Dehradun, Oct. 26 -- The lack of vibrant open public debate in modern democracies, particularly in India, stems from structural, political, and systemic shifts. While democratic frameworks guarantee the right to free speech, the practical avenues for constructive public deliberation have significantly narrowed due to certain core factors.
There is, for instance, polarisation and identity politics that keeps people tethered to certain points of view. Political discourse in contemporary democracies has increasingly shifted from policy-centric debates to identity-based polarisation. In India, political mobilisation frequently centres around caste, family, religion, and regional identities. When public discourse is viewed through the lens of i...