It is interesting that the Indian government is choosing to raise the bogey of Bangladesh “regime change,” and not, for example, last year’s Nepal narrative, to caution against what is happening in this country. Widespread street protests have broken out across India in recent months foregrounding some fundamental issues at stake for the survival of Indian democracy.

The undertone of the government narrative about the protests is also interesting and echoes one which is often raised when there is need to distract attention from issues of state accountability. What happened in Bangladesh, according to the unstated narrative, is that terrorist elements infiltrated the movement and, fueled by funding from “foreign” sources, toppled a legitimately elected government, forcing the elected leader to flee and the government to collapse, creating chaos. 

The government chooses, however, not to cite what happened last year in Nepal, where actions of the government, including a total social media ban and an extremely heavy handed approach against primarily young protesters, sparked a series of events which forced the elected government to relinquish office and make way for an election under a neutral umpire that resulted in a new-look government under a youthful prime minister.

A Specious Narrative

Comparing what is happening in India with what happened in 2024 in Bangladesh appears more an attempt to divert the narrative from the issues at stake than otherwise. For the head of the RSS, the ideological fountainhead of the ruling BJP, to speak of "foreign agents" seeking to destabilize India in his annual address seeks to reinforce that narrative.

The comparison however, appears specious: what is happening across India is different from the street and student protests that forced regime change in countries across South Asia, from Sri Lanka’s ‘Aragalaya’ of 2022, to the 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina, and even the 2025 Nepal protests. Unlike their South Asian counterparts or those across Europe, where widespread violence has erupted, particularly in France, protesters in India have been peaceful. What has stood out is the heavy-handedness of the state machinery, prompting a judge of the apex court to point out that a “hammer” was not required to quell an ant.

According to those who have participated in and plan to continue their public protests, the Indian freedom struggle against colonial rule and the legacy of “satyagraha” and non-violent non-cooperation, is what these young and well educated protesters have taken as their example to emulate. They seek government accountability and certain basic guarantees to end their protest.

The government, however, refuses to speak to those protesting about electoral malpractices, choosing instead to direct the narrative toward charges of ‘regime change’. With all the levers of power at their command, including a judiciary which has lost trust among the people, the government has chosen to disregard the genuine concerns, instead peddling a faux narrative of violence and terror and “foreign” sourcing of protest, while talking down to those protesting.

Triggering of Street Protests

Protests in India were recently sparked by actions of the administration which directly affected the protesters; the spate of exam papers being ‘leaked’ to a few, for money, left the majority who honestly put in considerable effort hanging. The resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan ended phase 1 of the protests since it appeared to be the government’s way of accepting some accountability, for the trauma and deaths of students by suicide that exam paper leakages had caused.

The current phase of the street protests resulted after an investigative report by the Indian Express exposed a questionable process of voter roll revision rolled out by India’s electoral ombudsman, the Election Commission of India (ECI), that sought millions of Indian citizens the right to vote. It is ironic that those electoral rolls which were “revised” were deemed suitable when the general elections were held in 2024, bringing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP back to office for a third term.

Also, many of the “Gen Z” protesters, enrolling as first time voters, have been required to prove not only their own citizenship, but that of their parents too, making the issue one of immediate concern to millions of young people already looking at a difficult future, with their education and employment prospects not giving them much cause for hope.

Street protests have now aligned with those by political parties, headed by the principal opposition Congress party, also opposing the alleged machinations of the ECI. It appears possible that protesters of the so called ‘Cockroach’ party and mainstream political parties opposing the BJP will align their protests more closely in the future, to optimise impact.

Protests on the street are continuing, even as the government continues to forcefully suppress them. What happens next is evolving and remains to be seen. However, it is certain that we live in “interesting times” where the word from the streets will perhaps echo louder and louder in the corridors of power. How the State responds to it will determine largely the trajectory of Indian democracy. 

(The writer is a senior Indian journalist and analyst. The views expressed are personal. She can be reached at nilovarc@gmail.com)