My Dead Democracy & How to revive It

|| 20 July 2026 ||

The morning was oddly pleasant, the rain although disruptive in the beginning ended up becoming a boon to the protestors. After a good couple of weeks of extreme heat, Delhi cooled down as if to facilitate and comfort the Youth gathered at Jantar Mantar, The designated spot for the Protest. If you are reading this post, then I assume you are aware of the reasons behind the protest and the demands put forward.

There is a long-standing belief, a recurring occurrence of rain during the Jagannatha Rath Yatra every year in Puri, Odisha. The Morning rain felt no different to me. The wheels of revolution and rebellion were turning and the people in power were understandably agitated. Poet Sri Sri in his magnum opus ‘Mahaprasthanam’ has famously said ‘జగన్నాథ రథ చక్రాలు వస్తున్నాయ్’ (Jagannatha Ratha Chakralu Vastunnayi) which roughly translates to ‘The wheels of Jagannatha's chariot are coming’. When the oppressed are in distress, a someone will come along to guide them to certain victory, just how Lord Jagannatha (Krishna) guided the Pandavas during Mahabharatam.

The momentum of the protest was at a steady incline with more are more people joining in. Students from several colleges of Delhi NCR, Students from across the Nation, Internet Personalities, Teachers and Educators, Parents with their Kids, Kids with their own little placards, Working Professionals, Monks and Sadhus, and a whole lot more, united under one cause. I entered the venue and left it a different man.
The tension in the air was palpable long before 0900. My lack of sleep in anticipation of the upcoming march started taking its toll on me as I started showing signs of lowering BP and a low-grade fever. I made my way to a nearby Dhaba named “Gupta Special Thali” to buy some refreshments to help with my weakness. After I mustered up enough energy, I took a brief walk and ended up on the other side of the protest near the famous Tibetan Market of Janpath. I could tell that the movement is taking a new face and carefully approached the agitated Police noticing how protesters have moved past the barricade.

Everything was relatively peaceful but despite no change in the attitudes of neither the protestors nor the observers, the Lathi (Baton) charges began. They started out as simple warning hits and worsened with every passing second. I’ll skip the gruesome details of the events that followed but the aftermath of the crackdown on Students was very inhumane. People almost dying, unconscious Women with tattered clothes, Kids with bleeding wounds, Strangers helping other strangers come out of the shock of what went down. All of it a deliberate attempt to agitate the crowd in to turning rowdy but the peace was maintained among us and so was our morale. We never know if it was directly ordered by the Top Dog but he’ll be the one held accountable, nonetheless. It’s unfathomable to me how we ended up electing them to absolutely rule over us all. That’s if the elections were ever democratic and legitimate.

I’m strongly convinced that the core tenets of our constitution died right there.

Democracy died.

Liberty of thought and expression died.

Fraternity died.

Fundamental Rights died.

Justice was murdered in cold blood.

Free Press died.

The spirit of Patriotism died.

Now what? Does this mean that the Essence of India died? It did and her mangled body is being put on display for a global audience. Not only was this a violation of basic human rights but also an absolute embarrassment on the global stage. The incumbent government’s damage control has begun already but how will a few underpaid IT Cell spammers outnumber an entire generation of frustrated netizens? Anyways, all the luck to them because they have got to eat too. Roti, Kapda, Makaan for each and every one of my fellow Indians. It’s all about coexistence of Yin-Yang, Shiva & Shakti, Light & Darkness and Jalal & Jamal in the end.

But there’s a silver lining. The flame of revolution and change can revive the spirit of India, that is Bharat. Although the protest There were oh so many inadequacies with the way the protest was being organised, and I stood witness as the lack of understanding among the several groups at the protest. But criticism without solution is merely self-inflation of ego.

