Not many people had heard of the Thucydides trap until President Xi warned Trump about it. This warning from history reveals that humans achieving power are frightened of losing it and psychologically act to enhance their ego when there is a rival or rising power that can challenge them, eventually leading to conflict. India is a rising power and a vast country with diversity in ideologies, language, cuisine, religion, communities and social media bubbles.
Let us admit we have an elected autocratic government ruling almost 85% of the country while professing a vibrant democracy that guarantees free speech to all. The Supreme Court has pointed out that the present system for choosing the Chief Election Commissioner, where the Leader of the Opposition is ornamental, is prejudicial.
With the push for one election, one dominant religion, one national language, one Vishwaguru, without adequate consultation as mandatory in a democracy, the rush to become a superpower with preferred double-engine governments using every means for an Opposition-'mukt' central government is a dangerous scenario. What will it take for “we the people”, who value our hard-earned secular liberty and independence, to become aware before it is too late?
