In repressed countries people advocating democracy often act against their self-interest, with a sense of real honesty. ‘’That disappears once democracy rears its ugly head,’’ said George Soros, summing up the ambiguities around democracy, the shadow that falls between the before and the after. Wealth creator George Soros was in conversation with Professor Amartya Sen at the launch of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies’ report on the State of Democracy in South Asia at the India International Centre today.

The finding of the report, said Prof Yogendra Yadav, showed not only how the idea of democracy changed South Asia but how South Asia has transformed and radicalized the idea of democracy. ‘’In South Asia the meaning of democracy puts more emphasis on equality and justice. As a result there is a wider support for democracy but not deep enough,’’ said Yadav.

A good way of seeing democracy, said Amartya Sen in response to the report, was as governance through discussion. ‘’The great thing of discussion is that the defeated argument stays, it doesn’t go away. India has a long tradition of this.’’

Sen went on to cite the defeat of the BJP in the 2004 general election as the result of the public debates and discussions that followed the Gujarat turmoil. ‘’That sense of shame came through public

discussions. The danger of Hindutva receded because of public discussion on that issue. But on other subjects like the state of children in India, there’s not enough discussion,’’

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