Accidental India

by Shankkar Aiyar

Political scientist Francis Fukuyama, discussing the origins of political order, observes that in the West, the rule of law was established first, followed by state-building, and, finally, the installation of democracy. India, in stark contrast, chose to do all this simultaneously. This did enlarge the magnitude of complexity in planning the country’s evolution but a rich idea cannot be held responsible for poor execution.