Is 2026 the beginning of the end of the Modi era?

In 2011, Delhi became the epicentre of protests that three years later, culminated in the toppling of the Manmohan Singh government.

Fifteen years later, the national capital is once again aflame with protests. Will they similarly build up momentum for political change in 2029?

There are strong parallels between 2011 and 2026.

In 2011, after protests in Jantar Mantar in April, Ramlila Maidan saw two rounds of mass demonstrations – the first in June, the second in August.

This year, barely two months after young people took over Jantar Mantar in June, a second wave is building up, with the police this week blocking even Opposition leaders from reaching the protest square.

In 2011, it was about “corruption”. In 2026, it is about “rigging” – of exam papers, of the election system. This year’s summer protests at Jantar Mantar ended with the resignation of the education minister. Now, protestors are demanding that the chief election commissioner step down for a botched-up revision of electoral rolls that has led to mass voter disenfranchisement.

The specific causes aside, when protests begin attracting large numbers of people who are willing to risk police beatings and detentions, it is usually a sign of a deep disenchantment setting in – what in political parlance is often called...

Read more