Discourse on book on democracy conducted
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 22 2023:
An academic discourse on "To Kill a Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism," a book written by Debasish Roy Choudhury and John Keane was held at State Guest House at Sanjenthong, today.
The discourse organised by the Ethno Heritage Council (HERICOUN) unanimously agreed that Indian democracy is under threat as mentioned in the book and that even people in Manipur felt it.
The discourse also stressed on the need to hold more discussion programmes on the nature of Indian democracy.
Head and Associate Professor of Department of Law, Manipur University, Dr Yumnam Premananda moderated the academic discourse.
Editor of Imphal Review of Arts and Politics, Pradip Phanjoubam, Director of Human Rights Alert, Babloo Loitongbam and Assistant Professor at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Manipur Dr Homen Thangjam also attended the programme and they gave their insights on Indian democracy.
Associate Professor of JN University, Dr A Bimol Akoijam also attended the programme virtually.
Delivering a keynote address, HERICOUN president L Ratan said that the discourse was held to study whether people in India truly enjoy their rights as citizens of the largest democratic country.
It is widely accepted that power derives from people in a democratic Nation and they govern themselves but many democratic Governments have been abolished globally only to establish a repressive one, he claimed.
Despite being a democratic Nation, hunger is one of the chronic issues in India and the country stood at 94th rank in the hunger index along with Sudan in the Global Hunger Index, L Ratan said.
He also said that democracy in India has become questionable as many families still don't have access to tap water facilities and many districts in the country don't have intensive health care facilities apart from facing many shortcomings in the education sector.
Claiming that there also is a considerable financial gap between the people and indication of societal collapses, Ratan maintained that India is seemingly heading towards despotism.