If one goes by the happenings under the Modi government’s 30 months in office the word “Freedom” needs to be replaced with “Democracy”. Those who had vehemently criticized Emergency have reincarnated it in mini form with Mamata Banerjee even describing it as “Super Emergency”. Modi’s centralization of power and authoritarian style of governance coupled with the RSS acquiring a domineering role in BJP and government’s functioning, raises worrisome questions about the future of Indian democracy.

The above developments call for a critical look at the ruling leadership’s attitude on the four pillars of Democracy- Legislature, Executive, Judiciary and Press.

The prime minister had been speaking at public meetings in the poll-bound Punjab and Haryana and other places. But in Parliament’s on-going session, it was only after the protests by the Opposition parties demanding his presence in the House to answer their queries about demonetization and other important issues that he attended Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The situation needs to be seen in the backdrop of the May 2014 scenario after Prime Minister-designate had bowed his forehead to touch the steps of the place he described as “temple of democracy”.

Demonetisation was the most important decision the prime minister announced on November 8. Its shoddy implementation adversely impacted common man’s life. The country’s economy has also suffered serious setback with industrial and agricultural sectors registering severe blow rendering thousands of people, particularly wage earners jobless. Petty businesses have been hit with a sharp dip in their sales. Faced with criticism, the government has been almost daily ordering changes in the implementation of the demonetisation rules. These changes numbering over 30 since November 8 have prompted a witty Punjabi to describe the Modi government as a government which “minute minute vaad gaur kare”.

Notwithstanding the declared objective of curbing the black money menace the approach of ruling class on the issue has been hypocritical. No sane person would believe that the political parties use only ‘white’ money for electoral campaigns. Organising hundreds of massive rallies Modi and his party leaders addressed during 2014 Lok Sabha and Bihar Assembly by-elections would have hugely cost BJP. Can the ruling party ensure that no unaccounted money was used for organizing these rallies and will also not use it for fighting the upcoming Assembly elections, particularly in UP and Punjab?

The `Supreme Court Chief Justice T.S. Thakur was not wrong when he said that demonetisation could lead to street riots. There have been scuffles among those queuing outside the cash crunched Banks to withdraw money from their accounts leading to police lathi charge at some places.

The situation needs to be seen in the light of - to repeat Modi’s recent tuglaki comment - “the common man is least bothered and sleeping peacefully while the corrupt and the rich are buying sleeping pills because of the Centre's demonetization move”. Hypocrisy has become the hallmark of our ruling politicians functioning!

Besides the apex court’s comments on demonetisation, the Chief Justice T.S. Thakur’s comments on some other crucial issues have irked the Modi government. One of the most important issues publicly raised by the Chief Justice was the huge backlog of cases. The Supreme Court has been questioning the government’s dilatory role in filling up the judges vacancies. Hit by the Chief Justice’s firm stand on the problems faced by the apex court in administering justice, particularly due to the huge shortage of judges which has disrupted administration of justice to the common man, the government has adopted a confrontationist attitude towards the judiciary. This reminds one the situation that prevailed during Emergency. The Modi government should not forget that Independent judiciary is one of the four pillars of Democracy.

The Modi government’s Emergency type mindset is also reflected by its attitude towards the Press. The latest case was the one-day off-air order against the popular TV channel NDTV. Strong protests by the country’s media forced the government to hold up its order.

Ironically, the government’s off-day order against the NDTV was issued during the week when speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of Press Council of India, Modi had said “there should be no government interference in the functioning of the media” while advising self-regulation by making appropriate changes with time. The prime minister’s attitude towards the media needs to be seen in the backdrop of two events: His walk-out from a popular TV channel’s recording room when he was asked probing questions before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections; his two allegedly stage-managed interviews by two TV channels.

The above scenario reminds me of what the noted writer Salman Rushdie had once said “What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist”. (IPA Service)