I have observed social and political trends in India for many years. What appears to be a deep-running current may not be so, and may be only a passing cloud. A passing cloud can bring a welcome shower, but that is not an enduring feature of the climate.

1947 was a watershed year. Since Independence, many visible influences and trends were noticed but were short-lived; and many incipient trends that were unnoticed by most people have become enduring. For example, despite Gandhiji’s near-divine status and hundreds of dedicated Gandhians, the Gandhian way of life, ahimsa,  satyagraha, the charkha, non-violence and civil disobedience did not survive for more than a couple of decades after Gandhiji. On the other hand, few anticipated the rapid urbanisation of India, fewer noticed climate change, and still fewer understood the complex relationship between humans and science and technology.

The saying is, ‘Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future’ (Nobel laureate Niels Bohr and legendary baseball player Yogi Berra). Nevertheless, I shall dare to venture into forbidden territory. I have observed five trends that may gain strength and momentum. Much as I dislike and dread some of them, these trends seem unstoppable:

Decline of Democracy as ‘government of the people….’

Democracy is government of the people. People are born free and have the right to many freedoms. A democratic government is a government that respects and upholds the rights of the people, and has established independent institutions that will........

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