India’s brutal second wave of COVID is now receding, leaving behind intensified poverty, economic carnage, a staggering estimated 400-700m infections and a death rate of approximately 2%. But things were already going catastrophically wrong in the world’s largest democracy thanks to the rule of science-denying populist Narendra Modi. Ros Taylor talks to journalist Debasish Roy Chowdhury and Professor John Keane about their latest book, To Kill A Democracy: India’s Passage To Despotism – and what Modi tells us about how democracies collapse.

“India is perceived as the world's largest democracy. But there are only grains of truth in this India Story.” – John Keane
“It takes seven generations for the Indian to reach the average income level. In Denmark, it only takes one.” – Debasish Roy Chowdhury
“The strongman in a state of demagogues.” – John Keane
“In Delhi, you can inhale half a pack of cigarettes in air pollution on a good day.” – Debasish Roy Chowdhury
“India is a warning to the rest of the democratic world.” – John Keane

Presented and Ros Taylor. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Debasish-Roy-Chowdhury/To-Kill-A-Democracy--Indias-Passage-to-Despotism/26292160

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