Successful democracies include 'thriving' civil societies: Blinken

NEW DELHI: All people deserve to have a voice in their government and be treated with respect no matter who they are, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday while noting that Indians and Americans believe in human dignity, fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion.
Addressing civil society members in his first public event after arriving here and ahead of his meetings with the Indian leadership, Blinken said both India and the US share a commitment to democratic values and it is part of the bedrock of the bilateral relationship.
He also said that successful democracies include "thriving" civil societies, noting that they are needed to make democracies "more open, more inclusive, more resilient, more equitable."
According to one of the participants, farmers' protests, freedom of press, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), minority rights and concerns over China's assertiveness as well as situation in Afganistan were among issues that figured during the roundtable "Advancing Equitable, Inclusive, and Sustainable Growth and Development".
During the interaction, attended by seven civil society members, including a representative of the Dalai Lama, each member spoke briefly on a range of "pressing issues of concerns" in India as well as in the region, the participant said on condition of anonymity.
It is understood that Blinken flagged some of the concerns during his extensive talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
At a media briefing after talks with Jaishankar, Blinken said that the shared democratic traditions, the high ideals that both countries set for themselves were very much a part of the conversation as they usually are.
He said the relationship between the two countries is "so important and so strong" because as it is a relationship between the two democracies.
One of the elements that Americans admire most about India is the steadfast commitment of its people to democracy, to pluralism, to human rights, to fundamental freedoms, he said, adding that's, in our minds, one of the ways that we define India.
In the course of his remarks at the roundtable, Blinken referred to rising global threats to democracy and international freedoms, talked about "democratic recession", noting that it is vital for India and the US to continue to stand together in support of these ideals.
"When you put it all together, the relationship between our countries is one of the most important in the world. And I think that's because not only is it a relationship between governments when we're working between our governments, but critically it's through relationships between the Indian and the American people," he said.
Blinken cited business cooperation, educational engagement, religious and spiritual ties and ties between millions of families as some of the key pillars of the overall relationship.
"Perhaps most important, we're connected by shared values, and I believe shared aspirations, that are common to our people. The Indian people and the American people believe in human dignity, in equality of opportunity, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion and belief," he said.
"We believe that all people deserve to have a voice in their government and be treated with respect no matter who they are. These are fundamental tenets of democracies like ours, and our purpose is to give real meaning to these words and constantly renew our commitment to these ideals," he added.
"And of course, both of our democracies are works in progress. As friends, we talk about that, because doing the hard work of strengthening democracy and making our ideals real is often challenging.
"We know that firsthand in the United States, where we aspire to be, in the words of our founders, a more perfect union. That's an acknowledgement from day one of our country that in a sense we will always fall short of the mark, but that the way to make progress is by constantly trying to achieve those ideals," he said.
Blinken said sometimes that process is "painful, sometimes it's ugly", but the strength of democracy is to embrace it.
"At the same time, we celebrate our achievements. Here in India, that includes the free media, independent courts, a vibrant and free and fair electoral system -- the largest expression of free political will by citizens anywhere in the world," he said.
"We also know that successful democracies include thriving civil societies. That's how citizens become more fully engaged in the life of their communities. It's how we organise and provide the resources to respond to emergencies," he added.
The transcript of his address was released by the US State Department.
Noting that people and organizations come together throughout COVID-19 in creative and incredibly generous ways, he said civil society is also where we're able to build meaningful connections across our social, religious, and cultural differences.
"In short, if we want to make our democracies more open, more inclusive, more resilient, more equitable, we need vibrant civil society," he said.
"I think it's hard to find countries with more -- who do more together in more different areas than with the United States and India," he said.
In a tweet after the meeting, he said, "I was pleased to meet civil society leaders today. The US and India share a commitment to democratic values; this is part of the bedrock of our relationship and reflective of India's pluralistic society and history of harmony. Civil society helps advance these values."