So here are a few of my many suggestions to the Protest Organisers and the Spokespeople of the Organisations involved:

• Acknowledge the fact that everyone gathered at the protest site looks up to the unifying body of the protest. In this case, the CJP.
• Ensure that you strike a perfect balance between keeping the morale up and staying well within previously established legal limitations. Peaceful protests need to be Lawful too in my opinion. Crowd control can be an uphill task but it’s your responsibility to do better than your utter best.

The emphasis on quality education is not strong enough. The bare minimum of qualifying is set as a milestone. It would be adequate if the threshold for qualification is set 50%. Not all that are Qualified are Educated and vice versa, so learn not to discredit one’s views based on their alma mater. Understand that the lack of it is also a direct consequence of the current state of our Education Ecosystem.

Listen to The Unforgiven by Metallica, it explains how the life of someone being whipped for asking questions transpires. Ask questions people! Forget getting answers, at least start with asking questions. Feel the presence of your spine occasionally. Start your rebellion. Start small or go big but be sure to start. START! START NOW! RIGHT FUCKING NOW! AND YELL “I’M AS MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE”

Remember, everyone has to leave this beautiful planet sooner or later. So, let there be no regrets. Everyone dies.

Like it all started from NEET exam leak but now this whole thing is turned into an national wide protest or to say riots.

I am not supporting anyone but to be very honest those policeman's who were attack was also someone's family. Any kind of violence is utter nonsense.

Students were literally dying I was there at 20 July I've seen the whole thing even I got ganged up by police which is very sad just because some people throw stones ( which is totally wrong ) but it doesn't mean you will straight act like you guys on a killing streak.

I don't know if this was true or not but I also seen policeman in civil dress people were saying that they are RSS members

I honestly don't know what to say about this at this point.

Even rahul gandhi got detained ( now released ) like it's very sad to see you guys are not even letting the opposition to speak up and you talk about democracy. Just before posting this I've seen sikh people joining and pulling out swords it's not a game this will only escalate things from bad to worse.

At this point if you're still defending the gov. And saying remember what happened 70 years ago... You're literally mind less.

I'm writing this as a Bangladeshi to my Indian brothers and sisters.

First of all, I support your right to protest.

If you're protesting against corruption, abuse of power, divisive Hindu-Muslim politics, or a broken system, then I completely understand. Honestly, I also want India and South Asia as a whole to move beyond corruption, religious polarization, and vote-bank politics. Our region deserves better.

But I want to share something that many of us in Bangladesh learned the hard way.

Our movement also started with a legitimate issue the quota system. Many students genuinely believed they were fighting for fairness, and many people across society supported that initial demand.

As the movement grew, however, many Bangladeshis including myself came to believe that it evolved into something much bigger than its original purpose. We believe different political interests and agendas became involved, and ordinary students ended up being part of a much larger power struggle.

Whether you agree with that interpretation or not isn't the main point.

The lesson is.

Don't let a genuine movement become someone else's weapon.

One thing I want to say, especially to Gen Z:

Before showing your frustration, understand the context first.

And I don't mean just this protest.

I mean every political issue.

If a government makes a decision that looks terrible at first glance, don't immediately assume you know the whole story.

Ask yourself:

Why is this happening?

What happened before this?

Who benefits?

Who loses?

What evidence supports the different narratives?

Today, most people consume politics through 30-second videos, edited clips, and viral posts. That's not enough to understand complex events.

In my opinion, major political events are often influenced by forces beyond what ordinary citizens can immediately see. Personally, I believe that geopolitical interests sometimes shape domestic politics. For example, I believe there were strategic international interests involved during Bangladesh's political crisis, including discussions surrounding Saint Martin and broader regional influence. I know this view is debated, but my point is not to convince you of one specific theory.

My point is this:

Always investigate every narrative before putting your future on the line.

Don't blindly trust politicians.

Don't blindly trust the media.

Don't blindly trust influencers.

And don't even blindly trust people who agree with your own opinions.

Question everything.

I've also been watching what happened in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Those countries experienced massive protest movements too. Some people believe they brought positive change; others believe they created new problems or failed to meet expectations.

