00:00It's been a turbulent week in Indian politics, with the battle moving from parliament and
00:05television studios to the streets of this country. But here's a fundamental democratic
00:10principle. Protest is not a threat to democracy. It is a safety valve that keeps democracy
00:17alive. The state has every right, indeed a duty, to maintain law and order. But there
00:23is a crucial distinction between preventing violence and criminalizing dissent, or picking
00:29up someone from their house or an aircraft when they have not committed any crime. Detaining
00:35protesters, arresting young activists, shutting down public spaces cannot become the default
00:42response to what is primarily a political disagreement. Peaceful protest is a constitutional
00:48right, not a favor granted by the government. The test of a democracy is not how efficiently
00:55it can silence its critics, but how confidently it can accommodate them. When the state begins
01:02to see every gathering as a law and order problem, it risks turning a legitimate democratic demand
01:09into a confrontation. The state must maintain order, but not at the cost of liberty. A democracy
01:17should fear violence, not peaceful dissent. And yes, whether there is a regime change
01:24or not, will not be decided in the end with street protest. It will be decided by the ballot
01:31box. Let's leave it in the end to Janata Janardhan. But at least respect the Janata of this democracy
01:40of ours. And only then can we call India a true mother of democracy. Think about it.
01:48it will
