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The non-populists, instead of writing an obituary about populism, should focus on understanding why populists are on the march. They should go to the people, have the courage to take bold actions. Importantly, they should invest in actions that would rebuild people’s trust in democracy. It is not populists’ bright ideas that attract the people; rather, it is their dissent in liberal democratic order that forces them away from it.
Picture this scene: With the general elections looming, journalists face routine investigation and arrest, the leader of the main opposition party is unseated from parliament, and 146 members of parliament find themselves suspended for daring to question the government. The bank account of the main opposition party is frozen, and federal agencies incarcerate two sitting Chief Ministers.
This political scene is not unfolding in Russia, Belarus, Turkey, China, Cambodia, or Pakistan. This is happening in the world’s largest democracy — India.
Must leaders be wrestlers? Why the insistence on toughness in leadership? In a world that often equates leadership with being a commander wielding a cane stick, it's time to challenge traditional norms.
Normalizing the right wing politician with authoritarian past: How did an ex-general with such a controversial past manage to scale the pinnacle of Indonesian politics?
Far–right parties, much like those bullies, are loud. They yell, they shout, they bulldoze, the vocal minority claps in approval, and they win. And non-far-right parties and individuals often perceive them as unbeatable, thinking that bullies have the people’s support.
In both Europe and India, far-right parties exhibit a common pattern of lacking a concrete plan to address the fundamental issues confronting farmers. Instead, they resort to a propaganda-driven approach to manipulate public opinion and perpetuate their hold on power.
One glaring aspect, however, confronts the army and that is the resolute will of the people Independent candidates have secured more seats than organised and well-supported institutional political parties. This outcome reflects and reinforces that revolutions happen in the most adverse circumstances. This may not just be a political resentment against the establishment but a broader social movement that says, ‘We will not sit back and watch. We will use all that we have to fight back.’
As the far-right propagates a simplified and emotionally resonant message, the lack of coordination and a shared vision among the “non-far-right” strengthens the far-right's illusion of representing the entirety of “the people.”
Even in the absence of a ban, for women in need of abortion access, the overall picture is grim — and the worst is yet to come.