INTERVIEW

Charles Dunst, AuthorDefeating the Dictators

Defeating the Dictators: How Democracy Can Prevail in the Age of the Strongman

What inspired you to write a book on defeating dictators, and what sets your approach apart from other authors in the field?

My experience living and traveling to autocracies like Cambodia, Hungary, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates inspired me to write this book I wanted to explore why people are attracted to some form of autocracy, and how to counter that impulse. Most importantly, I wanted my book to offer solutions – rather than just detail the problem, as many other books have done

How do you define a successful democratization strategy, and what key elements must be present to ensure its success?

Legitimacy is based on performance, meaning that democracies must perform to win public support If Americans, Brits, Hungarians, and others do not feel like their democracies are delivering, they will be more open to new visions – like autocracy. That is in many ways what happened in Hungary The key elements of democracy, in my view, are strong meritocracies, accountable systems, and a trustworthy government. The government’s ability to deliver on issues like human capital and infrastructure –which is critical to democracy – will flow from having a meritocratic, accountable, and trusted system

You mention the importance of civil society organizations in creating a robust and sustainable democratic movement. Could you elaborate on how these organizations can be most effective in achieving their goals?

I think most people are motivated by economics – they want money in their pockets, and are less concerned with ideological issues like “democracy versus autocracy ” I think civil society organizations would be wise to speak more towards these economic issues, and connect economic development with governance improvements in areas including transparency and accountability

You argue that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for deposing dictators. Can you give examples of successful and unsuccessful approaches and explain why they worked or failed?

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to strengthening democracy I think the United States is currently trending in the right direction, with the CHIPS and Inflation Reduction Act being important efforts to boost human capital, for instance But many countries – including the United States, India, and the United Kingdom – have a longer way to go on issues like accountability and meritocracy.

In your research, what surprised you the most about the challenges faced by those fighting against authoritarian regimes, and how can these challenges be overcome?

I was most surprised by the fact that many authorizing governments – like those in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam – enjoy extremely high levels of public support. Trust is clearly no longer just a privilege of democratic countries That is a fundamental change from the previous era of autocracies, in which governments simply repressed their people into accepting the regime Many autocracies do still do that, but some of the more functional ones have won real public support by delivering for their people

With democracy seeming to be in decline globally, what gives you hope for the future of democracy, and how can we ensure its survival and success in the years to come?

Democracies have a remarkable track record of rejuvenation Our societies produce the world’s best innovations; our systems encourage positive feedback mechanisms that can prompt improved governance. But we will have to work for it. Democracy does not function without active, democratic citizens Faith in democracy is not the problem, but faith in its automatic functioning is

You draw on a variety of historical case studies, current political events, and personal interviews with influential people in democratic movements. Could you share any particularly memorable or impactful conversations you had during your research?

Singapore’s development is so central to the book because it is so unique. The country has no natural resources and became the powerful, rich country it is today by having an authoritarian government that invested in its people Certainly, democracies should not become autocracies like Singapore, but we can look at some of the citystate’s successes to make our democracies work even better And because our systems are more open and transparent, we can make our systems more meritocratic, more accountable, and overall more functional than any autocracy ever could.

What message do you hope readers will take away from your book, and how do you hope it will inspire action to support democracy around the world?

I hope that "Defeating the Dictators" will encourage governments and companies to invest in the institutions and communities vital to democracy – to invest in us, so that we, the people powering the democracies of the world, can believe in democracy enough to lay claim to the future on its behalf.

What inspired you to explore the haunted places of India and write a book about them?

Haunted a term is linked mostly with horror Horror rather than fear is a basic emotion of the human mind. Everybody’s fear is unique and they react differently in each situation When I started researching the genre of horror, I found that haunted places or the horror associated with haunted places stands as a collective emotion. The stories of these places somewhere are orally narrated, found mishaps in some places, some are rumors The incidents or myths are deep reflections of society There are basic differences between horror when an individual commits suicide in a mansion and a mass death of labor in mines So haunted places attracted me to explore more social truths and the class characters in the mirror of horror

Could you share one particularly chilling or memorable experience you had while visiting one of these haunted locations?

