SOUTH ASIA’S DILEMMA: BALANCING MAJORITY DECISIONS WITH MINORITY RIGHTS

Abstract

The history of the democracies of South Asia is a troubled history of finding the balance between the principles of majority rule and minority rights, the struggle which is connected to the colonial heritage, ethno-nationalist politics, and the institutions’ weakness. This article examines the challenge that India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh face as far as trying to reconcile democratic governance with pluralism, which usually results in systematic marginalisation of religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities. Comparative analysis is used by the study to shift the focus on the recurrent patterns of majoritarian exclusion; India’s Hindu nationalist policies, Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, Sri Lanka’s post-war reconciliation failures, and Bangladesh’s erosion of secularism, whilst also exploring country-specific challenges which are specifically affected by history and politics. The article is anchored on the premise that unrestricted majoritarianism threatens to make democracies ethnocracies in which the electoral processes mask institutionalized discrimination. It evaluates the constitutional guarantees, socio-economic differences, and resistance, in which there are differences between the law and what is practiced. Finally, the paper provides policy options, including more judicial oversight, inclusive political representation, participation of the civil society, and international cooperation. By challenging these dynamics, the article contributes to broader debates about pluralist democracy in deeply divided societies, and reveals the urgent demands for institutional reforms for the protection of minority rights in South Asia.

Keywords: South Asia, Majority Rule, Minority Rights, Democracy, Hindu Nationalism, Blasphemy Laws, Ethno-Nationalism, Pluralism, Constitutional Safeguards, Inclusive Governance