Stepping out of the echo chamber

With great power - measured by the metrics of 240 Lok Sabha seats and governments in 17 states - comes great accountability. This reminder lies at the core of the weeks-long protests that successfully forced the Modi government last weekend to relieve itself of a Union minister perceived to have not measured up to his task. It was also a lesson to correct what boomers usually accuse Gen Z of: an 'attitude problem'. This lesson applies not just to government but also to the other Great Communicator, 'mainstream media'.

While the NEET protests were specifically about fixing India's literally leaky exam system - and administrative accountability - it also provided ample proof of the limits of politeness. When any critique is seen by government - any government - and its perceived amplifiers always as an assault on its legitimacy, norms of what is polite and impolite move outside the ambit of 'spin'. Ironically, the Instagram and meme generation reminded the nation what it may not have wanted to know: that substance is as important as style. They also underlined the need for people holding a stage or mic to listen, respond and answer. A place where divergent opinions can clash without fear of reprisal shouldn't just be India's many 'Jantar Mantars', but India itself.

Assigning mala fide intentions to every legitimate grievance is a toolkit past its sell-by date. This is a 'wake up and smell the cutting-chai' moment for ruling dispensations and their uncritical allies. The thing about delusion and deification is that their creators tend to become their sole consumers. GoI has taken the right step to detox from this echo chamber. It must now stick to the very reasonable demand of a clear-eyed India that expects narratives to match actions.