Thank you for that exposition of a different approach to a democratic form of governance. To be just, a society must balance respect for the individual with the needs of the group as a whole. The Western ethos, especially as enunciated in the U.S., clearly undervalues the needs of the group in overstating the place of the individual. "Dharmic democracy" does seem to offer more of a balance between the two. With, however, a past that includes a rigid caste system and 'Hindu nationalism' in the present, am I wrong to fear that India's democracy faces challenges as ominous as those in any nation?