At the India Today Conclave 2024, author and historian Tripurdaman Singh emphasized the distinctiveness of Indian democracy compared to Western norms, rejecting comparisons as "unproductive."
Singh, speaking at a session titled 'Why the West gets India’s democracy wrong,' highlighted that Indian democracy is uniquely developed to address specific questions and historical contexts. He criticized the tendency to judge Indian democracy against normative ideals prevalent in Western Europe and North America, calling it a "strange and unproductive comparison."
Singh refuted allegations of backsliding in India's democracy, arguing that such claims misunderstand the historical context and misrepresent the constitutional institutions that shape Indian democracy. He challenged the notion of backsliding by questioning the reference point from which such assessments are made, emphasizing that India's democratic foundation addresses specific circumstances and questions.
Regarding alleged biases in India's representation in the West, Singh attributed it to ignorance rather than bias, describing it as a result of Orientalist stereotyping and a lack of understanding of India's achievements.
When asked about the Uniform Civil Code and Citizenship Amendment Act and their reflection on rising majoritarianism in India, Singh argued that the state's intervention in social relations stems from the Constitution's provisions for social reform. He asserted that such interventions are not majoritarian but rather intended to address social inequalities and lack of capacity for reform within Indian society.
Singh acknowledged that the electoral polity in India is majoritarian by design due to the first-past-the-post principle governing government formation. However, he emphasized that state interventions in social relations are not driven by majoritarianism but rather by the need to address social disparities.
