Archive · 15 Aug 2026
Kavita Krishnan's 'De-democratisation': An Angry Riposte to Leftism
Kavita Krishnan wrote a book about how democracy is being weakened around the world.
The book is called 'De-democratisation, a Global Story: Scripts, Actors and Enablers.'
Krishnan used to belong to a political group called the Left, but she left it after 30 years.
She thinks leaders like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi are actually very similar.
They all want a 'multipolar' world, where no single country like America is in charge.
Krishnan says these leaders want the biggest group in each country to have the most power.
She worries that this idea pushes aside the rights of minorities and universal human rights.
The Left made a mistake, she argues, by supporting Russia against Ukraine and China against the Uighurs just because it disliked America.
Krishnan believes people should criticise America, but should not give up on democracy and freedom.
Her book is both an angry criticism of the Left and a strong plea to protect democratic values.
Kavita Krishnan's book 'De-democratisation, a Global Story: Scripts, Actors and Enablers' argues that Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi are ideological partners bound by the concept of a multipolar world.
Krishnan joined organised Left politics in the early 1990s to defend democracy under siege, and broke with it 30 years later.
She criticises the traditional Left for reasoning that opposing American hegemony means supporting Russia against Ukraine and China against the Uighurs.
The book links 'illiberal multipolarity' to a rightward swing in politics, nationalist supremacy that asserts majority pre-eminence, and the 'civilisational state' rhetoric of right-wing leaders.
Krishnan frames the book as 'an angry riposte' to received Leftism and a passionate plea for democratic values, universal human rights and freedom; Context publishes the 333-page book at Rs 799.
- Who
- Kavita Krishnan, author of 'De-democratisation, a Global Story: Scripts, Actors and Enablers,' a former Left politician who broke with organised Left politics after 30 years; her critique targets leaders Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi.
- What
- A review of Krishnan's book arguing that Trump, Putin, Xi and Modi are ideological partners in an 'illiberal multipolarity' built on nationalist supremacy, and that the Left erred in equating anti-Americanism with defending democracy.
- When
- Not explicitly stated in the article.
- Where
- Global — the book examines politics across India, Russia, China and the West, and is published by Context.
- Why
- Krishnan wrote the book as 'an urgent instinct to defend a democracy under siege' and as a passionate plea for democratic values, universal human rights and freedom against illiberal multipolarity.
Traditional Left viewpoint
Krishnan's argument in the book
Opposing American hegemony
Traditional Left viewpoint
Resisting Western capitalism and imperialism means opposing American dominance, which makes it sensible to support Russia against Ukraine and China against the Uighurs.
Krishnan's argument in the book
Backing Putin and Xi because of anti-Americanism is a folly; Trump's MAGA itself accepts a multipolar world, and the fight should be against right-wing majoritarianism everywhere.
The nature of a multipolar world
Traditional Left viewpoint
A multipolar world challenges American unipolar dominance and reflects a legitimate desire for national sovereignty and defending democracy.
Krishnan's argument in the book
Today's 'multipolar world' is an 'illiberal multipolarity' — a shared civilisational-state rhetoric in which leaders assert majority supremacy and reject universal human rights and minority rights.
The Western Left's response
Traditional Left viewpoint
The Western Left is right to call out the hypocrisy of liberal democratic systems and their unilateralism.
Krishnan's argument in the book
The Western Left errs when it fails to recognise the far-right agendas of right-wing leaders dominating national politics across the world, and should not abandon universal human rights.
- Book
- De-democratisation, a Global Story: Scripts, Actors and Enablers
- Author
- Kavita Krishnan
- Publisher
- Context
- Pages
- 333
- Price
- Rs 799
- Core argument
- Trump, Putin, Xi and Modi are ideological partners in an 'illiberal multipolarity' grounded in nationalist supremacy
- Author's journey
- Joined organised Left politics in the early 1990s; broke with it 30 years later