External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with hope about India’s democracy at the Munich Security Conference. He talked about how voting takes place in India, highlighting the successful recent elections in Delhi and the national elections set for 2024.
During a panel discussion titled “Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience,” Jaishankar shared his views alongside leaders like Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin. While many people believe that democracy is struggling globally, Jaishankar disagrees. He proudly mentioned that India has had a good turnout in elections—around two-thirds of eligible voters participate.
“For our recent elections, about 700 million out of 900 million voters cast their votes. We count the votes in a single day, and there are never disputes about the results,” Jaishankar explained. He emphasized that India’s democracy is working well and providing for people.
He shared that in India, being a democratic society means they can support food and nutrition for around 800 million people. He believes different parts of the world are having different conversations about democracy, and we should not think that issues facing democracies everywhere are the same.
Jaishankar highlighted the importance of understanding the unique situations of each country. He also mentioned that many countries in the Global South might see India as a better example to follow than Western countries.
He finished by stating that if the West wants to see democracy succeed, it should learn from successful models outside of its own. The 61st Munich Security Conference takes place in Munich, Germany, from February 14–16.
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