THE victory of the students and youth at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has scripted a new chapter in the history of independent India. It gives a clear indication that this paves the way for the beginning of the end of the BJP-led authoritarian regime under Narendra Modi.

DEAFENING music, high-tempo beats, inflammatory lyrics, and crowds swaying to the rhythm are common sights at processions organised by Hindutva groups across the country. People, intoxicated by the arrogance of Hindu supremacy, frequently shout provocative slogans. As the tempo of the music rises, so does the fervor of the crowd; it appears as though the music has completely taken them over. The lyrics accompanying the music begin to dominate both heart and mind.

THREE bills moved together through Parliament in August 2025, and taken separately, each look almost technical. The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025 deals with what happens to a chief minister or prime minister who is arrested. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025 extend a similar logic to other Union Territories.

THE British Raj functioned as an authoritarian regime, primarily oriented towards resource extraction and maintaining law and order. After independence, India inherited much of this colonial bureaucratic and policing apparatus, continuing to prioritise state security over civil liberties. Legal instruments originally crafted to suppress dissent such as sedition laws, preventive detention and sweeping emergency powers were seamlessly absorbed into the framework of the independent Indian state, persisting as regressive tools of governance.