https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=To_Kill_a_DemocracyTo Kill a Democracy - Revision history2026-10-21T03:54:48ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=To_Kill_a_Democracy&diff=280847&oldid=prev->Venkat TL: Add content from the cited reference2022-01-05T08:43:31Z<p>Add content from the cited reference</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Book authored by Debasish Roy Chowdhury and John Keane}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2021}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox book<br />
| italic title = <!--(see above)--><br />
| name = To Kill a Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism<br />
| image = To Kill a Democracy.jpg<br />
| image_size = <br />
| border = <br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = Front cover of Pan MacMillan India 2021 edition<br />
| author = Debasish Roy Chowdhury and [[John Keane (political theorist)|John Keane]]<br />
| audio_read_by = <br />
| title_orig = <br />
| orig_lang_code = <br />
| title_working = <br />
| translator = <br />
| illustrator = <br />
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| country = India<br />
| language = English<br />
| series = <br />
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| subject = [[Politics]]<br />
| genre = [[Nonfiction]] <br />
| set_in = <br />
| publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] <br />
| publisher2 = [[Pan MacMillan]] India<br />
| pub_date = <br />
| english_pub_date = <br />
| published = 2021<br />
| media_type = Hardcover, Paperback<br />
| pages = <br />
| awards = <br />
| isbn = 978-0-198-84860-8 <br />
| isbn_note = 978-9-390-74280-6<br />
| oclc = <br />
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| congress = <br />
| preceded_by = <!-- for books in a series --><br />
| followed_by = <!-- for books in a series --><br />
| native_wikisource = <br />
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| exclude_cover = <br />
| website = {{URL|panmacmillan.com/authors/debasish-roy-chowdhury/to-kill-a-democracy/9789390742806|Pan MacMillan India}}<br>{{URL|global.oup.com/academic/product/to-kill-a-democracy-9780198848608|Oxford University Press}}<br />
}}<br />
'''''To Kill a Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism''''' is a book authored by Debasish Roy Chowdhury and [[John Keane (political theorist)|John Keane]], published by Oxford University Press in the year 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bose |first1=Mihir |title=An indictment of India’s descent towards despotism |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/an-indictment-of-india-s-descent-towards-despotism-1.4595185 |access-date=21 December 2021 |work=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Crabtree |first1=James |title=To Kill a Democracy and Modi’s India — a dream in peril |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e7081ca8-c814-4538-9284-0d488b2eeaca |access-date=21 December 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=25 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=To Kill a Democracy: India’s Passage to Despotism |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/2021-04-20/kill-democracy-indias-passage-despotism |access-date=21 December 2021 |date=20 April 2021}}</ref><ref name="Chishti">{{cite news |last1=Chishti |first1=Seema |title=‘To Kill a Democracy: India’s Passage to Despotism’ review: At a dangerous crossroad |url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-reviews/to-kill-a-democracy-indias-passage-to-despotism-review-at-a-dangerous-crossroad/article36893764.ece |access-date=21 December 2021 |work=The Hindu |date=9 October 2021 |language=en-IN}}</ref> The Indian edition of the book is published by [[Pan MacMillan]] Publishers, India.<br />
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==Content==<br />
The book argues that the incidents in India have global importance. Indians are 33% of the total population of the world who live in a democracy.<ref name="OUP description">{{cite book |last1=Chowdhury |first1=Debasish Roy |last2=Keane |first2=John |title=To Kill A Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism |date=3 August 2021 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-884860-8 |url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/to-kill-a-democracy-9780198848608?cc=us&lang=en&}} </ref><ref>{{cite web |title=To Kill A Democracy: India’s Passage to Despotism |url=https://www.johnkeane.net/portfolio_page/to-kill-a-democracy-indias-passage-to-despotism/ |website=John Keane |access-date=21 December 2021 |language=en-AU |date=23 August 2021}}</ref><br />
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According to the popular French writer [[Montesquieu]], those who exercise power can be expected to abuse it. Hence a tension between the executive and judiciary is expected and good in a democracy. Nobody is above the law. Authorities in a democracy must always be scrutinised. It is important for the well-being of citizens that the independent court put restraint on the arbitrary use of power by authority. The relationship between the executive and judiciary in India was an uneasy compact.<ref name="Keane Chowdhury">{{cite news |last1=Keane |first1=Debasish Roy Chowdhury & John |title=From checks and balances to compliance: How the judiciary has responded to government pressure |url=https://scroll.in/article/1013211/from-checks-and-balances-to-compliance-how-the-judiciary-has-responded-to-government-pressure |work=Scroll.in |date=21 December 2021}}</ref> <br />
