Crisis of Democracy in South Asia-Lessons for India

Youth-dominated revolutions in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh reveal an overarching lack of democracy, providing urgency that India should learn about governance, inclusion, and accountability by institutions.

Recently, in the South Asian region, the population has experienced a series of popular uprisings exposing what are already signs of an escalating democratic governance crisis, including in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Such movements, mostly driven by the dissatisfaction of the youth, have been precipitated by the rising unemployment, high rates of corruption, and generally the decay of democratic commitments. Nevertheless, the common fault lines in these countries are as follows: although due to divergent political histories, they have fragile institutions, are neo-elite-based politics, and a diverse lack of public trust in the representative system. The growing marginalization of the youth in economic and political processes has taken center stage as the young people seek accountability and changes in a better way through the digital platform, in most cases making use of alternative platforms to reach dissent and advance alternative visions of governance.In a reformulation of the structural and political undertones that have given rise to these uprisings, this article places them in terms of larger arguments concerning democratic resilience and civic action. It also discusses how such crises relate to the problems faced by India, which is in its own struggles with issues of democracy, as youth ambitions increase and some strains are put on institutions. The article identifies the issues within India and its democracy that is of top priority and should be evaluated. The comparative lens provides useful information regarding the ways in which inclusive governance, the responsiveness of institutions, and youth engagement could be their bulwark against the decay of democracy.

Scenery with Democratic Illusionism

The democratic transitions in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh had previously been hailed as historical turning points in the political development of the region. Modern changes, however, suggest increasing disillusionment, which is inherently connected with the vulnerability of institutions and the superiority of elite players.

Nepal
Since Nepal achieved a choice of federal democrats along with the conclusion of the monarchy in 2008, an experiment with a federal model of government, however, the expected inclusivity of the political system has failed under circumstances of political instability, frequent transitions among different leaders, and an ambiguous constitution. The young generation that promoted the 2006 People’s Movement is now facing the increasing levels of unemployment and cynicism regarding the perceived interests-seeking political elites. Democratic legitimacy is further diminished by the inability to implement transitional justice and marginalize the representatives of the indigenous and Madhesi.

Sri Lanka.
As allowed by various regimes that took over after post-war Sri Lanka, the post-war democratic track of the country was ruinous as the central power accumulated resources and the institutions grew weaker. The Easter bombings of 2019 and the further authoritarian measures strengthened the distrust of the people. Economic mishandling was the main characteristic of the Rajapaksa regime (unsustainable debt, decreased rates, and overdependence on foreign loans), which resulted in the 2022 financial crisis. Young people and civil society organised mass marches spurring calls to accountability and systematic change of the system, thus revealing the mismatch between what the electoral promises and the governance performances.

Bangladesh
Eroded electoral integrity and the imposed suppression of opposition have characterized the depressing trends of democracy in Bangladesh. The superiority of the Awami League since 2009 has been accompanied by claims of election fraud, press suppression, and wanton arrests. Youth-led movements, e.g., initiating student protests in 2018 because of road safety violations, are indicators of a more general dissatisfaction with governance failure and political lack of pluralism. Even though there is economic growth, the lack of democratic protective measures has enhanced civic alienation.

Democratic Fatigue in the Region
In these countries, the tension between official ideals, that concern democracy, and the realities of life, citing disagreements between the former utilization of democracy and the actual conditions. Law almost invariably becomes compromised or subverted by the institutions deemed to enforce rights, and political elites tend to serve their patrons at the expense of societal well-being. The young generation, who are facing economic insecurity and a lack of political voice, has turned vocal against democratic decay. These tendencies capture a kind of regional ordeal whereby democracy is present, but its application is weak, which offers some essential insights into the Indian stages of democratic vibrancy.

Youth Revolutions

The current generations of youthful uprisings throughout Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh demonstrate the gross disjuncture between billed ideas and democratic ideology on the one hand, and the local socio-political realities on the other hand. Such movements are a series of calculated responses to a long-standing systemic oversight and a set of institutional gaps.

