Declining democratic practices

Whether it is party politics or national politics, democratic norms seem to be waning.

Democracy as a contested notion has involved heated debates around its actual meaning, ideals and the process of endorsement and ratification. Historically, the debate has been framed around the ideals of liberal democracy championed by the West which tend to combine democracy and capitalism. What is hugely missing in this debate is the discussion around contextualising democracy. Amid shrinking Euro-Western hegemony , democratic processes continue to decline particularly in the post-colonial countries. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the problem has been further exacerbated by growing surveillance, discriminatory prohibitory orders and their violent enforcement, deliberate misinformation and disinformation. Fraught with multifaceted challenges emanating from issues of migration and refugees to policy corruption and constitutional coups, democracy has arrived at a critical juncture.