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India and the pandemic: democratic governance at crossroads

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2021

Sujay Ghosh Open the ORCID record for Sujay Ghosh [Opens in a new window]
Sujay Ghosh*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore 721102 WB, India
*
Author for correspondence: Sujay Ghosh, E-mail: sujay69@gmail.com; g_sujay@ymail.com
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Abstract

Covid-19 seems to have unlocked the reality of democracy's ongoing tension in many parts of the world, including India. The present government, led by Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, enjoys absolute majority in the lower House of Samshad (Indian Parliament); thus satisfies WHO requirement of strong political leadership for meeting the challenge of Covid-19 pandemic. Through analysis of various acts, rules, notifications, social media behaviour, media-representations and reports, two aspects of governance become relevant: the process of policy-communication on the pandemic, particularly while declaring and extending lockdowns, through widely publicised speeches of the Prime Minister, packed with emotive appeals and policy-propaganda. However, government's several omissions and commissions have defied the norms of democratic accountability. In response, opposition political parties and civil society activism have continuously contested these trends, for stretching the democratic space wider and achieving better governance outcomes.

Keywords

AccountabilityCovid-19democracygovernancepandemicpolicy-communication
Type
Perspectives on Asia
Information
International Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , January 2023 , pp. 217 - 236
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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