More than 400 Indian-origin scholars across 27 countries have backed the Spare India from Anarchy statement. Their appeal urges political disagreements to be resolved through debate and constitutional institutions.
Over 400 Indian-origin academics across 27 nations urge protection of democracy. (Representative image)
More than 400 Indian-origin students, researchers and alumni from leading universities across 27 countries and four continents have signed a statement titled 'Spare India from Anarchy', expressing concern over what they describe as attempts to undermine public confidence in India's constitutional institutions and democratic processes.
The signatories have condemned the use of what they call anarchic street protests to delegitimise democratic processes, warning against efforts to subvert constitutional democracy under the pretext of defending it.
Reaffirming their faith in India's democratic system, the signatories said the country had repeatedly demonstrated the resilience of its democracy in the seven decades since Independence. They also maintained that constitutional institutions had flourished, with checks and balances functioning effectively.
The signatories are currently based in or have studied in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Georgia and the Philippines, among others.
They include individuals affiliated with prominent academic institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, Columbia University, the London School of Economics (LSE), the National University of Singapore, Seoul National University, the University of Manchester and the University of Toronto, among others.
The statement clarifies that the institutional affiliations of the signatories do not imply endorsement by their respective universities.
CONCERN OVER DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS
In their statement, the signatories said they were expressing concern over developments in India, arguing that election outcomes, judicial decisions and public discourse surrounding constitutional institutions had increasingly become subjects of contention.
They criticised what they described as a trend of election denial, persistent questioning of constitutional institutions and a preference for taking political disputes to the streets rather than addressing them through Parliament.
The statement said unfavourable election results had prompted questions about procedural integrity, while adverse judicial decisions had led to criticism of judicial independence. It also objected to what the signatories described as the unnecessary involvement of the Armed Forces, an institution they characterised as apolitical, in partisan discourse.
The signatories alleged that matters pending before the courts were being used to sow doubts about Indian democracy, with the resulting narratives amplified through street protests. They argued that such efforts were contradictory because they were being carried out in the name of protecting democracy.
Describing themselves as people with a stake in India's future who identify as Indians while travelling across the world, the signatories said they were deeply anguished by what they viewed as these developments.
AMBEDKAR'S WARNING ON CONSTITUTIONAL METHODS
The statement invoked the views of Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, on the importance of constitutional methods in preserving India's democratic system.
Quoting Ambedkar's warning that constitutional methods must be upheld and revolutionary methods abandoned, the signatories cautioned against the growing acceptance of anarchy as an alternative to constitutional governance.
They argued that the spirit of fraternity and the principles underpinning the Constitution should not be displaced by methods that undermine established democratic institutions.
CALL FOR DEBATE WITHIN CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
While acknowledging that dissent is an essential component of democracy, the signatories said they would not remain silent spectators to what they described as the subversion of democratic institutions in the name of defending them.
They expressed solidarity with democratic forces across the world and rejected what they called regressive means of pursuing narrow, self-serving ends.
The statement urged social and political forces to take their concerns into account and resolve differences through debate, discussion, dialogue and dissent within the constitutional framework established by India's founding leaders.
The full statement is titled 'Spare India from Anarchy' and is accompanied by the list of signatories. The signatories reiterated their appeal for disagreements to be addressed through constitutional institutions rather than through methods they believe could undermine the democratic system.
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