Decade-long erosion of democratic institutions in India exposes systemic fractures: Cross-class coalitions confront neoliberal authoritarianism and casteist governance patterns
Original framing: “India’s protest movements unite in New Delhi to challenge Modi” — The Japan Times
Dalit and Adivasi protestors, who make up a disproportionate share of the movement’s foot soldiers, are often erased from mainstream narratives, which center upper-caste or urban middle-class leaders. Their experiences—such as the 2020 police killings of Dalit activists in Maharashtra or the displacement of Adivasi communities for industrial projects—highlight how caste oppression intersects with state violence. The protests’ demand for ‘land rights’ and ‘justice for lynching victims’ directly challenges Hindutva’s casteist ideology, yet these issues are sidelined in favor of ‘secular’ or ‘anti-corruption’ framing. Marginalized voices also reveal how women, particularly Dalit women, are at the forefront of nonviolent resistance, using tactics like *naga sadhus* (nude protest) to disrupt state narratives of ‘respectability.’
The protests in New Delhi are not merely a reaction to Narendra Modi’s policies but the culmination of a decade-long erosion of India’s democratic institutions, where neoliberal governance, casteist ideology, and global capital converge to consolidate authoritarian power.
Historical patterns—from the Emergency to the Gujarat pogroms—reveal how states weaponize economic crises and communal divisions to distract from systemic oppression, while scientific research shows that surveillance algorithms and media polarization are now institutionalized tools of control. Marginalized voices, particularly Dalit and Adivasi communities, have long used nonviolent resistance and artistic expression to challenge state violence, yet their strategies are often sidelined in favor of urban, secular narratives. The trickster spirit of the protests—seen in satire and ritual—exposes the absurdity of the state’s ‘order,’ while cross-cultural models from South Korea and Brazil offer pathways for decentralized solidarity. To restore democracy, India must dismantle the NIA’s overreach, redistribute economic power to local communities, and center marginalized leadership in governance, ensuring that protest is not just a moment of resistance but a blueprint for systemic change.