February 15, 2025: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar took a firm stance against the West’s approach to democracy at the Munich Security Conference, highlighting what he described as their "double standards" in dealing with democratic values globally.
Addressing a panel alongside Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, US Senator Elissa Slotkin, and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, Jaishankar pointed out that the West has long treated democracy as an exclusive Western trait while simultaneously supporting non-democratic forces in the Global South.
"There was a time when the West treated democracy as a Western characteristic and was busy encouraging non-democratic forces in the Global South, and it still does," Jaishankar said, emphasizing that Western nations often fail to uphold abroad the democratic values they claim to cherish at home.
Jaishankar argued that many countries in the Global South find India's democratic experience more relatable than Western models. He stressed that India has consistently upheld democracy despite numerous challenges, making it a vital example for other nations.
He also took a dig at so-called "self-appointed custodians" of democracy who pass judgments without having any real electoral or democratic legitimacy. "To self-appointed custodians who have never fought an election but still dictate what is right and wrong in a democracy—it is inevitable that they will be challenged," he remarked.
Jaishankar further criticized Western diplomats for engaging with political outliers in other countries while reacting strongly when foreign diplomats do the same in their nations. "If my ambassadors did a fraction of what Western ambassadors do in India, you would all be up in arms," he noted.
Addressing the question of whether democracy delivers tangible benefits, Jaishankar countered US Senator Slotkin’s remark that "democracy doesn’t put food on the table." He highlighted that India's democratic governance provides nutrition support to 800 million people, demonstrating that democracy can directly impact people’s well-being.
Displaying the ink mark on his index finger as proof of having recently voted, Jaishankar asserted that in India, democracy is not just an ideal but an actively practiced reality. "For us, democracy is actually delivered," he said, referring to India's robust electoral process that saw nearly 700 million people vote in the last national election.
With his bold remarks, Jaishankar once again underscored India's independent stance on global democracy, urging Western nations to recognize and respect successful non-Western democratic models if they truly want democracy to prevail worldwide.