News Desk
New Delhi — National Security Adviser Ajit Doval delivered a stark critique of democracy’s vulnerabilities during the 6th Sardar Patel Lecture on Governance on October 31, 2025, arguing that the system, while effective, has “created its own problems” by fostering partisan politics and societal fragmentation. “If there are 100 people and I have a following of 25, I can come to power if I can divide the rest into groups that are each smaller than 20,” Doval remarked, illustrating how democracy can incentivize division over unity. He further cautioned, “It is not an aspiration to make it 51, but to divide and fragment the society… We must guard against it.”
Doval’s comments come at a time when global democracy is experiencing its eighth consecutive year of decline, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). The 2024 Global State of Democracy Report highlighted a 47% drop in key democratic indicators over five years, with elections increasingly marred by disinformation, foreign interference, and judicial challenges. In South Asia, the region’s deep-seated issues of extremism, minority rights, and Islamophobia exacerbate these trends, threatening the very fabric of democratic governance.
In India, Doval’s critique resonates amid rising concerns over minority rights, particularly for Muslims, who face escalating Islamophobia. Recent incidents, such as the refusal of service to Akeela Ahmed, chief executive of the British Muslim Trust, in a shop due to her faith, underscore a broader trend of “microaggressions” that translate online hate into real-world discrimination. Ahmed noted, “The gap is closing between hate speech online and anti-Muslim hatred in real life,” a sentiment echoed by communities across the region.
The plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar exemplifies the dire state of minority rights in South Asia. Denied citizenship since 1982 and subjected to a two-child policy, the Rohingya are described by Médecins Sans Frontières as “among the world minority groups most in danger of extinction.” In Northern Arakan state, government policies effectively blacklist Rohingya children born out of wedlock, barring them from education and marriage. Such measures, justified under the guise of “illegal migration management,” reflect a broader pattern of exclusionary politics that Doval warns against.
Extremism further complicates the democratic landscape in South Asia, the world’s most extreme region in terms of political and social volatility. The influence of the Islamic State (IS) persists despite the end of its caliphate, with younger generations in some countries showing quicker radicalization compared to traditional extremist profiles. Robert Templer, a conflict analyst, notes, “The major impact of IS has been to disrupt some of these patterns,” highlighting how past experiences no longer accurately describe the evolution of extremism in the region.
Globally, democracy’s decline is not confined to South Asia. The United States, classified as a “flawed democracy” with a score of 7.85 on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, faces similar challenges. Norway, with a score of 9.81, remains the global standard, but even full democracies like New Zealand and Iceland are not immune to pressures. The IDEA report warns that “elections remain the single best opportunity to end democratic backsliding,” yet nearly 20% of elections between 2020 and 2024 saw results contested, often decided by courts.
Doval’s call for reform emphasizes strengthening laws, rules, and procedures to make them “more people-friendly” and ensuring policies meet “the aspirations of the people.” He advocates for countering the role of money in politics and addressing “the eclipsing of national interest by vested interest,” a concern that resonates beyond India’s borders. As democracy wavers globally, Doval’s warning serves as a reminder of the fragility of governance systems that fail to protect minority rights and combat extremism, particularly in a region as volatile as South Asia.
