India has become an ‘electoral autocracy.’ Its covid-19 catastrophe is no surprise. – By Prerna Singh
…. India’s humanitarian tragedy is linked to a deeper political crisis — that of democratic erosion…. In its influential annual rankings of countries across the world, the U.S.-based democracy watchdog Freedom House downgraded India from a free democracy to a “partially free democracy.”
Similarly, the Swedish-based V-Dem Institute demoted the country to an “electoral autocracy.” Both organizations cited the regime’s crackdowns on freedom of speech – and in particular, expressions of dissent – as a key factor driving India’s slide down these indexes.
How are India’s coronavirus crisis and democratic backsliding linked? Here’s what you need to know….
