Global Democracy Under Threat? Jaishankar’s Bold Response: 'This Mark You See on My Nail...'

New Delhi: In a sharp response to raising concerns over democracy on a global scale, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar showed his inked finger emphasising India's democratic system. Differing from the Western view, the EAM at the Munich Security Conference 2025, said, "So, the first message is that somehow democracy is in trouble globally, worldwide, I am sorry, I have to differ with it."

When asked to respond to a question about his views on Western democracy, Jaishankar said, "Well, before I do that, I appeared to be an optimist in what is relatively a pessimistic panel, if not room. I will begin by sticking up my finger and don't take it badly, it is the index finger. This, the mark you see on my nail, is a mark of a person who has just voted. We just had an election in my state just over. Last year, we had a national election."

The foreign minister further highlighted the high voter turnout in India during elections, with about two-thirds of eligible voters casting their ballots. "We count the votes in a single day," he said.

Furthermore, justifying, his differing view on democracy being in trouble on a global scale, Jaishankar said, “Nobody disputes the (election) result after it's announced and by the way, from the time we started voting in the modern era, 20 per cent of people more vote today than they did decades ago.”

"So, the first message is that somehow democracy is in trouble globally, worldwide, I am sorry, I have to differ with it. I mean, right now, we are living well. We are voting well. We are optimistic about the direction of our democracy and for us democracy is actually delivered," Jaishankar added.

He further slammed the West for treating democracy as a Western characteristic: "There was a time—and I would have to say this in all honesty—when the West treated democracy as a Western characteristic and was busy encouraging non-democratic forces in the Global South. And it still does. I mean, in many cases, I can point to some very recent ones where everything you say you value at home, you don't practice abroad. So, I do think the rest of the Global South will view the successes, shortcomings, and the responses of other countries," he said.

Please Don't Assume: Jaishankar's Response to US Senator's 'Food on Table Remark

When speaking at the conference, Jaishankar responded to US Senator Elissa Slotkin's statement that “democracy doesn't put food on the table," saying, "Actually, in my part of the world, it does. Today, because we are a democratic, we give nutrition support, and food to 800 million people and for whom that is a matter of how healthy they are and how full their stomachs are. So the point I want to make is look different parts of the world are going through different conversations. Please do not assume that this a kind of universal phenomenon, it is not."

While acknowledging that democracy may function differently in various parts of the world, Jaishankar called for more "honest conversations" about the reasons for any shortcomings. He also suggested that many of the issues faced globally are a result of the model of globalisation followed over the past 25-30 years.

"I would argue that as to an extent as someone dispassionately viewing it, which was your question, there are some problems, a lot of it is a accumulated problem of the model of globalisation that we have followed for the last 25-30 years," he said.

We Stayed True to Our Democratic Model: EAM Hails India as a Democracy

In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote that at MSC 2025, he differed "with the prevailing political pessimism" and spoke his mind on "foreign interference".

The EAM noted that after independence, India chose a democratic model as the nation had a fundamentally consultative pluralistic society. There was a time when the West treated democracy as a Western characteristic, he said, many nations of the Global South are likely to relate more to India's experience as transposable to their societies than to those of others.

"I would argue in many ways that India has historically been an open society, one very much linked with the world. So, I do think that in our progress as a democracy, the fact that for all the challenges that we have had, even at a low income, we have stayed true to the democratic model. When you look at our part of the world, we are pretty much the only country that has done that," he said.

"So, I think this is something the West should look at because if you do want democracy eventually to prevail, it is important that the West also embraces the successful models outside the West," he added.