The signatories criticised what they called anarchic street protests aimed at delegitimising democratic processes and warned against efforts to subvert constitutional democracy under the pretext of defending it.
The group reaffirmed its faith in India's democratic system, saying the country had repeatedly shown the resilience of its democracy in the seven decades since Independence. It also maintained that constitutional institutions had flourished, with checks and balances functioning effectively.
Concerns over elections and courts
The signatories said election outcomes, judicial decisions and public debate around constitutional institutions had increasingly become subjects of dispute.
They criticised what they described as election denial, repeated questioning of constitutional institutions and a preference for taking political disputes to the streets rather than addressing them through Parliament.
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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 group alleged that matters pending before courts were being used to sow doubts about Indian democracy, with such narratives amplified through street protests. It said such efforts were contradictory because they were being carried out in the name of protecting democracy.
Ambedkar's warning
The statement invoked Dr BR Ambedkar's views on the importance of constitutional methods in protecting 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 democratic institutions.
Call for debate
The signatories said dissent was an essential part of democracy but added that they would not remain silent spectators to what they described as the subversion of democratic institutions in the name of defending them.
They urged social and political forces to resolve differences through debate, discussion, dialogue and dissent within the constitutional framework established by India's founding leaders.
The signatories are based in or have studied in countries including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore and the UAE, among others. They include individuals affiliated with MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, LSE and the University of Toronto. The statement clarifies that these affiliations do not imply university endorsement.