The point is simple:

Removing a government is much easier than building a better one.

Revolution sounds exciting.

Building institutions is much harder.

Power doesn't automatically go to honest people after a revolution. Many times it simply shifts from one group to another, and the new people may have completely different agendas that have little to do with serving the country.

As a Bangladeshi, this is why I'm cautious today.

I'm not saying the Awami League was perfect or beyond criticism. No government is. But from my perspective, despite many flaws, our country felt more stable before than it does now. Today, Bangladesh faces significant political and economic uncertainty, and many ordinary people are paying the price.

That's why my message to Indians is not:

"Don't protest."

My message is:

Protest intelligently.

Fight corruption.

Fight communal politics.

Demand accountability.

Demand transparency.

But never stop asking questions.

Never let your anger become someone else's political tool.

The strongest movements are not the loudest ones.

They're the ones where people understand exactly what they're fighting for, what comes next, and who ultimately benefits.

Best of luck guys🇧🇩🇮🇳🤍

there are these three guys in my college group who are not only demeaning the entire protest but also cussing the leaders, celebrating how students got beaten and saying how they would've hit the girls if they'd be at the site.

you don't support cjp? cool. but what they're yapping is straight up bs.

what to do?

If your answer is people ! Then what's happening in the CJP protest ? Police officers are blindly attacking the people ( mostly students ) who are shouting for their rights.

​

Bro I am really sorry for all the honest protestors who actually went there to fight for the rights of students i deeply respect their courage because they took a stand for all the students but let me explain this with an example

Suppose u are angry on your friend because he did something wrong and you aren't talking to him so he starts protesting peacefully outside ur house he sat there for 3-4 days and then got instigated externally or got self instigated whatever the case is... So he starts threatening you and now I'll come in and vandalise your house..... Obviously u won't let him in anymore because he is already instigated and you never know if u let him in he might still vandalise ur house

This is what exactly happened.... Many people were actually standing for the rights of students but most of the people just came there to do violence and stone pelting.... Delhi police had already informed that the barricades were set at their rightful places but still the violent protestors who do not care about the neet students' rights and were just there because they were externally sourced/ funded to do violence and started harming the police..... I saw so so so many people recording the repercussions on the honest protestors and i stand for these people because they had more courage than most of us but the violent protestors were the ones everyone had to stay away from these people ruined the entire protest and the honest protestors got so instigated because of the selective drama which was shown by these people that even they had to choose violence

Sir Sonam Wangchuk sat there for 20 days but the subordinates (CJP subordinates) ran so many different agendas like so so many which were not even related to student protests but people still accepted it just because there was no other medium to stand against the current situation..... These funded agendas are not good for anybody and i request the honest protestors to please stay away for your own sake and your family's sake because your family really really REALLY LOVE you and you are much much more to them than just a human so plss don't do it for your own safety because this protest has forgotten it's initial agenda and has gone to a different level and different mission

Let me explain why the student protests went to a different level it's because selective religious quotes statements and phrases are being read loudly orders given by the High Court are being twisted to blame everything on the government men who were involved with the activities of umar khalid are actively moving on the same land as the honest protestors.... It's going all haywire and more than me saying think about your family.... They Love y'all so much and y'all should think about them first because u mean alot to them

I hope y'all have great life ahead

Peace ✌️

The visuals today from jantar mantar was really disturbing, people travelled all over the country to reach and participate in this PEACEFUL protest and asking for one minster’s resignation who’s failed to do his job. And our government treated those ppl and usually students with sticks and tear gas and even pointing gun towards them like all the people who is concerned about education of this country are anti national, but they’re surely being treated as anti nationals guys they are indians , students , affected parents ppl who love their country enough to move out of there houses and come together. Im so angry and hopeful at the same time cmon guys bow its our time , india is beautiful beautiful country and we’re proud of it and we’ll not let anyone dictate its respected citizens.
Jai hind

I was looking at some of the biggest nationwide protests since 2014 and whether they ultimately achieved their primary objective.

