Democracy's Pulse: Quraishi on South Asia's Democratic Journey

Former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi has articulated that recent developments in Nepal are indicative of a 'vibrant democracy', rather than chaos or anarchy. He emphasizes the importance of careful regulation of social media, which has become integral, cautioning against suppressing freedoms.

Quraishi, ahead of his book launch, 'Democracy's Heartland', discusses South Asia's democratic landscape, urging India to guide struggling democracies in the region as 'elder brothers' rather than 'big brothers'. He addressed the situation in Nepal, suggesting that the government's actions were not meant to suppress voices, but missteps on social media policy.

In the book, Quraishi criticizes India's current democratic state, likening it to Turkey's or Russia's illiberal democracy due to media suppression and campaign finance dominance. He states that the resilience of India's democracy is its saving grace, while pointing out democracy challenges across South Asia, including military influences in Pakistan and Bangladesh's authoritarian tendencies.