Democracy in retreat

Top leaders of old parties lack public trust despite their successes in electoral arithmetic.

Democracy is in retreat all over the world. The widely acclaimed developed democracy of the United States is no longer ideal to emulate, nor do democracies in Europe continue to inspire others. In South Asia, democratic stability and its novelties are in peril as revered institutions like parliament, judiciary and government have been abused irrespective of which party is in power. India, which had been the great inspiration in the neighbourhood, has undermined its significance as well as rationality due to the excessive dominance of the ruling party whose religiously paranoid orientation is pervasive. Other national parties, too, are on decline due to their loosening grip on regional politics.