Legislatures must reclaim truth, evidence, rational debate to safeguard democracy: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, Sep 11 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that in today's world, the rise of a post-truth culture -- where emotions often outweigh facts, and misinformation spreads faster than reason -- poses a grave danger to democracy, and the legislatures must reclaim the space of truth, evidence, and rational debate.

In addition, contemporary democracies face new challenges in the form of disinformation, algorithmic manipulation of public opinion, shrinking civic spaces, and the erosion of trust in institutions, he said.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 11th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Conference here, the CM said: "To challenge these enemies, we must collectively restore the vibrancy of democracy and amplify the voices of the weakest. First is to reassert the primacy of deliberation.

"Parliamentary debates must not be mere formalities but genuine exercises of persuasion and reasoning. This requires strengthening committee systems, ensuring transparency, and valuing evidence-based policymaking." According to him, the second priority is to embed accountability. "Citizens must see their representatives as answerable not only during elections but every day in legislatures." The third is to foster inclusivity: "Debates must reflect the aspirations of all segments, youth, women, marginalised communities and more. Parliaments must not only be representative in numbers but also in voice," he said.

"Fourth is to observe and adopt the best practices across the world. From citizen assemblies in Ireland, to participatory budgeting in Brazil, to our own gram sabhas in India, we see how democratic innovation can deepen trust. Fifth is to anchor democracy in ethics. Democracy is not only about procedures but about values of justice, equality, fraternity. Legislatures must be the guardians of these values, resisting cynicism and transactional politics," he said.

Siddaramaiah said the CPA is not merely an institution but "a living network of ideas, values, and aspirations. It binds together nations and regions across continents, transcending geography and history, uniting us through our commitment to parliamentary democracy, the rule of law, and human dignity." "At a time when the world faces challenges that are increasingly transnational in the form of climate change, inequality, technological disruption, conflict, and disinformation, this association serves as a unique forum to exchange not only best practices but also to reaffirm the moral foundations of governance," he said.

Highlighting the importance of the association, the chief minister said that for India, the CPA resonates deeply. The theme of this conference "Debates and Discussions in the Houses of Legislature: Building People's Trust and Meeting People's Aspirations" is both timely and timeless, he said.

"Our Parliament and State Legislatures are laboratories of federal democracy, where diversity is debated, dissent is respected, and unity is forged. Karnataka itself has been a pioneer in legislative innovation whether in decentralisation through Panchayat Raj institutions, progressive social justice policies, or digital governance for citizen service delivery," he added.

He noted that at the heart of democracy lies the deliberative function of legislatures and the very act of debating is not merely a contest of arguments but a ritual of accountability. "It reflects the public sphere, a space where power must justify itself before reason, evidence, and the people's representatives," he said.

Siddaramaiah warned that democracy is endangered less by external enemies and more by its inner corrosion.

He observed that while democracy has spread globally, it faces "serious inner enemies" many of which have to be discussed and addressed. Highlighting a few of them -- he said first is fanaticism and the dictator.

"Hollow fanaticism creates dictators who silences dissent, the phenomena which we are seeing worldwide. In such moments, legislatures risk submission to a dictator rather than serving as arenas of dialogue," he said.

"Another enemy of democracy is the misuse of identity to divide society. When caste, religion, or language are weaponised for political gain, legislatures risk becoming arenas of exclusion rather than inclusion. True democracy must instead identify and empower the weakest, ensuring that our differences enrich rather than fragment the republic," he said.

A dangerous trend, he added, is the practice of "social darwinism" - the belief that only the strongest deserve to thrive.

"Such thinking corrodes the democratic promise of equality, for a true republic is judged not by how it empowers the powerful, but by how it uplifts the weakest." "Beyond formal structures, democracy depends on habits of respect, dialogue, and tolerance. When public debate turns into hostility, when legislatures become arenas of disruption rather than deliberation, the culture of democracy itself begins to decay. Without this culture, what Ambedkar called constitutional morality, even the strongest institutions cannot protect democracy," he added. PTI AMP KH