Globally, there are many countries where low levels of trust coexist with stable democracies and several others where distrust is so pervasive that democracy barely survives or simply dies. India as the world’s largest democracy faces a trust deficit but opinion is divided on the survival of democracy. We argue that the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) may damage democracy in India.
Under NDA rule, persistent questioning of the survival of democracy has dominated the political discourse in recent years. Specifically, with the aggressive pursuit of Hindutva, unprovoked brutality against minorities, especially Muslims and Dalits, and heavy-handed suppression of the freedom of speech and press have undermined the trustworthiness of democracy. A related question is whether the loss of trust has reduced well-being. A third is whether these inferences are valid and whether India’s democracy is at risk. With the national election looming in the horizon, these questions have high priority.
