Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.
The relationship between Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent was built over five centuries by people who were entrepreneurial, mobile, literate, and commercially connected.
People who say India should be a Hindu Rashtra need to take a long, hard look at Nepal. Although a secular country, Nepal's population is overwhelmingly Hindu and yet it has made no difference to its stability.
The Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, or NOPO, was the only force Ali Khamenei trusted.It was founded in 1991 and is more feared than the Revolutionary Guards.
Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.
China shares a long border with India, Bhutan and Nepal — it’s unambiguously part of the neighbourhood. 1.4 billion people with zero electoral democracy, and Gupta simply sidesteps it entirely by framing his thesis around the “Indian Subcontinent” rather than “Asia.” That’s a convenient geographic box that excludes an inconvenient data point. If your argument is that this region uniquely values democracy, you can’t just draw the map to exclude the largest counter-example next door.
Once you factor in both of these — the China omission and the source’s credibility questions — this piece starts looking less like rigorous analysis and more like a feel-good narrative with a selectively drawn map. Calling two elections “a sign of mature democracies” across the whole subcontinent, while ignoring 1.4 billion people next door living under one-party rule, is analytically quite weak.
The grass does always look greener on the other side. Despite what he might say, Bangladesh is an Islamist nation and so is Pakistan. China is Indian neighborhood too. That os 1.3 billion people not participating in democratic process. Why does Mr.Shekar Gupta not gaze ok that nation?
Educative column, except for the concluding paragraph. Where as a dove have the only serious difference with the Editor. Two billion people. Working hard for a better future for their children. That becomes easier to achieve if South Asia, like almost the rest of the world, places its faith in regional cooperation. 2. Two decisions of the past decade I particularly regret. Mothballing of SAARC. Not joining RCEP. As some of the assumptions of recent foreign policy falter, it would be great for India to rediscover the virtues of its neighbourhood. Respect for democracy one of them.
China shares a long border with India, Bhutan and Nepal — it’s unambiguously part of the neighbourhood. 1.4 billion people with zero electoral democracy, and Gupta simply sidesteps it entirely by framing his thesis around the “Indian Subcontinent” rather than “Asia.” That’s a convenient geographic box that excludes an inconvenient data point. If your argument is that this region uniquely values democracy, you can’t just draw the map to exclude the largest counter-example next door.
Once you factor in both of these — the China omission and the source’s credibility questions — this piece starts looking less like rigorous analysis and more like a feel-good narrative with a selectively drawn map. Calling two elections “a sign of mature democracies” across the whole subcontinent, while ignoring 1.4 billion people next door living under one-party rule, is analytically quite weak.
The grass does always look greener on the other side. Despite what he might say, Bangladesh is an Islamist nation and so is Pakistan. China is Indian neighborhood too. That os 1.3 billion people not participating in democratic process. Why does Mr.Shekar Gupta not gaze ok that nation?
Mr.ashok should also ponder about it
Educative column, except for the concluding paragraph. Where as a dove have the only serious difference with the Editor. Two billion people. Working hard for a better future for their children. That becomes easier to achieve if South Asia, like almost the rest of the world, places its faith in regional cooperation. 2. Two decisions of the past decade I particularly regret. Mothballing of SAARC. Not joining RCEP. As some of the assumptions of recent foreign policy falter, it would be great for India to rediscover the virtues of its neighbourhood. Respect for democracy one of them.