Democratic system under attack in India: Rahul Gandhi in Colombia

Bogota: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of systematically undermining India’s democratic foundations, calling it the biggest threat the country faces today.

Speaking at an interaction with students at EIA University in Envigado, Colombia, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said India’s strength lies in its diversity of religions, languages and traditions, and only democracy can provide space for all voices. “India is a conversation between all its people,” he said, adding that attempts to impose authoritarianism would ultimately fail.

Gandhi contrasted India’s decentralised structure with China’s centralised model, arguing that the former cannot accommodate authoritarianism. He warned that suppressing regional languages and traditions would be counterproductive.

On the global stage, Gandhi highlighted India’s role in the ongoing energy transition. He said Britain had risen on coal and steam, while the US dominated the petroleum era, and that the contest today is between the US and China over electric motors and battery technology. India, he noted, sits at the heart of this global rivalry.

He also flagged unemployment as a major challenge, saying India’s service-led economy struggles to generate jobs. Drawing a parallel with the US, he said Donald Trump’s polarisation campaign resonated with people who had lost manufacturing jobs.

Gandhi underlined the need for India to develop a democratic production model capable of competing with China’s authoritarian success.
(With IANS inputs.)