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The 1973 [[List of landmark court decisions in India|landmark]] [[Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala|''Kesavananda Bharati judgement'']] of the [[Supreme Court of India]] outlined the [[Basic structure doctrine (Constitution of India)|'basic structure' doctrine]] of the [[Constitution of India|Indian Constitution]].<ref name=ik-257876>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/257876/|title=Kesavananda Bharati ... vs State Of Kerala And Anr on 24 April, 1973|publisher=Indian Kanoon|access-date=2012-06-24}}</ref> The court asserted its right to strike down amendments to the constitution that were in violation of the fundamental architecture of the constitution. In the years that followed, the Supreme court delivered significant rulings on secularism and independence of the judiciary in the appointment of judges. These rulings were important for the basic structure. The executive often retaliated by blocking the career advancement of the judges involved in these rulings.<ref name="Keane Chowdhury" /> <br />
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The separation and contest of powers between the executive and judiciary in India was honoured most of the time. There were some instances when the judiciary fell in line instead of pushing back on the executive. They foretold the dangers to the democracy.<ref name="Keane Chowdhury" /><br />
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The historical causes for the attacks on civil liberties and democratic institutions in the [[Modi administration]] are elaborated.<ref name="OUP description" /> <br />
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The elections and the separation of powers are not the only things that define a democracy. Democracy is "a whole way of life lived in dignity". The book focuses on the decay in the social foundations in India. The social injustices, restrictions and struggle for livelihood make the government more powerful and greatly affect the meaning of elections for Indians.<ref name="OUP description" /><br />
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The book shows that when the democracies destroy their social foundations, they 'kill off the spirit and substance of democracy' and 'lay the foundations for [[despotism]]'.<ref name="OUP description" /><br />
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==Editions==<br />
The United Kingdom edition of the book was published by the [[Oxford University Press]] (OUP) in June 2021. In September 2021, the Indian branch of the Oxford University press refused to publish the book in India.<ref name="Sarbari review" /> <br />
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[[Pan MacMillan]] Publishers, India released the Indian edition of the book on 16 December 2021.<ref name="Sarbari review" /> <br />
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==Censorship==<br />
In April 2021, Oxford University Press had planned to release a low priced Indian edition of the book in first week of July. The low price edition was intended to make the book accessible to the larger audience. The Indian edition launch was scheduled a week after the global edition. In spite of the plans, the Indian edition of the book was not launched in July. In September, after waiting for three months, the authors publicly questioned OUP on social media about the delay in the launch of the Indian edition of the book.<ref name="telegraph OUP">{{cite news |last1=Joshua |first1=Anita |title=OUP to not print Indian edition of 'To Kill A Democracy' |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/oup-will-not-print-the-indian-edition-of-despotism-book/cid/1832819 |access-date=4 January 2022 |work=The Telegraph India (Telegraph Online) |date=30 September 2021}}</ref> <br />
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On 30 September 2021, [[The Telegraph (India)|''The Telegraph'']] reported quoting a spokesperson for Oxford University Press, that its "sales team felt the content to be provocative". The report was not denied by OUP.<ref name="Sarbari review" /><ref name="telegraph OUP" /><br />
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On 28 May, Roy Chowdhury had written an article in the [[Time (magazine)]] criticising [[Modi government]]'s COVID vaccination program. The article was titled, "Modi never bought enough COVID-19 Vaccines for India. Now the world is paying."<ref name="Time">{{cite news |title=Modi Never Bought Enough COVID-19 Vaccines for India. Now the Whole World Is Paying |url=https://time.com/6052370/modi-didnt-buy-enough-covid-19-vaccine/ |access-date=4 January 2022 |work=Time |language=en}}</ref><br />
On 30 May [[Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh]] (RSS){{efn|RSS is the parent organisation of the political party [[BJP]], running the Indian government since 2014.}} through its mouthpiece magazine attacked Debasish Roy Chowdhury for writing the article and the book.<ref name="Sarbari review" /><br />
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Writing about this incident in ''[[Frontline (magazine)]]'' journalist Sarbari Sinha, noted that the RSS magazine had only attacked Roy Chowdhury and did not even mention the co author John Keane. No other group in India had raised any objections about the book. Yet OUP India decided against publishing the book in India. Sinha inferred that Roy Chowdhury's article on India's covid vaccination had led to the criticism of the book and subsequent denial of publication. Connecting the inference along with reports from OUP India about 'provocative' content made Sinha hint a possibility that OUP India had refused to publish the book due to the criticism of Indian Government by one of authors of the book. Sinha suggested that this case of self censorship by OUP was bad news for free speech.<ref name="Sarbari review" /><br />
