When the facets of democracy are rendered trivial

Powerful industrialists are having second thoughts about remaining in unstable countries. The economic outlook looks grim, as leaders utter fire and fury to conceal their own sectarian divisions. When the powerful and the wealthy decide to leave, it is only a matter of time before nations descend into chaos and anarchy. Our planet has become a theatre of political demagoguery and ineptitude as the political gladiators tenaciously cling to power at all cost. Some are compulsive liars, others are consummate actors, while some are super photogenic. The media brims with stories of people falling from grace after they are called out for lying. Sadly, we are living in an era where some leaders have a malignantly narcissistic penchant for twisting facts and truth in accord with their own ever-shifting sense of what serves their interests and hurts their perceived foes.

When a society loses sight of distinction between fact and fiction, truth-telling and lying, truth, critical thought and fact finding as conditions of democracy are rendered trivial.

— Farouk Araie, South Africa

Independence Day message

The 73rd Indian Independence Day was celebrated in the Indian Capital with an inspiring speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. He spoke on various issues including Article 370 and the future plans for the nation’s development. On this occasion, I would like to wish all Indians happy Independence Day. — K Ragavan, India