In her latest book, “India Inked: Elections in the World’s Largest Democracy,” author Poonam Agarwal explores the complexities of India’s electoral system and its implications for democracy. She provides a withering critique of electoral bonds. Even though these bonds were intentionally designed to insulate political donors from politicians, they have largely succeeded in amplifying the murkiness in the world of political spending. The book serves as a comprehensive examination of the evolution of elections in India over the decades, highlighting how democracy can be undermined through systemic flaws.
Agarwal’s deep dive into electoral bonds will show you how these supposedly transparency-inducing financial instruments delivered exactly the reverse. To obscure the identities of these donors, they use elaborate alphanumeric codes. This maneuver is an insidious tactic since it hides the ball on tracking how money flows in our politics. Such manipulation poses a threat to accountability and the very idea of democracy in India.
Aside from her investigative work on electoral bonds, “India Inked” taps into more expansive themes about the state of India’s democracy and politics. Aditi Phadnis, who reviewed the book, emphasizes that Agarwal’s work sheds light on the pressing need for reforms within India’s justice system. She’s right that the system needs to change its priorities. Its reform should value serving the people over maintaining colonial legacies born out of oppression and domination.
The author further delves into the plight of Middle India, a demographic that is essential to unlock entrepreneurship and employment generation to achieve India’s demographic dividend. Agarwal believes that this stratum of society needs to be treated much more fairly by their governments in order to encourage innovation and maintain economic prosperity.
Agarwal stresses the importance that independent directors, boards, and auditors need to have in a startup. This field is expanding quickly, but it frequently has to do more with less. She wants everyone to make proactive moves the moment bad actors are identified. She works to ensure we maintain high ethical standards in this fast-moving industry.
The book makes room for the weighty, dark concerns over pressing freedom in India. As Agarwal explains, media proprietors are more interested in protecting their business interests than upholding journalistic standards, whose actions endanger press freedom. This insidious reality makes it even more difficult for the public to get the independent information they deserve and need—that is the bedrock of our democracy.