When Criticism Becomes a Crime: India's Slide Toward Authoritarianism
In recent weeks, the arrest of Ali Khan Mahmudabad — a respected academic and political analyst — in what appears to be a politically motivated case of sedition has sent shockwaves through India’s intellectual community. Accused of "sedition" for critiquing mob lynching and raising concerns about growing intolerance, his detention is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing trend that signals a dangerous shift in India’s democratic fabric.
The Criminalization of Dissent
Academia, journalism, and civil society have long been the pillars of a functioning democracy — spaces where questions are asked, systems are challenged, and uncomfortable truths are aired. But today, these very institutions are under siege. Scholars are being arrested in fabricated cases, journalists are threatened or silenced for reporting inconvenient facts, and activists face smear campaigns branding them as "anti-national."
The message is clear: if you dare to question government policies — whether on unemployment, educational malpractice, mob violence, or religious polarization — you risk being targeted by the state and vilified online. The chilling reality is that your bank account can be frozen, your name blacklisted, and your family threatened — all without due process.
Ali Khan Mahmudabad’s case is emblematic of this pattern. His arrest on sedition charges — a colonial-era law meant to suppress dissent — is a blatant misuse of legal mechanisms to silence critical voices. This is not justice; it is intimidation.
Women Under Threat
What makes this climate even more alarming is the gendered nature of intimidation. Women who speak out — especially those advocating for interfaith harmony, minority rights, or social justice — are increasingly subjected to vile abuse. Rape threats, doxxing, and character assassination have become standard tools of silencing women in public life. These are not fringe acts; they are part of a coordinated effort to deter participation and instill fear.
A Failing Democratic Framework
India once prided itself on being the world’s largest democracy — a country where courts were independent, elections free, and dissent protected. Today, however, judicial integrity is under question. Courts are overburdened, delayed, and often fail to hold the powerful accountable. Electoral frauds go uninvestigated, voter suppression tactics are ignored, and the very idea of fair representation is eroding.
With each passing day, the line between governance and mob rule blurs further. Bulldozers raze homes and businesses without notice. Citizens live in fear of arbitrary enforcement actions. And yet, many remain silent, hoping that staying quiet will keep them safe.
The Cost of Silence
But silence is complicity. And complicity emboldens authoritarianism.
When we allow one person to be silenced for speaking truth, we all become vulnerable. When we ignore the targeting of minorities, intellectuals, or activists, we pave the way for our own marginalization tomorrow. There is no immunity in apathy.
The Power of Collective Resistance
History teaches us that no tyranny lasts forever when people unite against it. From the civil rights movement in the U.S. to anti-apartheid struggles in South Africa, from the fall of dictatorships in Latin America to the Arab Spring uprisings, the power of collective action has always held the potential to reshape societies.
India now stands at a crossroads. We must ask ourselves: how much injustice are we willing to tolerate before we rise? How many arrests of scholars, beatings of students, or bulldozings of homes will it take before citizens say “enough”?
The time to act is not when it affects us personally — it is now. Before the space for protest disappears entirely. Before the last independent voice is muzzled. Before the last court loses its courage.
Because if we don’t stand together, soon none of us will be standing at all.
Call to Action:
Support organizations defending civil liberties. Speak out against injustice. Protect the right to dissent. Attend peaceful protests. Share stories that challenge the status quo. Demand accountability from elected representatives. Write to human rights bodies. File PILs. Educate others.
Democracy does not die with a bang — it dies with silence. Do not let India become a nation ruled by fear.
Speak. Resist. Act. Before it’s too late.