HomeArts/BooksDemocracy Needs Debate, Says Amish Tripathi

Democracy Needs Debate, Says Amish Tripathi

Democracy Needs Debate, Says Amish Tripathi

Democracy Needs Debate, Says Amish Tripathi

MUMBAI (IANS)- Author Amish Tripathi has emphasized that democracy thrives on open dialogue and the respectful exchange of differing views. Reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, he called debate and dissent the lifeblood of India’s democratic tradition.

Tripathi said, “India cannot function without democratic inter-debates. I don’t mean the Western idea of liberal democracy that’s imposed on others. I mean real democracy—debates between different groups.”

He described the Emergency, imposed on June 25, 1975, by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, as a dark chapter that halted this essential discourse. “What the Emergency did was stop debate. That’s what was core wrong with it. It wasn’t about efficiency—it was about silencing one side. That must never happen again.”

Tripathi argued that it’s less useful to blame people today for past actions, and more important to safeguard democratic values moving forward. “We are an argumentative people. If we suppress that, we create chaos.”

He also warned against rejecting democratic outcomes simply because they’re unfavorable. “Once you’ve lost a debate or an election, you have to accept it. Undermining the system just because you disagree with the result is not fair.”

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