ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

DemocracySubscribe to Democracy

Modernity with a Brand

The takeover of NDTV by the Adani Group points to the lack of regulatory mechanisms regarding media ownership in India. It illustrates that Indian media is rapidly heading towards media concentration. The takeover is a disconcerting marker of the growing infl uence of top business conglomerates on news media for their commercial gains and to serve their political patrons. Equally problematic are the trends of news, media organisations, and journalists turning into brands in the open market. These developments have posed a serious threat to the freedom of speech, a basic feature of modern democracy. Bhupen

Brazil Elections

While the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is a necessary step towards saving the Brazilian political democracy, its social fabric has been severely weakened by the far right. It will take years to begin rebuilding a decent and inclusive society, where all Brazilians, including minorities and the marginalised, feel safe and can thrive.

 

People’s Movement, Decentralisation and Rural Bihar

Last Among Equals: Power, Caste and Politics in Bihar’s Villages by M R Sharan, Chennai: Context, 2021; pp 217, `599.

Cuba Family Code

The latest family code in Cuba, with its progressive provisions regarding LGBT+ rights, recognition of women’s household work, strong measures against gender violence and child protection, has the potential to usher in a democracy within Cuban families. This spirit of democracy will eventually have a considerable impact on the political dynamics and power structures within the country.

The Global Rise of Authoritarianism

Authoritarianism was the dominant political form in the pre-constitutional, pre-democratic societies present in the form of monarchy and autocracy. Amongst its proponents were Aristotle and Plato making it a prominent part of the foundational political thought. But what makes it persist amidst other political alternatives in the present times? This reading list explores the evolving trends of authoritarianism across the world.

India: A Plurality of Voices in Conversation and Contestation

Only after the third reading of this slim book Voices of Dissent: An Essay did its full significance become apparent to me.

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