(MENAFN- The Arabian Post)

By K Raveendran

It was a week of contradictions for India's image on the world stage, marked by a curious interplay of critique, affirmation, and manoeuvring. Rahul Gandhi, in his address at Columbia University, painted a picture of India that was dark and distressing, describing the country's democratic decline in sweeping terms. At the same time, Chief Justice B. R. Gavai, in a lecture in Mauritius, presented the resilience of Indian democracy through the prism of the judiciary's role in upholding the rule of law. Adding to the mix was Russian President Vladimir Putin's subtle promise that Moscow would step in to compensate India for the commercial disruptions caused by Donald Trump's tariff whims, signalling both Russia's willingness to deepen ties with India and the increasing geopolitical weight New Delhi carries. Together, these developments underscore the complexity of India's present moment.

Rahul Gandhi's remarks at Columbia were not surprising in tone, given his consistent criticisms of the Modi government's alleged erosion of democratic institutions. By choosing a Western platform for his remarks, Rahul was continuing a strategy that his critics describe as 'washing dirty linen in public' but which his supporters defend as an attempt to mobilise international opinion on India's democratic backsliding. He argued that India's Parliament has become dysfunctional, dissent is systematically silenced, and the media has been reduced to a mouthpiece of the ruling establishment. Such characterisations resonate with sections of the diaspora and liberal academia abroad, but within India, they often feed the ruling party's narrative that Rahul Gandhi seeks validation from foreign audiences rather than winning credibility domestically. The optics of his speech, coming from a key opposition leader, reinforce the perception of a divided political class at a time when India is attempting to project itself as a confident global player.

In sharp contrast, Chief Justice Gavai's intervention in Mauritius highlighted the internal safeguards that India continues to rely upon. Delivering his lecture on“Rule of Law in the Largest Democracy,” Gavai underscored the judiciary's role as the last line of defence against arbitrary executive power. His reference to the bulldozer law-a colloquial shorthand for the practice of demolishing alleged offenders' homes and properties even before due process-was both timely and symbolic. By reaffirming the principle that the executive cannot act as judge, jury, and executioner, Justice Gavai was not just recalling his past judicial pronouncements but issuing a veiled warning against a creeping erosion of constitutional norms.

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His words carried weight because they came against the backdrop of repeated instances where bulldozers have been deployed, most famously in Uttar Pradesh under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, often targeting minority or economically weaker communities. The symbolism of the bulldozer-celebrated as a tool of swift justice by some, and condemned as an instrument of collective punishment by others-has become one of the most visible markers of the tension between rule of law and populist governance in India.

CJI Gavai's reminder that legality does not always translate into justice is significant because it probes the philosophical underpinnings of governance. Law, stripped of fairness, risks becoming an instrument of majoritarian assertion rather than a shield for the vulnerable. The judiciary's willingness to challenge such practices remains uneven, but the Chief Justice's words suggest an awareness that the institution must guard against complicity in executive overreach. His remarks also draw attention to a wider concern-that administrative efficiency is being mistaken for justice, and the theatre of bulldozers rolling into neighbourhoods is being normalised as an acceptable form of state action. In this sense, the CJI's lecture abroad served as both a reaffirmation of India's constitutional promise and an indirect critique of ongoing trends at home.

Placed against Rahul Gandhi's wholesale denunciation of India's democracy, Gavai's words offer a counter-narrative. They suggest that even amid executive assertiveness, institutional correctives exist and continue to function. Whether these correctives are strong enough to reverse the drift is a matter of debate, but their articulation serves to reassure both domestic and international observers that India is not yet bereft of checks and balances. In some ways, Gandhi's and Gavai's remarks represent two sides of the same coin-one highlighting the failings, the other reaffirming the resilience. Both perspectives are true, and together they capture the paradox of contemporary India: a democracy that is vibrant enough to sustain fierce criticism but fragile enough to be threatened by illiberal practices.

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On the external front, Putin's carefully worded comment about compensating India for losses due to Trump's tariffs adds another dimension to this narrative. At one level, it reflects Moscow's ongoing charm offensive toward New Delhi, which has become more critical for Russia in the wake of its growing isolation from the West. By positioning itself as a dependable partner willing to cushion India from the volatility of U.S. policy, Russia seeks to tighten its economic and strategic embrace of India. This comes at a time when New Delhi is balancing its partnerships delicately, courting closer ties with Washington while maintaining its traditional defence and energy cooperation with Moscow. Putin's gesture, though largely rhetorical, underscores the value Russia attaches to keeping India within its orbit.

For India, the juxtaposition is telling. While an opposition leader criticises the democratic framework abroad, and the judiciary reasserts its moral authority, the international community continues to court India as an indispensable partner. The irony lies in the fact that India's internal contestations do not seem to dampen its external attractiveness. Instead, its growing economic weight, demographic scale, and strategic location ensure that it remains a key player in global power equations, irrespective of the debates about its domestic politics. (IPA Service )

The article A Week Marking The Worst And Best For India On Global Stage appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency) .

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