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==Reception==<br />
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Sarbari Sinha wrote in ''[[Frontline (magazine)]]'' that the authors "reject the more comforting option of blaming the current dispensation for the way democracy has been unravelling in India and locate the causes in systemic issues. The narrative is backed up by statistics and brought alive by real-life stories, showing the rigour of academic scholarship and the curiosity that informs the best of journalism."<ref name="Sarbari review">{{cite news |last1=Sinha |first1=Sarbari |title=Fate of a book on Indian democracy |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/books/fate-of-a-book-on-indian-democracy-to-kill-a-democracy-debasis-roy-chowdhury-john-keane/article37933171.ece |access-date=4 January 2022 |work=Frontline |language=en}}</ref><br />
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==Authors==<br />
The book is authored by Debasish Roy Chowdhury and [[John Keane (political theorist)|John Keane]].<ref name="Keane Chowdhury" /><br />
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Debasish Roy Chowdhury is a Hong Kong based Indian journalist.<ref name="Sarbari review" /><br />
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[[John Keane (political theorist)|John Keane]] is a Professor of politics at the [[University of Sydney]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Staff Profile|url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/arts/about/our-people/academic-staff/staff-profile.html|access-date=2021-02-22|website=The University of Sydney|language=en-AU}}</ref> and at the [[WZB Berlin Social Science Center]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prof. John Keane |url=https://www.wzb.eu/en/persons/john-keane|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin}}</ref> He is known for his publications on democracy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=John Keane|url=https://www.cambridge.org/au/academic/authors/208044|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Cambridge University Press|language=en}}</ref><br />
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==Notes==<br />
{{notelist}}<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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==External Links==<br />
*{{cite book |last1=Chowdhury |first1=Debasish Roy |last2=Keane |first2=John |title=To Kill A Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism |date=3 August 2021 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-884860-8 |url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/to-kill-a-democracy-9780198848608?cc=us&lang=en& |edition=2021 }} <br />
*{{cite book |last1=Chowdhury |first1=Debasish Roy |last2=Keane |first2=John |title=To Kill A Democracy: India's Passage to Despotism |url=https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/debasish-roy-chowdhury/to-kill-a-democracy/9789390742806 |publisher=[[Pan Macmillan]] India |isbn=9789390742806 |pages=328 |edition=2021 |date=16 December 2021}} <br />
* {{cite web |last1=Abhimanyu Arni |title=Kingdom of Modi To Kill a Democracy: India’s Passage to Despotism |url=https://literaryreview.co.uk/kingdom-of-modi |website=literaryreview.co.uk |publisher=Literary Review |access-date=4 January 2022 |date=August 2021}}<br />
* {{cite web |last1=Schwabe |first1=Liesl |title=A Portrait and a Mirror: On “To Kill a Democracy: India’s Passage to Despotism” |url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-portrait-and-a-mirror-on-to-kill-a-democracy-indias-passage-to-despotism/ |website=lareviewofbooks.org |publisher=Los Angeles Review of Books |access-date=4 January 2022 |date=12 December 2021}}<br />
* {{cite news |last1=Faleiro |first1=Sonia |title=Curdled hopes How Narendra Modi has turned India into a ‘Hindu Pakistan’ |url=https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/to-kill-a-democracy-debasish-roy-chowdhury-john-keane-midnights-borders-suchitra-vijayan-book-review-sonia-faleiro/ |access-date=4 January 2022 |work=Times Literary Supplement (TLS) |date=13 August 2021}} <br />
* {{cite web |title=Tremendous research demonstrates how “indignity is a form of generalized social violence” corroding democracy. |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/debasish-roy-chowdhury/to-kill-a-democracy/ |website=kirkusreviews.com |publisher=Kirkus |access-date=4 January 2022 |date=10 June 2021}}<br />
* {{cite news |last1=Simmons |first1=David |title=Oxford unit kills off Indian democracy book |url=https://asiatimes.com/2021/10/oxford-unit-kills-off-indian-democracy-book/ |access-date=4 January 2022 |work=Asia times |date=8 October 2021}}<br />
* {{cite web |last1=Swali |first1=Amrit |title=Review: India's descent into despotism |url=https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2021-06/review-indias-descent-despotism |website=chathamhouse.org |publisher=Chatham House |access-date=4 January 2022 |date=4 June 2021}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Books about Hindutva]]<br />
[[Category:2021 non-fiction books]]<br />
[[Category:Indian non-fiction books]]<br />
[[Category:Books about Indian politicians]]<br />
[[Category:Books about the Modi administration]]<br />
[[Category:English-language books]]<br />
[[Category:Books about Narendra Modi]]<br />
[[Category:Books about democracy]]<br />
[[Category:Political science books]]<br />
[[Category:Oxford University Press books]]</div>->Venkat TL