I agree that in my country) democracy is just a top dressing (“Indian democracy was always fragile – but decades of effort to nourish it are being undermined”). But writing an article from halfway around the world it does not do any good for my country except give it bad publicity. It is sad to see a lot of articles like this from outside of India, but nobody cares in India. I would love to see a professor from the University of Delhi to write an article like this rather than a professor from a University in California. – Seshagiri ST

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As a citizen of India, I beg to differ with the author on the following points. He said that the liberal international media is calling India “illiberal democracy”. Is comforting minorities considered liberal? Does the majority not have any rights? Pranab Bardhan mentions vigilante violence against minorities and the safeguarding of minority rights. But he misses the point when a city like Hyderabad comes to standstill as the Pakistani team landed there for the Cricket World Cup 2023.

Bardhan talks of the “ abuse of investigative agencies” by the current government. The investigating agencies are looking into actual corruptions, not any false allegations. He says “elections are not held on a level playing field”. But if this is the case, how is it that the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government at the Centre with a clear majority but fails to win state elections.

Bardhan says that the BJP trying to create a “Hindu Rashtra”. But there is no official announcement, except if the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act is considered as. Quasi Indians who leave India for better opportunities are always trying to find flaws in the country instead to contributing to its growth. This is likely the fault of our education system that does not teach us to be nationalistic. We learn that we have always been ruled by foreigners.

What is wrong if the BJP calls for “self-reliance and pride”? India must become what it was – a magnet that brought traders/merchants/invaders/rulers across the world to the country. – Indrajit Bandyopadhyay

I have lived to be 65, and, if I do, will live for five more years. Arundhati Roy’s speech is an account of me, the common, nondescript Indian (“Arundhati Roy: The dismantling of democracy in India will affect the whole world”). Someone, who worked (and works) relentlessly for what is knowingly beyond reach – maybe for centuries, maybe forever – a just and fair world where humans are treated humanely. Maybe it can never happen. Someone who, as Roy says, sincerely tries to live while he lives, and refuses to die before he actually dies. After reading her speech, my troubled mind found a strange but sure peace. Thank you, Arundhati. – Rajendra Kumar