How our society transformed from a robust democracy into a fearful one

In Lok Sabha elections 2019, voters must decide whether or not they want to be constantly prodded into a siege mentality that is fearful of real and imagined enemies

As India moves towards Lok Sabha polls 2019, it is useful to recall how our society has been transformed from a robust and raucous democracy into a suspicious and fearful one in the past five years. This time around, voters must decide whether or not they want to be constantly prodded into a siege mentality that is fearful of real and imagined enemies.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot touched upon something important when he observed that people were increasingly using WhatsApp services and landlines rather than mobile phones to avoid invasive eavesdropping by the state. Fear indeed is the key to