Rajeshwar Prasad’s ‘dance of democracy’: Deconstructing the heroic democracy & the choreography of corruption

Abstract

This​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ research article argues that Sitaram, the main villain of “Dance of Democracy”, is not just an outward antagonist uprooting the democratic system but a deeply-rooted, symptomatic figure representing the system's internal decay and living his life in his own way, disregarding all the established democratic values. His journey - from the representative of the people and anti-corruption popularist to a politician riddled with corruption and finally, the one who is eventually brought to justice by the system he had manipulated in the past - is the democratic polity's "autoimmune response" metaphor. Within this perspective, Sitaram's widespread corruption, persuasive populism, and orchestrated undermining of democracy, as well as the embracement of the system, constitute a key, though fatal, internal agent that eventually forces the system to resort to its natural self-correction mechanisms, thus resulting in a strengthening, albeit painful, of the basic democratic principles. The 'dance' is therefore not merely a rhetorical celebration of the virtues, but a fierce, cleansing battle; in fact, it is happening in the body politic itself.