US President Joe Biden has been criticized for his silence on India’s slide toward autocracy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite India ranking 161st on the World Press Freedom Index and no longer being considered a fully free democracy, Modi will still be welcomed for a state dinner at the White House on Thursday. This has raised concerns that a genuine win for democracy in India is needed in order for the country to be a fast friend in the struggle against autocracies.
Critics have suggested that positive reinforcement has not worked with Modi and that it is time for world leaders to try a new strategy – criticism. While acknowledging their own democracies’ problems, opinion shapers are urged to go public with concerns about Indian democracy that advocates often hear them express privately. This criticism must be fair and constructive, however, and acknowledge the progress India’s government has made on several fronts, except for democratic freedoms.
India is culturally, linguistically, economically, and politically entwined with the West and the democratic world, making this principled friendship even more important. There are fears that if the current leaders continue on their repressive trajectory, India will be impossible to recruit into the democratic alliance and so be a massive setback for democracy in the world.
The Indian public is one of the most important stakeholders in this discussion. International criticism offers a powerful way to reach them, especially as repression has been carefully hidden and spun by Modi’s regime to win over Indian voters. However, critics have warned that Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party will claim Western hypocrisy and bullying, but the truth is that Modi and Indians are invested in their international reputation.
Ultimately, India could be a democracy once again that inspires the world. India’s constitution is still strong and its Supreme Court has indicated a willingness to stand up to the regime, offering hope to those who believe in democracy.
