A testimony of the threat to Indian democracy: A review of Alpa Shah’s book “The Incarcerations: BK-16 and the search for democracy in India”

Abstract

In the annals of democratic governance, India’s narrative unfolds a paradoxical tale of promise and peril, where ideals of equality and freedom often intersect with realities of power and oppression. India’s democracy seems to be something of an enigma in which lofty principles and ideals are, more often than not, eclipsed by the use of force and repression. Notwithstanding the claims to inclusivity and representation, Indian democracy, more often than not, undermines the very structures and mechanisms needed to protect it. This article is an attempt to delve into the concerns of potential democratic decay that has dawned upon the Indian political system, particularly, in the wake of the ascendancy of Hindu majoritarianism. And it seeks to do so through a critical review of Alpa Shah’s book The Incarcerations: BK-16 and the Search for Democracy in India which, based on profound research work, presents a gripping narrative of the Bhima Koregaon case of 2018 to bring to light the ways in which the modern Indian state systematically erodes democratic values and comes down heavily upon those seeking to raise their voices against the perceived injustices perpetrated by it.