Economic Precarity and Unemployment
Unemployment among the youth has reached worrying levels in the three countries, all worsened by financial mismanagement and international turmoil. In Sri Lanka, a recent outbreak of economic devastation (caused by a shortage of fuel and extreme inflation rates) left thousands of recent graduates without any feasible opportunities. It has developed the stagnant state of the labour market in Nepal, as due to the dependency on remittances, the labor market, thus driving the young citizens into looking for foreign work, has cleared the domestic civil life by nature. In Bangladesh, despite the growth of GDP, the lack of skills match and under-employment of the learned population among the educated people has created a sense of discontent amongst the former. Those economic discontents have become the grounds on which they initiated collective action, and young citizens are claiming organizational changes and growth policy for the majority.

Democratic Betrayal and Corruption
There is widespread corruption and impunity of the elites, which has even more pushed the youth off the formal political table. In Bangladesh, there are claims of political fixations and political oppression being resisted through protests organized by students, and the most effective was the 2018 road-safety movement. Political instabilities and a clouded government in Nepal have led people to lose faith, especially among the youth who feel that they are not part of the decision-making platforms. The youth of Sri Lanka broke their undivided mobilization against nepotism and cronyism, and concentrated its power on the Rajapakse family. Those movements symbolize worldwide calls to be more transparent, hold accountable, and renew institutions.

Digital Organisations and Political Engagement
Social media has taken a metamorphic agenda in hashing out youth-led dissent. Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook are utilised to make mobilisation decentralised, coordinate in real time, and control the narrative. The Gota Go Gama protest venue can be seen in Sri Lanka as an example of a peaceful protest, enhanced by the help of digital storytelling. The Nepalese youths use the power of online protests to oppose discriminatory policies and seek clarity in the constitution. In Bangladesh, digital activism avoids the standard media censorship, and so the youth are able to have their voices heard all over the world. The technologies have newly defined civic agency, making it easier and stronger to protest (UNDP).

Protests to Policy demands
Youth movements become more vocal at the point they are making practical demands to the policy, such as electoral reform and anti-corruption laws, as well as education and job guarantees. Their activism evidenced the changed strategy of the thoughtful responsive protest into active participation in the governance process. However, the institutional answers are still not that even, and co-optation or repression continues to be the preferred way that the governments choose to respond. The continuation of these movements shows a generational insistence on a democratic renewal, with reference to principles of justice, dignity, and opportunity.

Systemic Fault Lines and Governance Failure

Not just sporadic collapse but symptomatic of wider systemic malformations are the examples of democratic crisis in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh that include institutional weakness, exclusionary politics, and the decline of public accountability.

Institutional fragility and Executive Overreach
In South Asia, institutions of democracy have been unable to impose their control and avoid executive encroachment. Constant changes of government in a country such as Sri Lanka have made the system vulnerable to constitutional checks, with the 20th Amendment Act putting too much power in the presidency. The federal experiment of Nepal is still derailed by ambiguous criteria on the jurisdictions, as well as the politicisation of judicial appointments. The Election Commission of Bangladesh has received criticism for not facilitating electoral transparency. These weaknesses in the institutions have prompted the authoritarian drift and weakened the democracy (International IDEA).

Elite Capture and Patronage Politics
The system of governance in these countries is usually influenced by an old-school patronage system that does not favour merit over loyalty. Through informal channels, the political elites circulate resources and opportunities at the expense of the administration based on rules. In Bangladesh, officials of the ruling party control procurement and jobs, benefiting from corruption and inequality. The party system in Nepal is still such that it remains competitive without forming a stable coalition or even making policies. Dynasties in the politics of Sri Lanka have enhanced nepotism and de-meritocratic governance.

Exclusionary Development and Dissatisfaction
The development has been uneven and marginal in the region, although there is economic growth in certain areas. The policies that were urban-based in Bangladesh have exacerbated urban-rural inequality. The marginalised communities in Nepal (Madhesis, Janajats, and Dalits) still experience structural discrimination as they lack access to services and representation. The post-war rebuilding in Sri Lanka did not factor in reconciliation, which further widened the ethnic and regional barriers. These setbacks have contributed to anger among the youths since dignity and opportunity are not being achieved. The network that separates macro-economic indicators and realities that people experience in life has worsened civic frustration (UNESCAP).

