South Asia’s battered democracies

At the core of every malaise is the lack of democratic intent among major political players of the region.

A number of recent reports from globally recognised institutions like the Freedom House and IDEA have unequivocally concluded that freedom and democracy are in constant decline worldwide due to a surge in far-right politics, the rise of authoritarian regimes and, worst of all, stolen elections sanctioning elected dictators. The Freedom House Report 2024 concluded that democracy is under attack in every region of the world. The IDEA report reaffirmed it.