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India among least-free democracies, says study
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- India has become one of the world’s least free democracies, according to a global survey, which warned that “the Indian government’s alarming departures from democratic norms under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP could blur the values-based distinction between Beijing and New Delhi”.
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- Name of Report: Freedom in the World 2020
- Released by: Freedom House, a U.S.-based watchdog, which has been tracking global political and civil liberties for almost half a century.
- Findings Regarding India:
(1) It ranks India at the 83rd position, along with Timor-Leste and Senegal.
(2) This is near the bottom of the pile among the countries categorised as “Free”, with only Tunisia receiving a lower score.
(3) India’s score fell by four points to 71, the worst decline among the world’s 25 largest democracies this year.
(4) Scores:
(a) India scored 34 out of 40 points in the political rights category, but only 37 out of 60 in the civil liberties category, for a total score of 71, a drop from last year’s score of 75.
(b) The report treats “Indian Kashmir” as a separate territory, which saw its total score drop precipitously from 49 to 28 this year, moving it from a status of “Partly Free” to “Not Free”.
(5) Signs of Declining Freedom:
(a) The annulment of autonomy and the subsequent shutdown of Kashmir, the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, as well as the crackdown on mass protests have been listed as the main signs of declining freedom in the report.
(b) The report slammed the Internet blackout in Kashmir, terming it the longest shutdown ever imposed by a democracy.
(c) It said freedom of expression was under threat in India, with journalists, academics and others facing harassment and intimidation when addressing politically sensitive topics.
Sources
The Hindu