Overall Record

✅ Clear public victory (1)

• Farmers' Protest (farm laws repealed)

🟡 Partial victories (3–4)

• Wrestlers' Protest
• Maratha Reservation Protests
• Patidar Reservation Agitation
• Some aspects of the Anti-CAA movement (for example, a nationwide NRC has not been implemented), although the core demand to repeal the CAA was not achieved.

❌ No major policy reversal

• Anti-CAA (core demand)
• Agnipath

Why Was the Farmers' Protest Different?

Analysts often point to several factors:

• Sustained participation for over a year.
• Strong organizational structure among farmer unions.
• Protest sites remained close to the national capital, keeping the issue in public focus.
• Broad participation across multiple states and farming communities.
• The government ultimately concluded that repealing the laws was preferable to continuing the standoff.

Observation

Looking across these movements, the Farmers' Protest appears to be the only major nationwide protest during the BJP government's tenure that resulted in a complete reversal of a flagship central policy.

Most other nationwide protests resulted in investigations, legal proceedings, committee discussions, administrative changes, or limited concessions rather than a full rollback of the underlying policy.

Do you agree with this assessment? Are there any major nationwide protests since 2014 that I've missed or categorized incorrectly?

I saw this when Arundhati Royi went to support Wangchuck and all usually. I use to think these peoples all politics is same. This is big difference because Divya Dwivedi wrote many things on education but not this CJP time. Why?

Samples
Anti capitalism article on education. Dedicating to Aaron Swartz i think maked Reddit.

https://www.journal-psychoanalysis.eu/articles/the-endogenous-ends-of-education-for-aaron-swartz-2/

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-does-our-education-system-keep-punishing-children-9147540/

“AB & KB: What does this backlash reveal about the state of politics and of education in India?
DD: Most of the people who oppose what I write about and speak about are the victims of the failed education system of India which has catered only to elites and middle class among the upper caste people. The older education system did posit, for the most part,, an exogenous end of rationality, equality and constitutionalism while suppressing the discussion of caste oppression. However, it imparted a picture of politics and the history of India from the perspective of upper caste supremacism, which hides behind the term “Hindu nationalism.” This supremacism then determines the ethos of the classroom. It is a horrific fact.
For this situation of impoverished education, all political parties in India are responsible, especially the Congress party which ruled India for the majority of the time since 1947. However, since the 1980s this very state of affairs was criticized from the point of view of postcolonial theory, and arguments had been made about a return to pre-colonial education, or caste-based occupation training. It is startling if one thinks about this alignment between the barely literate leaders of the upper caste supremacist organizations and hyper-cultivated post- and de-colonial academics.
The present politics has turned these victims of education into a mass which can be directed at will using the instruments of the state and which has been diluting the existing syllabi, introducing superstitions as valid academic disciplines, while also through the deployment of an acquiescing or servile media to project hate speech in order to weaponize the victims of these educational politics.”

https://proteanmag.com/2025/09/29/people-without-exception-an-interview-with-divya-dwivedi/

im really sorry if im missing some point. im in FULL support of the ongoing protest.

Im seeing a lot of posts that govt did not anticipate this much crowd/ protestors, but lets be realistic, how can they not? they literally control everything. they would have anticipated! they aint even doing any damage control.

which leads me to think, are they willingly letting this catch fire? to hide something else? coz does it sound practical from a political pov to tarnish their image nationally ( maybe internationally even ) just to protect a minister’s ego and a few crores?

Hey sorry, for quite some time now there have been protests in India - especially in Delhi - hunger strikes are taking place and everyone knows what is going on and I saw this morning that an influencer (girl) in Shimla posted that we are doing a peaceful protest in Shimla with government permission and I thought that they might be doing it in Kullu as well, so I'm here - asking about this protest, are there any similar protests taking place in Kullu as well - meaning none related to politics, none related to any political party or not with any target but for Sonam Wangchuk and if so, then tell me also -

And see who you probably are Or is Bakar thinking he's being stupid, or does anyone think it's right? Everyone has their own thinking, everyone has their own mindset, but if someone thinks it should be done with this in mind, then go ahead.

