Deliberative democracy and authoritarian statism are two contradictory forces; they cannot exist in harmony-Upendra Baxi

“Deliberative democracy and authoritarian statism are two contradictory forces; they cannot exist in harmony”, remarked Dr. Upendra Baxi, a renowned legal scholar, professor of law and former Vice Chancellor of University of South Gujarat while delivering a lecture at the Sixth Fr. Paul de La Gueriviere Memorial Lecture this evening at Indian Social Institute, New Delhi. Speaking before a distinguished audience of academicians and social activists on the topic “Deliberative Democracy v Authoritarian Statism: Traite sur la tolerance- Dialogue, Dissent, and Civic Virtue”, he recalled that for Fr. Paul ‘G’ the grassroots realities of the people, their struggles and rights were central to policy making and development.

While enumerating the various traits of tolerance, the renowned legal scholar pointed out that ‘one must understand, and be with, the social suffering which builds and sustains ‘pyramids of sacrifice’ to power; but that is probably what also animates the dream of converting ‘swords into ploughshares’. He highlighted that for toleration one must confront the pessimism of the will by optimism of the intellect. The Padmashri recipient emphasized that toleration is not a religious or social virtue but it is a virtue which is political in nature. It is a political virtue to achieve the other results. Putting differently, the political or the governing, elite owe an ethical and constitutional obligation to convert governance into a programme of zero-sum toleration of tendencies in civil society towards violent intolerant practices, whether based on religion, caste, creed, color, gender, or history and geography. Toleration is an instrument of governance. It is a secular civic virtue of individuals and it is also a relational virtue, meaning thereby, the self needs the other and the other needs the self. In today’s India, toleration is very necessary to attain democratic pluralism. Speaking about the importance of the virtue of toleration, Dr. Baxi stressed that the dark side of tolerance is violence and referring to Gandhiji, he pointed out that a true ‘Satyagrahi’ will first stress on his or her duties as are enunciated in the Constitution of India and would not engage in violence. Dr. Usha Ramanathan, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and an internationally recognized expert on law, chaired the function. Dr. Denzil Fernandes, Executive Director, Indian Social Institute, extended a warm welcome to all the distinguished dignitaries and highlighted the key contributions of Fr. Paul ‘G’ for the growth of the Institute as well as for the society at large.

This lecture was instituted in 2012 in memory of Fr. Paul de La Gueriviere (1920-2011), a Jesuit of French origin, who worked tirelessly throughout his life to promote the awareness of the stark social realities in India among youth and academicians throughout the country. After being a factory worker and serving the French Army during the Second World War, he left his native country for India in 1947 to spend the rest of his life striving to bring issues the marginalized sections of society into the academic discourse, especially during the last three and a half decades of service in Documentation Centres of Indian Social Institutes in Bangalore and New Delhi.