"Spare India From Anarchy": 400 Indian Origin Academics From MIT, Oxford Condemn Protests

More than 400 students, researchers, academics, and alumni of Indian origin have voiced concern over what they described as attempts to weaken India's democracy and constitutional institutions through disruptive street protests.

Linked to leading universities in 27 countries, they have signed a joint statement titled "Spare India From Anarchy". While their statement does not name any particular protest or group, it comes amid a series of protests against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The signatories are based in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, among other countries.

They are affiliated with institutions including MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, the London School of Economics, the National University of Singapore and the University of Toronto.

"In the seven decades since independence, Indian democracy has proved its resilience repeatedly. Institutions have flourished, checks and balances have functioned admirably, and peaceful transition of power has remained an enduring hallmark," the statement said. 

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The signatories expressed concern over what they described as a growing trend of rejecting electoral outcomes, questioning constitutional institutions and prioritising "the street over Parliament".

According to the statement, unfavourable election results are increasingly followed by allegations about the fairness of the process. It says the same happens with court verdicts, where comments are made that weaken judicial independence. The statement also alleges that the Armed Forces are being unfairly pulled into political controversies.

The signatories further argue that distrust in Indian democracy is being created by politicising matters that are sub judice. They say these issues are then amplified on the streets by elements they describe as anarchic, who have never believed in constitutional governance. Doing so in the name of saving democracy, the statement says, is deeply contradictory and troubling.

The signatories cited Dr BR Ambedkar's warning that if India is to survive as a constitutional republic, citizens must remain firmly committed to constitutional methods and give up violent methods of revolution, which he called "the grammar of anarchy".

The signatories urged all social and political groups in India to raise their concerns through debate, discussion, dialogue and democratic protest. They asked that solutions be sought within the framework of the constitutional institutions created by the nation's founders.

The Protests In The Background

The opposition has been among the most visible voices on SIR. INDIA bloc MPs held a "Save Democracy" march from Parliament towards the Election Commission's Nirvachan Sadan headquarters on 6 October, but were stopped by barricades. Rahul Gandhi said around 300 opposition MPs wanted to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the other commissioners to raise questions on SIR. The poll body said no political party had sought an appointment, while Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said the opposition should not politicise the issue.

Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders marched to the Supreme Court on October 12 and filed a petition challenging the SIR. It alleges large-scale irregularities and the deletion of 13 crore voters. The plea asks the court to halt the exercise across states until the issues are decided and to order an independent audit led by a retired Supreme Court judge. 

Street mobilisation has also come from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The group, led by Abhijeet Dipke, called for multiple agitations at Jantar Mantar. The protest sought the election chief's resignation. 

On October 15, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant issued notice to the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the other election commissioners. 

The Election Commission maintains that SIR is only a routine update of the rolls. The opposition's next big rally is on November 1 at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.