Is There Room for Libertarians in Indian Politics?

This article will be talking in brief rather answer in brief about the position of libertarians in Indian Politics. Are their voices silent in this democratic country or are they being forcefully silenced.

Who is A Libertarian?

If you are someone who believes in freedom, will you be called a Libertarian? A libertarian is someone who believes in civil liberties under the rule of law or someone who advocates free-market economics. Do you respect the independence of institutions and the limited government? Does believing in these facets make you a libertarian? Well, yes, these are the ideas that classical liberalism advocated.

But living in the 21st century, this seems like a utopian idea. Isn’t it? The recent election results have prompted us to think about the real meaning of Libertarianism. Especially after looking at the level of politics our country has reached.

Liberal Voices had been An Inherent Part of Indian Politics

While it is important to acknowledge the fact that Liberal voices have always been a part of Indian politics off-late, they have been silenced. During the short spell of power that libertarianism had in Indian politics, the developments made cannot be dismissed with stalwarts like C Rajagopalachari, K. M. Munshi, V. P. Menon, Minoo Masani, and Gayatri Devi. Their intellectual authority, as well as their parliamentary skills, have been significant in curbing economic as well as social issues. The period of 1991, which led to the new economic reforms, made our country first witness the essence of Libertarianism. With liberalization, Privatization, and Globalization coming into place, the government’s interference was slowly out of people’s lives. As this golden era faded, the voices of liberalism slowly started fading and came to a point where there were no voices upholding liberal ideas either in parliament or in the political discourse.

The Hiding Dangers

As we continue to live in an era where fear looms large, the combination of populism and fiscal responsibility is now being concealed behind ‘New Welfarism.’ This isn’t the issue; the issue is that no one is standing to protest against the dangers that our politicians are pushing us toward. No single party is willing to take a stand against the potential dangers that are looming large in our society, especially the taxation system. Every year, we end up paying high taxes, as we have since the 1991 reforms. There is no liberalism principle that is followed here, which states free will and no government interference.

Conclusion

In this scenario, to say that liberal voices are dead and have faded after the Golden Era would not be wrong. India, today is in desperate need of a liberal voice or a libertarian who will uphold liberal principles and criticize the wrongdoings taking place in the system under the concealment of ‘Welfarism’.