Daily: THE MODI POLITIC – India’s deadly descent into despotism

<p>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 <strong>Debasish Roy Chowdhury</strong> and <strong>Professor John Keane</strong> about their latest book, <em>To Kill A Democracy: India’s Passage To Despotism</em> – and what Modi tells us about how democracies collapse.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><ul><li>“<em>India is perceived as the world's largest democracy. But there are only grains of truth in this India Story.” – </em><strong>John Keane</strong></li><li><em>“It takes seven generations for the Indian to reach the average income level. In Denmark, it only takes one.” – </em><strong>Debasish Roy Chowdhury</strong></li><li><em>“The strongman in a state of demagogues.” – </em><strong>John Keane</strong></li><li><em>“In Delhi, you can inhale half a pack of cigarettes in air pollution on a good day.” – </em><strong>Debasish Roy Chowdhury</strong></li><li><em>“India is a warning to the rest of the democratic world.” – </em><strong>John Keane</strong></li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><em>Presented and Ros Taylor. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Alex Rees. </em><strong><em>THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production</em></strong></p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Debasish-Roy-Chowdhury/To-Kill-A-Democracy--Indias-Passage-to-Despotism/26292160" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Debasish-Roy-Chowdhury/To-Kill-A-Democracy--Indias-Passage-to-Despotism/26292160</a>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><br></p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https:/