Hosted by Kwangu Liwewe
Featuring Surbhi Gupta
Produced by Finbar Anderson
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In a year of elections across the globe, none will be bigger in scale than that in India, where nearly 1 billion people are eligible to vote. “In the seven decades since India got its independence, democracy has been its identity,” Surbhi Gupta tells Kwangu Liwewe on The Lede. Gupta notes that India, despite its significantly higher population, managed to draw a higher voter turnout (67%) than the United States (66%) in its last election cycle.
“Elections in India are very, very vibrant,” Gupta elaborates. “People love to engage in debate and discussion, even if it’s on voting blocs, caste-based politics, or even if it’s religion. It’s not only two parties that contest the elections. There are multiple parties on the regional level and national level.”
“People love to engage in debate and discussion, even if it’s on voting blocs, caste-based politics, or even if it’s religion.”
Gupta raises the topic of the increasing influence of Hindu nationalism, which she explored on a previous episode of The Lede in January 2024. “This is one issue in which the [ruling Bharatiya Janata Party] has gained popularity,” says Gupta. “We’ve seen the marginalization of minorities, especially Muslims, the way they’ve been demonized. All of this used to be there, but it was in the fringe.”
Gupta details some of the controversies that have marked the current election cycle, including accusations of improper donations and the banning of electoral bonds by India’s Supreme Court. She also discusses the arrest of key opposition figure Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, “which has cast doubts over whether these upcoming elections will be free and fair.”
India, Gupta notes, is a land of contradictions. Despite extreme poverty, the country also boasts some of the wealthiest individuals on the planet. She highlights the pre-wedding ceremony of Anant Ambani, son of billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani that, she says, “showed that the ruling party and the big corporates are allies.”
Nevertheless, Gupta says, “There are these contradictions, but [Indians] are very aspirational. They want it to be seen that they’re not less than any other developed countries or nations or people. They also feel like they have this very old culture and civilization, and they want to be celebrated for that.”
Further listening:
India’s Political Hinduism — with Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay
The War on India’s Free Press — with Manisha Pande and Samar Halarnkar
Further reading:
The Ambani Gala Expands the Limits of the Big Fat Indian Wedding