In a not so shocking revelation between March and July 2026, @ 1,96,000 take down orders were issued from MEITY and Amit Shah's office to X, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube to remove content from their platforms. Interestingly this was the period which saw maximum protests against the government regarding the paper leaks. On many occasions the internet was shut down so that the protesters could not communicate. A record 65 shutdowns across 12 states in 2025, the highest among democracies does no good to the government's image. This was the biggest social media censorship in the world. When a democracy begins silencing dissent every sixty-eight seconds, there is no accountability. Wiping out critical voices strikes at the core of a free society. A healthy democracy cannot survive on manufactured consensus; it demands fearless journalism, public scrutiny, and the right to question authority without fear of retaliation. Silencing critics does not project strength, it exposes an assault on constitutional freedoms and cowardice. Dissent is not a threat to the nation; it is the ultimate safeguard of democracy, only cowards resort to quelling dissent.
VINAY DWIVEDI, Benaulim