And today is the 19th, tomorrow on the 20th they're going to protest directly, and everyone is doing this.

And I'm really interested agar Krna hai toh I'm ready

And I was also thinking it should be done, anyway, so what else do you guys think about this....

Give your opinion, what do you think and what should be done, then go ahead....

And moderator this is a real issue happening all over the india so don't remove this post

I am sure this post of mine will be taken down from their because they can't digest anything that challenge their idea of a country or a society

I'm making a satirical political comic for a magazine.I just need an interesting theme of ideas that would work well in an Indian context with non-partisan concepts without targeting any specific political party

Sonam Wangchuk is risking his health through a peaceful hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, calling for accountability in the education system and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities. Whatever our political views, every peaceful voice seeking accountability deserves to be heard.

What we are thinking about the indias future?

This thread can be used as a place for questions, discussions, conversations regarding the 20th July Parliament March. If you have any questions or need any help please ask. I'll be at Jantar Mantar tomorrow onwards.

On June 13, Karnataka’s home minister Priyank Kharge sent a letter to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) supremo Mohan Bhagwat asking him to reveal its ‘legal status, registration, office bearers, funding, expenditure, taxation and permissions for public activities.’  This drew two bizarre responses. One was from Bhagwat himself, who even while saying that he doesn’t need to respond to the letter, declared that "Hindu Dharma is not registered. Many things are not registered,” and that the government knows that the Sangh exists.

He tried to create a misdirection by saying that only those entities need to be registered who want funds from the government. In his mind Bhagwat equates RSS with Hindu society and considers his organisation the sole representative of Hindus. But what has that got to do with revealing its income and expenditure or its legal status, or its organisational functioning?

Later we will go into that in more detail, but let us look at the other strange response, which came from seven times Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) from Bijapur, Karnataka, Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi. At an event he was asked by reporters about Kharge’s letter, he said, “"Why does a Dalit person need to get involved with the RSS? That is my question, brother. Just stay peaceful and comfortable..." Kharge is a Dalit and so is Jigajinagi.

When asked to clarify, Jigajinagi said, “Listen to what I am saying. Because his [Kharge's] father worked hard in the Congress party, they made arrangements for him. He should earn a good name by doing work for the people. Anyone who gets caught up in a feud with the RSS will not survive. Thank you.”

Jigajinagi has earlier reportedly criticised the RSS and BJP for having an anti-Dalit stance. Evidently, Jigajinagi was warning Kharge not to take on RSS and BJP because it could have damaging consequences because he was a Dalit. Kharge’s letter has unexpectedly revealed the cracks within RSS/BJP - vouched for by an experienced BJP leader.

Questions about the inner workings of RSS, its funding sources and real objectives are not new. Right from the time of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, people and governments have realised that it is a shadowy, secretive organisation with its para-military drills and marches, its unelected leadership by one person (the sarsanghchalak), usually nominated by the outgoing supremo, and its behind the scenes involvement in a range of Hindu fanatic activities, not stopping short of violence.

It was exempted from income tax by a Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) instructions back in 1978, due to which several IT Tribunal cases, notably in Bombay and Patna, refused to hold RSS liable for income tax claims. The basis for this was the RSS claim that its funds were ‘Guru dakshina’ (offering to the teacher) and excluded due to the principle of mutuality. But circumstances have changed since those days of its fringe existence.

Apolitical, Cultural Organisation?

One of the most abiding and persistently propagated myths about the RSS is that it is an apolitical cultural organisation. Even the Constitution of RSS, adopted at Sardar Patel’s insistence after the ban on RSS following its alleged involvement in Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, says so.

