Archive · 26 Jul 2026
Why the World Needs the Bangaramdevi Test for Leaders
Imagine if the world's leaders were judged like gods in a tribal festival.
In Bastar, India, during the Bhado Jatra festival, tribal communities gather to evaluate their gods.
Those that fail to help their devotees are stripped of their divine status and discarded.
Rajiv Dogra, a former diplomat, suggests that the world could use a similar test for its leaders.
He argues that many current leaders, like Donald Trump, have failed to uphold the global order and have instead caused chaos and instability.
The United States, once the principal architect of the post-war international order, is now seen as a disruptor.
Dogra's book, How Nations Fail, explores how nations decline and the need for accountability in leadership.
The Bangaramdevi test could be a way to hold leaders accountable and potentially improve the global order.
The Bangaramdevi test involves evaluating gods based on their performance, similar to how tribal communities in Bastar judge their leaders.
Rajiv Dogra suggests applying this test to global leaders to hold them accountable for their actions and policies.
Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025 has accelerated the decline of the United States' global leadership role.
The United States, once the principal architect of the post-war international order, is now seen as a disruptor due to its policies.
The Bangaramdevi test could potentially improve the global order by removing ineffective leaders and promoting accountability.
- Who
- Rajiv Dogra, a former diplomat and author, discusses the need for accountability in global leadership.
- What
- The Bangaramdevi test is proposed as a model for evaluating global leaders based on their performance.
- When
- The discussion is relevant in the context of Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025.
- Where
- The Bangaramdevi test originates from tribal communities in Bastar, India.
- Why
- The test is suggested as a way to hold leaders accountable and potentially improve the global order.
Proponents of the Bangaramdevi Test
Critics of the Bangaramdevi Test
Accountability in Leadership
Proponents of the Bangaramdevi Test
Proponents argue that the Bangaramdevi test ensures accountability and performance evaluation of leaders, similar to how tribal communities judge their gods.
Critics of the Bangaramdevi Test
Critics may argue that such a test is too simplistic and does not account for the complexities and nuances of global leadership and governance.
Global Leadership and Order
Proponents of the Bangaramdevi Test
Proponents believe that applying the Bangaramdevi test could lead to a more just and effective global order by removing ineffective leaders.
Critics of the Bangaramdevi Test
Critics might contend that the current global order is too complex and interconnected to be judged by a single, traditional metric.
- Bangaramdevi Test
- A traditional practice where tribal communities in Bastar judge their gods based on their performance and effectiveness.
- How Nations Fail
- A book by Rajiv Dogra that explores the decline of nations and the need for accountability in leadership.
- Donald Trump
- Former U.S. President who returned to the White House in January 2025, known for his disruptive policies.
- China's Global Manufacturing Share
- Nearly 33% of global manufacturing, more than the United States, Europe, and Japan combined.
- Global Wars in 2024
- 61 wars being fought, the highest number since World War II.
- Children Starving Due to Wars in 2025
- Nearly 60 million children left starving because of wars.