Talk by Prof. Rahul Mukherji India’s Democracy and Attacks on Civil Society

Competitive authoritarian (CA) regimes are typically Janus-faced: while one aspect comprises competitive and democratic features, the other is marked by anti-democratic characteristics that become prominent over time. Gradual entrenchment of authoritarian propensities may ultimately culminate in a fully consolidated autocracy. This talk asserts that India’s CA regime has deployed an arsenal of instruments to tame and silence a vibrant, diverse and assertive civil society. It demonstrates why the Indian state’s core ideology of ethno-nationalism that targets religious minorities, especially Muslims, is a paramount driver for attacks on India’s civil society. Ethnic polarization is both an ideology and a politically expedient tool for India’s ruling regime today. The ethno-nationalist state treats civil society actors who stand in defense of the country’s secular and democratic constitution as a threat to its leadership. The paper to be presented reviews the literature on the relationship between competitive authoritarianism and attacks on civil society; clarifies the instruments by which the Indian state attacks civil society; and analyses primary evidence on attacks on 13 civil society organizations (CSOs) during 2014–2024. The findings indicate that civil society actors seeking to protect the rights of the Muslim minority are attacked most intensely. Like Erdogan’s strategic use of Islam in Turkey, the current Indian government under Narendra Modi employs Hindu nationalism—central to its ideological foundation—as a tool to consolidate majority support. This is achieved through sustained scaremongering that frames the Muslim minority as a threat, thereby advancing its broader anti-democratic goals. It also finds that civic action that challenges displacement of indigenous populations by mega, even oligarchic corporations invites the ire of the state.