India and other world democracies at crossroads: Hillary Clinton

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MUMBAI – Democracies across the world, including the US and India, are at a crossroads and there was a need to stand up against the chaos to protect democracy, Hillary Rodham Clinton has said.

Speaking at the concluding session of the India Today Conclave 2018, the former US Secretary of State said never before did the world need India’s energy like now to speak against sexism, racism and stand up at this crossroad moment.

“Don’t give way to anger, resentment and disappointment. Stay engaged, speak out,” Clinton said.

She said both the US and India were facing serious undercurrents threatening to strike at the roots of democracy, warning that US President Donald Trump “will damage it”.

Talking at length about the situation in the US post the 2016 US Presidential elections which she lost to realty tycoon-turned-politician Trump, Clinton said she did not have a problem with a power difference in her country but was worried about fewer debates on pertinent issues that will take it towards one-party dominance.

“That is the situation in Washington at present.”

She said it was “the first ever reality TV election” in the history of the US.

“Reality TV because a person who is the most outrageous and prone to say incorrect things gets away with it, drawing big rankings. Many people were, unfortunately, attracted to such diatribes.”

Clinton counted the reaction against the immigrants as one of the reasons behind Trump’s win.

She said the US has immigrants from Latin America, India and China who are hard working and law abiding but Trump’s campaign of ‘Make America Great Again’ was backward.

“I won from the places which has 2/3rd share in the gross domestic product.”

She also admitted that a smear campaign was on, saying she was going to jail. “That stopped my momentum and decreased my votes.”