How does Indian constitution manages our country as an institution?
Class 9 NCERT Democratic Politics..
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Independent. A word synonymous with what it means to be Indian. It’s the premise on which India began its journey as a sovereign state and the world’s largest democracy. Independence, however, is not just about our right to self-determination. It is also the central feature of the institutions that help us realise this independence.
An independent judiciary, which safeguards the constitution on which a society is built. An independent central bank, which safeguards prosperity by taking long-term decisions about the economy. An independent statistics body, which safeguards the truth about a society and the progress it’s making.
These are the institutions that protect individual rights, promote prosperity and, crucially, act as a check on unscrupulous politicians. However around the world we are witnessing institutions under siege. In the US, there are attempts to blur the separation of powers on which it was built. In the UK’s Brexit campaign, the public was famously told that they’ve “had enough of experts”.
Nowhere is this phenomenon more pronounced than in India. Since taking office in 2014, the BJP has orchestrated a concerted campaign to undermine institutions by encroaching on their independence. More than an academic discussion, this is something that impacts society as a whole.
Prime Minister Modi’s BJP government has consistently exerted political pressure on the Supreme Court by making its distaste for decisions known. In addition, it has systemically tried to chip away at the Court’s independence by exerting itself over the appointment of judges. The courts are a check on executive power and uphold the rule of law, which is the foundation of a civilised society. Or, to quote Supreme Court judge Jasti Chelameswar, a judicial system that does the bidding of the Executive “sounds the death knell to democracy”.
Not content with undermining judicial independence, Modi forced former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel to resignation with his short-sighted and politically motivated pressure. An independent central bank with technical expertise and time horizons beyond those of electoral cycles is essential to the smooth functioning of an economy. However, by attempting to issue orders to the RBI to improve his electoral chances and by loading it with political appointees to do his bidding, Modi is putting short-term expedience over long-term prosperity.
On Thursday we all but got confirmation of the RBI’s new status as an extension of the Finance Ministry, with a cut to interest rates many believe was aimed at providing a boost to Modi’s election campaign. Decisions on interest rates matter- they can manage inflation or stave off a recession. These are outcomes that impact peoples’ lives and should not be taken for partisan reasons.
It’s easy to attack institutions and bureaucrats, but this trend is dangerous. It also fails to account for the deep and worrisome human cost of losing the independence and effectiveness of these organisations. In a vast democracy such as India’s, checks and balances are vital to limit political power and ensure the necessary expertise is involved in decision-making. The actions of Modi’s government threaten our constitutional rights, our economic prosperity and the very health of our democracy.
It is said those that do not desire power are most suited to it. I would take a slightly different interpretation. Those that are most suited to power are those that respect its limits, and can give it away for the greater good.
That is why rolling back the encroachment of Modi’s government on independent institutions is not enough. We must go further. Firstly, we must make quasi-independent institutions fully independent. Secondly, we must identify the institutions that should be removed from government control and given a standalone status.