Frankly speaking, I don’t believe in ghosts but I do believe in ghostliness. I enjoy the echo of voidness The empty silent classroom or laboratories, historical places with the shadow of bloodbaths, and the old constructions at night all have silent languages. I felt that eeriness. Somebody was there and nobody is there - this gap of non-existence is something I tried to find So I had a different experience of eeriness related to sound and vision while traveling to these places.

How did you go about collecting the legends, facts, and oral tales from various sources? Did you encounter any challenges during the research process?

1 I selected the places in this book that have a socio / political angle There are some historical places that witnessed conspiracies, blood baths and untrustworthiness. Some places carry the darker sides of the human mind crimes and tortures took place there Some places are the representation of neo-urban society For collecting facts or legends I worked on the local tales, interviewed local people, and talked with some journalists and police personnel

The most challenging part was writing the facts which I heard from different sources The incidents I wrote about are neither experienced by me nor I believe everything. But the places have their own language of horror. So creating the ambiance was the most challenging part for me

Can you describe a haunted place in India that stands out to you as particularly intriguing or unique in its history and ghostly stories?

There are more than one places that are intriguing and have a historical background National Library, Farrukhnagar Fort, and Shaniwar Wada Fort are the places. Hastings House in Kolkata and Bhangad Fort in Rajasthan are not listed in this book but are rich in history I found tunnel no 33 in Shimla is a very interesting one because the establishment of the Railway path, British rule, and the saddened history of Coronel Borong made this place haunted

In your book, you mention the darker aspects of human nature often associated with tragic historical events. Could you provide an example of a location where these aspects are prominent, and how it has shaped the haunting legends?

Horror is connected with blood, brutality, and a haunted past There are different color shades in the human mind Some places had a history of human cruelty. Some murders and tortures took place there and made those places haunted. But I found the severity of cruelty or the darker side associated with haunted places is Meghalaya's Noh Ka Likai false’s backstory This incident was a real one and its effect haunts me most. A father brutally killed his child and cooked the corpse. This was insane

The book covers different types of haunted places across various regions in India. Which type of location fascinated you the most during your exploration, and why?

Yes, the forty places in this book are from different parts of the country. Some are from the rural belt, and some are from urban India. Some places are lonely mansions and houses and some places are like cinema halls and industrial belts

So working over so many different types of places I found the haunting stories of educational institutions most interesting. The campuses or hostels are lively places throughout the day The sounds and cacophonies come down with the time after the classes The tales related to educational campuses have a continuous journey year after year through new batches I enjoyed writing about these places because the horror among youth or students is most impactful due to their conflict with prejudices.

The writing style of your book is engaging and immersive, transporting readers to these haunted places. How did you approach creating the eerie atmosphere and vivid descriptions that keep readers on edge?

Personally, I believe there is no ghost but ghostliness is there. Writing horror is the art of building the plot. The illusions, the subtle hints, and the delicate touches which rise with a gradual pace are the key factors of horror writing I just tried to narrate the stories step by step gradually revealing the main incidents. Another interesting part of this book is the geographical situation of the places We can read this one as a travelogue as well One who is interested in exploring new places can pick up any spot from this book. So readers are also getting the flavor of traveling from this book.

The inclusion of photographs in the book adds to the captivating experience. Can you share an instance where a photograph helped bring a particular haunted location to life and enhance the readers' understanding of it?

There are no photographs in this book but I collected a lot while travelling.

Some readers might question the lack of historical or factual evidence in the book, relying more on popular myths and legends. How would you respond to those who seek more academic rigor in exploring haunted places?

I did my Ph D research based on the uncanny in literature: evolutions and transformations. This book is a kind of fiction based on local stories, myths, and conventional facts I tried to explore the haunted places’ socio-economic nature and compiled the places from different statuses I believe each and every ‘ facts and evidence’ of paranormal activities are some kind of tale. Rather than giving this book a hardcore academic flavor I wanted to keep the flavor of storytelling.

What would you say is the cultural significance of haunted places in India, and how does your book contribute to understanding this aspect?

Like every other culture, the horror culture of India is diverse and represents the deep truths of the society Different types of ghosts divided by class, and gender tell the oppression of humanity. Basically, in many cases, ghosts or haunted places tell something which is not morally justified I covered the places in this book that tell us about different types of horror, different shades of human minds, and different types of oppression of women. These places are from different parts of the country and the hauntings are unique as well