The government's the world over are becoming autocratic and less responsive to people's needs

The rule of law in the world is on the wane and India is no exception. It is a sad commentary on the way world governments are functioning and becoming less democratic and unaccountable for their actions. Rule of Law Index for 2022 prepared by The World Justice Project (WJP) indicates that the 'rule of law is constantly going down. It is a declining trend for the fifth consecutive year. India Ranks 77 Out of 140. The European countries occupy the top positions. We have some solace that we are placed above China, but placed below Nepal. The trend towards autocracy is visible to a naked eye. Elizabeth Andersen, executive director of WJP has pointed out that authoritarian trends that predate the pandemic continue to erode the rule of law. She maintains that checks and balances on the authority of executive power are weakening and this has led to subdued human rights worldwide.

Even without a report, a layman can feel that his worth is shrinking in the government scheme of things. Though the governments trumpet their pro-people image they are usurping people’s right at every available opportunity. For instance, people were confined to their homes during the lockdown on the pretext of controlling the pandemic. This curtailed people's right to move freely and they suffered economic hardships. The media in sync with the governments convinced people that it was for their good. The fact remains that several countries like Sweden and South Korea never had a lockdown but did just fine. Several measures could have been taken to control pandemic but were not employed.   It is not just the right of the people that are being usurped but the whole process of governance has become mechanical and does not have a human approach to it. You would expect a government to be sensitive to the people's demands and act for their welfare in a democracy, instead, the governments are self-serving and care for their own survival rather than the well-being of the people who elected them in the first place. Many policies and programs have no value but are just an exercise in image building of the government which adds no value to their well-being still that is carried out in the name of development and nation-building. The gullible people are fed through mass media the importance of such projects meanwhile forgetting their sufferings caused due to government actions.Rule of Law waning