Erosion of Civic Liberties and Confidence
Weaknesses in governance are both enhanced by dwindling civic space and public distrust. Censorship and surveillance of dissent through the media and coercing the opposition are the order of the day. Journalists and other activists are being harassed and sued in Bangladesh as per the Digital Security Act. Nepal has been experiencing growing aggression in protests and funding of civil society. The Sri Lankan crisis of 2022 did restrict this right to assembly and expression through emergency law. These solutions indicate a governance model that puts attention to control close to a dialogue instead of engaging citizens in any democratic activity (Human Rights Watch).

India: The Democratic Imperative

Recent democratic crises in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh put India geographically at a position that highlights the country's development in terms of governance. They are regional turmoil, hence highlighting a call to a stringent examination and detailed democratic overthrow.

Employment Challenges
India is facing a demographic paradox in that there is a growing number of youth and an active population with limited job opportunities. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (2022) stated that unemployment among the youth who have already received a college education has worsened, especially in the urban centres. Economic precarity is striving towards causing civil discontent on a scale similar to that witnessed in the neighbouring states. There is a risk of weakening democratic credibility and heightening levels of generational displacement before it is observable through the samples of near non-substantive dialogue about the aspirations of youth, led by participatory systems of governance or explicitly tailored welfare offerings.

Accountability and Democratic Safeguard
The sustainable nature of the democratic polity in India with respect to its sustainability is dependent on the strength of the institutional framework. The current issues on judicial independence, electoral transparency, and media freedom send an ominous warning on the prospect of institutional attrition. The lessons learned by comparison of the state of Bangladesh before its electoral autocracy and Sri Lanka before an executive veto highlight the dangers of the concentration of power and weakening checks and balances. Therefore, it is forced to strengthen constitutional protections, ensure institutional independence, and continue defending the rule of law to prevent democratic withdrawal.

Political Freedom and Electoral Democracy
The limitation of civic space in South Asia is generally seen as a preliminary sort of backward foreshadowing of democracy. The path of India, where critics were increasingly restricted, more closely monitored, and suppressed, requires intensive examination. Indian democracy is traditionally grounded in the participation of the citizens, the vibrant citizen discussion, and pluralistic interaction. These principles should be restated in the approaches to reducing democratic fatigue to develop inclusive governance.

Towards Democratic Renewal
The democratic directive of India assumes the localisation of constitutional ideals within the environment of accountability dispensation. This shift requires the reforms that focus on the delivery of public services, decentralisation, and the participation of the youth in the representative bodies. Institutional innovations, such as participatory budgeting, digital civic platforms, and social audits, provide agencies with potential solutions to lift the barrier between the state and its constituents. Similarly, continuous investments in civic education and democratic literacy have continued to be essential in developing an informed citizenry that could hold those holding powers to account.

Conclusion

The process of democratic crisis currently experienced in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh has shed light on a common pattern in the region, which was institutional weakness, dominance of the elites, and resistance by the youth. The clashes, which were based on the economic uncertainty and the civic isolation, help to accentuate the growing gap between the official institutions of democratic belief and its real practice. To India, the developments becoming increasingly clear are not just a warning signal, but they literally make the nation take a serious look at its own democratic path. The growing unrest amongst the young people, the loss of autonomy of institutions, and the shrinking of the civic space are all indicators of the need for a renewed devotion to participatory politics and constitutional probity. The comparable analysis shows that democratic resilience cannot be guaranteed solely on the basis of electoral procedures, but on the basis of the long-term public trust, contribution in the process of policy-making, and strong institutional guarantees.India should take these lessons seriously so as to strengthen its democratic principles, thus making its contemporary governance receptive, fair, and responsible. Such a strategy will not only make India capable of preventing such similar crises, but also of restoring its standing as a beacon of democratization.