The parliament of India enacted the Anti-Defection Law in 1985.
The stated purpose was
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
The evil of political defections has been a matter of national concern. If it is not combated, it is likely to undermine the very foundations of our democracy and the principles which sustain
it. With this object, an assurance was given in the Address by the President to Parliament that the Government intended to introduce in the current session of Parliament an anti-defection Bill. This Bill is meant for outlawing defection and fulfilling the above assurance.
The provisions it laid were
Disqualification on ground of defection.-(1) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 3, 4 and 5, a member of a House belonging to any political party shall be disqualified for being a member of the House-
(a) if he has voluntarily given up his membership of such political party; or
(b) if he votes or abstains from voting in such House contrary to any direction issued by the political party to which he belongs or by any person or authority authorised by it in this behalf, without obtaining, in either case, the prior permission of such political party, person or authority and such voting or abstention has not been condoned by such political party, person or authority within fifteen days from the date of such voting or abstention
Does a provision like this have respect and space in what are legitimate concerns of a democracy?
How far from or close to the ideal of democracy is a provision like anti-defection or any whip like article?
My concern is such provisions take away the agency and conscience from an MP, and make him just another point in the number game. It makes the system very hard to evolve from party-based democracy to issues based democracy. When the whole discussion is about what party to elect, there is little space for what direction should we as a people take? and the process is prone to slip in identity politics, and portion of the power pie politics, which is at its worst a form of feudalism.
The institution of whip in Britain works quite non-invasively in comparison, and whip pressures(and how you bear them) are a part of inner party workings rather than being instituted in the law.