Pegasus impact: Loss to Indian Republic and government is much greater

Just the fear of intrusive surveillance can have disastrous consequences for India's democratic functioning.

Even if it was a legitimate intelligence gathering operation, the Pegasus expose has effectively derailed it. By now potential targets would have taken appropriate preventive measures. So millions of dollars spent have been effectively flushed down the drain. However, the loss to the Indian Republic and the present government is much greater.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has described the government’s use of Pegasus spyware--designated as a “weapon” by Israel--against its citizens and democratic institutions as “treason”. With the State itself seemingly intent on destroying its own institutions, perhaps a better term to describe India today would be a “rogue democracy”--a