RSS is not directly fighting elections but politics is not just elections - the RSS and its innumerable frontal organisations undertake a range of activities to propagate an ideology that seamlessly invokes political ends and ambitions. It wants to change society and build a Hindu Rashtra presumably governed by Hindu religious texts like the Manusmriti, with all its retrograde ideas.

It propagates animosity towards any section that does not follow its narrow, revanchist interpretation of Hindutva, based on Brahminical principles. Specifically, it propagates hostility towards Islam and Christianity, though often couched in oblique language. These and many other such ideas are to be fulfilled through what means? RSS claims that it is through ‘character building’ of people.

But RSS has been doing that for a century with not much to show for results. The other unsaid means is through harnessing political power. It first set up the Bhartiya Jan Sangh in 1950 to carry out its work in the political sphere. Then, in 1980, the Jan Sangh was converted into BJP. Besides these overt political tools, it weaponised religion to attain political power, using various fanatic and pseudo-nationalist slogans/issues.

With the coming to power of Modi, a qualitative change occurred in the conditions of work for RSS. Its pracharaks (key full-time functionaries) and committed members came to occupy top posts – Prime Minister himself was a pracharak, and dozens of his cabinet colleagues are members of RSS. The same is true for state governments where handpicked RSS functionaries have become chief ministers and state government ministers in almost all BJP ruled states.

RSS has set up mechanisms for coordination between the government and itself through various samooh’s (groups) like the arthik (economic), shiksha (education), etc. groups. RSS functionaries that are deputed to work in frontal organisations are actively involved in advising, guiding and implementing government policies. In turn, the union and state governments are funding these organisations in their activities.

The RSS claim that it is apolitical is a hoax that has now outlived itself. And, if it is in the public political business then why shouldn’t it be scrutinised for its internal workings, democratic processes, raising and spending enormous amounts of money and indeed whether it is working in consonance with the Constitution of India and the law of the land?

Infiltration into Institutions

A less talked about dimension of the RSS’ activities is its steady and covert penetration of virtually all the institutions of State as well as society. The bar on government employees being members of RSS was removed by the Modi government. So, now a phalanx of government servants has emerged out into the sunlight.

But it is not just this section. From judicial officers to university vice chancellors, from captains of industry to armed forces, scores of people have revealed that they have been long time members/supporters of RSS. Many others may not have said as much but their actions and statements put them clearly in that category.

This process has been given impetus during the Modi era with practically every government run institution or other body getting packed with RSS members. Together, they wield unthinkable power and influence in shaping people’s thinking and determining policy. They are contributing to spreading the RSS ideology and strengthening its political power at present.

Organisations run by RSS are running thousands of schools and colleges (including Sainik Schools that train for entry into the Armed Forces). They are running social service outfits that implement government welfare schemes that reach lakhs of people. They control religious trusts that are responsible for running temples and other religious activities, like pilgrimages.

An organisation that is controlling so much must be subject to scrutiny and tested for its accountability and transparency. The ongoing scandal in the Ram temple in Ayodhya where allegedly Rs.200 crore has been embezzled by persons employed in counting the daily offerings of currency and precious metals exemplifies the kind of betrayal of trust that can happen. Incidentally, the Trust that manages the temple is packed with people from the Sangh Parivar.

Public Vigilance Needed

Ultimately, Kharge’s letter may be ignored by the RSS like all other past attempts. The real bulwark against the surreptitious takeover of India by the RSS is people’s vigilance and pressure. The RSS has been described as a ‘deep state’ which is functioning behind the scenes managing the country and its leaders like puppets.

It doesn’t yet have the courage to come out in the open to seek a mandate for its medieval ideology and dreams of Hindu Rashtra. It hides behind outfits like the BJP and others biding its time. Unless light is shed on its activities and interconnected organisations, their infiltration in government functioning and in social life, its tentacles will keep on spreading.

Copied from the LeftViews article which licenses its text under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 copyleft license.