Seasoned Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh CM TS Singh Deo pushed back forcefully against doomsday predictions about Indian democracy, declaring unequivocally: ‘We are nowhere near the situation in Nepal or Bangladesh.’ His measured yet confident assessment offers a counter-narrative to mounting concerns about political stability.
Singh Deo’s credibility stems from governing one of India’s most challenging states through coalition arithmetic, Naxal violence, and pandemic pressures. ‘Chhattisgarh proved democracy delivers even under stress,’ he said, pointing to landmark legislations on forest rights and women’s safety.
The Congress leader systematically addressed key stability indicators:
• **Electoral Integrity**: India’s EVM-VVPAT system ensures verifiable voting, unlike Bangladesh’s tampered rolls.
• **Judicial Independence**: Supreme Court actively checks executive actions, unlike Nepal’s captured judiciary.
• **Federal Balance**: States routinely challenge Centre in courts, fiscal federalism intact.
Economically, Singh Deo highlighted India’s ‘steady-as-she-goes’ approach: 7% growth despite global headwinds, forex reserves cushioning external shocks, manufacturing PMI consistently expansionary.
‘Our stock market touches record highs while Bangladesh burns,’ he noted starkly, referencing the garment sector collapse that triggered Dhaka’s unrest.
Singh Deo reserved special praise for India’s ‘messy but beautiful’ coalition culture. ‘We fight elections bitterly, govern collaboratively, transition peacefully. This maturity took decades to build,’ he reflected.
Addressing youth concerns about jobless growth and institutional erosion, the Congress leader outlined a vision of ‘democracy with development’: skill corridors in tribal belts, agro-industrial hubs, renewable energy push.
Strategically, Singh Deo’s intervention times perfectly with opposition’s INDIA bloc consolidation. By occupying the ‘defender of institutions’ space, Congress aims to peel away BJP’s middle-class support.
The message also reassures investors eyeing India’s $5 trillion economy dream. As global funds rotate into emerging markets, Singh Deo’s vote of confidence in institutional stability carries economic weight.
In essence, TS Singh Deo’s simple declaration packs profound reassurance: India’s democracy faces headwinds but possesses deep institutional roots. Unlike fragile neighbors, India bends but rarely breaks—a message of resilience when it’s needed most.