said, pointing to the consequences faced by those who challenge dominant narratives. He described his presence at the event as both an expression of solidarity and a warning against complacency.
Multiple Crises Converging
Prabhakar argued that the crisis of the Republic cannot be understood in isolation. “Our economy is in crisis, our society is in crisis, our politics is in crisis, our culture is in crisis. Put together, the Republic is in crisis,” he said.
Citing Manipur, which has witnessed prolonged violence for nearly two years, he said the nation’s indifference to the suffering of its own citizens reflects a moral and political breakdown. “Manipur is not part of India’s political imagination,” he remarked, calling it a marker of the Republic’s crisis of equality.
He also referred to public apathy over incidents such as an attack on the Chief Justice of India inside a courtroom, rising unemployment, rural distress, and the steadily falling value of the rupee. “When the rupee touches new lows and unemployment rises, we hardly talk about it anymore,” he said.
Democracy and the Voter
Raising concerns about electoral practices, Prabhakar warned that democratic norms are being inverted. “Earlier, voters decided the government. Today, governments decide who should be a voter,” he said, referring to voter list revisions in several states.
He also criticised parliamentary priorities, citing a marathon Lok Sabha debate on Vande Mataram while issues like price rise, unemployment, and rural distress went unaddressed. “This, too, is a marker of crisis,” he said.
The Founding Idea of India
Drawing a sharp contrast with contemporary politics, Prabhakar revisited the founding moment of the Indian Republic. He emphasised that unlike many nation-states, India never debated who belonged to the nation. “India decided that everyone who lives here is an equal member of the political community, irrespective of religion, caste, language, or property,” he said.
Calling universal adult franchise from the very beginning a unique and radical experiment, he noted that while many democracies took decades or centuries to extend voting rights, India began with full inclusion.
“The Constituent Assembly did not debate who belonged. It debated how to ensure justice, liberty, equality and fraternity in an unequal society,” he said.
A Slow Death of Democracy
Warning against complacency, Prabhakar said modern democracies do not collapse overnight through coups or tanks on the streets. “They die slowly, one small cut at a time,” he said, using the metaphor of frogs being slowly boiled to death without realising the danger.
He cautioned that distractions—celebrity events, spectacles, and manufactured debates—often divert public attention while democratic institutions are steadily weakened.
Politics of Permanent Majorities
Prabhakar also raised concerns over what he described as the construction of “permanent majorities” based on religion rather than political conviction. He pointed out that the current ruling party has no representation from the country’s largest minority in either the Cabinet or its parliamentary party.
“When political majorities are replaced by religious majorities, democracy is hollowed out,” he warned, adding that such majorities are permanent and cannot be democratically overturned.
Call to Defend Constitutional Values
Concluding his lecture, Prabhakar said that the present crisis did not arise overnight but was the result of “diligent, committed and long-term efforts” to undermine constitutional values. He asked where the “army” was to defend equality, secularism, justice, and fraternity.
“Good does not win on its own,” he said, rejecting the belief that democracy will automatically correct itself. “Evil does not disappear forever. It has to be resisted again and again.”
Urging citizens not to remain bystanders, Prabhakar said only sustained and collective action could help avert further erosion of the Republic. “We are already in the crisis,” he reminded the audience. “Do not be complacent.”