Daily Times

The world we live in today has evidently transpired into a more illiberal social order for many countries around the world. No part of the world has been immune to this growing wave of repressive and tyrannical regimes that use curbs on free speech and autocratic disposition to govern. It takes various forms and shapes in different parts of the world.

For instance, presently one of the main determinants of today’s illiberalism in Central and Eastern Europe is a fundamental change in the pattern of status mobility and elite formation that took place in the early 1990s. This along with an assortment of derivative causes, including inequality, demographic shifts, weak liberal values and an upsurge of nationalism can be attributed to emergence of Britain’s https://www.cnbc.com/united-kingdom/ intensifying political meltdown. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is currently under immense pressure to deliver Brexit, with a few days to go before the world’s fifth-largest economy is scheduled to leave the European Union.

On the other hand, turning to South Asia, India, the largest democracy of the world, has been allegedly plagued with what may be called ‘intolerance’ towards minorities and lower caste Hindus particularly Dalits. Muslims frequently become victims of lynching and other killings over transporting cattle, or allegedly selling, carrying, consuming or slaughtering cows, according to several rights groups in India. According to an HRW report, at least forty-four people, including thirty-six Muslims, were killed in cow-related violence from 2015 to 2018.

Under Narendra Modi, incidents of communal violence rose twenty-eight percent between 2014 and 2017.

The Trump administration also seems to have a sclerotic approach towards major global challenges such as climate change mitigation or women empowerment. Donald Trump’s recent absence from the G-7 summit could be considered as an illustration of the importance his administration attaches to climate emergency and protection of biodiversity. And hence we see disparate forms of illiberalism among countless contexts.

Democracy without its basic values of representation at the grassroots levels, suppression of free media and dormant civil society will not be able to deliver its promises of prosperity and economic growth to people. What is currently happening in Kashmir is also a prime example of this growing phenomenon. One of the greatest 19th century political economists, John Stuart Mill believed that engaging in free and equal conversation, considering ideas upon their merits, and defending one’s beliefs against others are invaluable means of developing one’s intellectual capacities. The process of defending one’s beliefs against rival positions gives the individual a livelier sense of their truth and significance.

This also brings us to the role of Muslim countries that under the garb of economic interests are felicitating a man like Modi. Narendra Modi was conferred with the Zayed Medal, the highest civilian honour of the UAE in his recent visit to the UAE. The UAE and other Muslim countries can very well keep and even foster economic ties with the state of India in terms of trade and investment. But trying to appease a leader like Modi despite a growing global pressure on him to restore peace in Kashmir is utterly appalling. Even the opposition parties in India are calling out the Indian government for revoking Article 370 in the Indian-occupied Kashmir. Terming the revoking of Article 370 a “catastrophic step” the Congress accused the BJP of taking the decision “for votes” and termed August 5 a “black day” in the constitutional history of India. Sonia Gandhi, the president of the Indian National Congress, the largest opposition party in India, once called Modi “maut ka saudagar” due to his alleged involvement in the Gujarat riots as the chief minister of the state during that time.

China and the US also have trade ties, despite the US actively and persistently trying to counter China’s rise as a world economic power. US goods and services’ trade with China totalled an estimated $737.1 billion in 2018. Exports were $179.3 billion and imports were $557.9 billion. US goods and services trade deficit with China was $378.6 billion in 2018.China is currently the largest goods trading partner of US with $659.8 billion in total two-way goods trade during 2018.

It is very much possible to have a pragmatic approach towards foreign relations, but being devoid of all respect for human rights and right to self-determination would be a disgrace to those showing desperation in testing times for Muslims in Kashmir. Principles and pragmatism can very well co exist. It has been a favourable step by the government of Pakistan to contact its allies in the Middle East for support on human atrocities and oppression being carried out in the Indian-occupied Kashmir.

The Nobel Prize recipient, economist Amartya Sen termed the Indian government’s step on August 5 as a “classic colonial excuse” about the government’s explanation of its decision of security clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir as preventive measures to prevent backlash that might cost lives.

In a digital age, oppressive measures may backfire into a tumultuous revolt that may overtake and quash autocratic and illiberal practices and dishevel the existing power dynamics

In order to counter this growing trend of oppressive governance it is important to preserve and promote relatively free and open economies, international rule of law, human rights, and democracy and liberalism to overcome the differences and the oddities of the current leaders. Investing more in people is not only essential to strengthen countries’ social contracts with citizens at a time of rapid technological change, it can also form the basis of a new, more human-centred growth and development model that may be the best hope for sustaining the world economy’s momentum. It is by upgrading their social contracts and better equipping the citizens to navigate the complexities arising in a rapidly globalising world that countries can most effectively boost their economic growth and development.

Governments in developed and developing countries must all address this pervasive practice to stifle, control and manipulate public opinion and try to usurp people’s freedoms, economic, social and political rights. In a digital age, such oppressive measures may backfire into a tumultuous revolt that may overtake and quash autocratic and illiberal practices and dishevel the existing power dynamics.

There also needs to be a refined mechanism to deal with the effects of rising multilateralism and shifting political and economic prowess in different regions of the world. Global rules calibrated toward the overarching goals of social and economic stability, shared prosperity, and environmental sustainability and protected against capture by the most powerful players need to be reformulated. Global public institutions must be open to a diversity of viewpoints, cognizant of new voices, and have balanced dispute resolution systems.

In the wake of the looming crisis, the UN high commissioner on human rights has also called on Indian government to ease the current lockdown in Kashmir, ensure access to basic services, respect due process for rights for detained leaders, and consult Kashmiris on any decision that impacts their future.

The writer is a freelance writer and an Economic Analyst based in Lahore