Ponmala

In the beginning was the void. And from the void, creation evolved to the present stage in 13.8 billion years. The trajectory of that evolution was marked by periodic quantum leaps. The Big Bang was the first such leap. The formation of physical forces and a cocktail of particles, the formation of stars and galaxies, the emergence of life and the appearance of intelligent man followed at various intervals. Intelligent man’s way of life and knowledge too further evolved, taking quantum leaps like belief in the supernatural, formation of society, artistic expression, philosophical thinking, humanistic morals, scientific enquiry and monarchical rule. The final quantum leap human society took was from monarchical rule to democratic rule, replacing hereditary kings with rulers chosen by the people. But that quantum leap is facing the threat of getting erased from the evolutionary chart.
Democracy came as an answer to monarchs becoming tyrants. Its foundation is the belief that the majority will always opt for truth, justice and the common good. But when the majority began choosing selfish and parochial interests, democracy became tyrannical and chose tyrants as rulers. Hitler was the most conspicuous example for it. Democratic tyrants play on the fears and beliefs of the majority to come to power and hold on to it. Hitler took advantage of Germany’s economic collapse following a humiliating defeat in World War I. Democracies of the world seemed to have learnt a lesson from it, but not really. It only took six decades for many more Hitlers to prop up and capture the reins of world’s foremost democracies.

A ruler should be a visionary leader, but that becomes hard in a democracy where the leader is led by selfish interests and demands of the majority. Tyrants are manipulating the people to extinguish the government of the people by the people and for the people. It is easy for a megalomaniac to pamper to people’s superstitions, engrained regressive notions and bestial instincts to come to power and hold on to it. To prevent that, the constitutions of democratic republics provide checks and balances, commonly known as the four pillars of democracy – legislature, executive, judiciary and the media. A fifth one needs to be added – social activism. When these are undermined, democracies become banana republics.

While Hitler played on the economic distress and humiliation of the Germans, ironically, Trump the tyrant came to power in America on a wave of authoritarian populism, exceptionalism and triumphalism even as that country was riding high on economic success. He played on the White American’s fear of migrant takeover and social equality, which by the way is foundational to democracy. His chum Modi the tyrant came to power when India was riding high on an economic upsurge, playing on Hindutva triumphalism and the majority’s fear of minority appeasement. For both, their ultimate goal is a socially unequal society – in America people of colour as second class citizens and in India Muslim and Christian minorities as second class citizens.

America, which for decades fought with evangelical zeal to establish democracy all over the world is now fighting hard to remain one. Abandoned by Americans to fend for themselves to safeguard democracy, the Afghan army is struggling to fend off Taliban’s onslaught. Simultaneously, the American Congress is in the midst of an effort to safeguard democracy in their own land by holding the perpetrators of the January 6 attack on the Capitol accountable. During the hearing of the Congressional Committee inquiring into the attack, Iraq war veteran Officer Aquilino Gonnel, who defended the Capital against Trump’s insurrectionists, said: “I told myself, this is how I’m going to die… It’s upsetting. It’s pathetic excuse for his behaviour for something that he (Trump) himself helped to create this monstrosity.” Officer Dunn said: “I was just trying to survive that day, and get home… When I was able to process it, it was so emotional. It was so disheartening and disappointing that we live in a country like that, where they attack you because of the colour of your skin.”

Modi’s Pegasus attack on Indian democracy was no less vicious than Trump’s attack on the Capitol. It laid the axe to the root of Indian democracy. Modi used Pegasus software to spy on all of the nation’s defenders of democracy – opposition leaders, a judge, an election commissioner, journalists, activists… The Big Brother did not spare even a couple of his own ministers. The tragedy of it all is that both Trump and Modi are cashing in on people’s faith in incarnations of righteousness, Jesus and Rama, to do the dirty work for them.

While America’s constitutional institutions stood their ground and flouted Trump’s attempt to torpedo democracy, their Indian counterparts played to Modi’s tunes and Russian counterparts played to Putin’s tunes. While the majority of American’s recognised the tyrant in Trump and defeated him, nationalist fervour has blinded the majority of Indians and Russians from recognising the tyrant in their rulers.

Trump wanted his Vice President to not certify an election for which the electoral authorities of all the 50 states and over sixty courts had given the stamp of approval. The security men guarding the Capitol foiled the coup d’état he planned to capture power by overthrowing people’s mandate. But he has not given up. He has persuaded the legislatures of Republican ruled states to pass laws that would give them the power to declare people’s choice null and void if it does not suit them. If that stays, of what use is electoral democracy at all? Modi is banking on the Ram Temple to give him a third term, which could very well pay off. What does he have up his sleeves to overcome the remote possibility of an electoral defeat? A cyber coup d’état ? Countries led by leaders who get blinded by the brightness of truth end up in darkness.