2024 has already been defined as the year of elections: from Russia through the EU, to the US, autocracies, dictatorships, and democracies, billions of people are going to the polls. One of the biggest upcoming elections is due to take place in India: with 968 million registered voters, 15 million election officials, and 1.2 million polling booths, it will be the largest exercise in logistics and democracy the world has ever seen.
But there are problems – in India, as well as in many other democracies. Dr. Radha Kumar, renowned Indian policy analyst, public intellectual, and writer specialising in ethnic conflicts and peace processes, who recently convened the Delhi Democracy Convention, joins Ilana Bet-El in an exploration of India’s democratic crossroads. From inter-ethnic tensions to political power plays and media freedom, the flowing conversation explains much about the sub-continent and the state of democracies far beyond.
Referenced materials
- Delhi Declaration (Democracy Convention 2024) & articles in Frontline, The Wire, and The Hindu
- Radha’s inspiration: Dhruv Rathee’s Youtube channel (Hindi with English subtitles)
- Radha’s book recommendation: Waves Across the South by Sujit Sivasundaram
- Radha’s books, and make sure to follow her on Twitter to see when her next book is published in May!
- Recorded on 18 March 2024
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- Our partner European Leadership Network website
- Ilana Bet-El
Credits
- Production: Florence Ferrando
- Music: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll License code: ZXIIIJUU2ISPZIJT
The opinions articulated above represent the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Leadership Network or all of its members. The ELN’s aim is to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time.
Image credit: Florence Ferrando
