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24 Feb, 2016

Indian Greenpeace campaigner blasts growing assault on freedom, dissent and democracy

Over the last few days, different parts of our fine nation have churned, with activists championing a variety of causes and students reclaiming their democratic right to debate issues like the death penalty, tribal rights, Dalit access to education, forests under threat from mining interests and state repression. As democratic voices rise to levels that can no longer be ignored, surprisingly, the prime minister’s response has been to suggest that there is an elaborately choreographed conspiracy, which may involve NGOs, to challenge his leadership.

This isn’t surprising. After all, the government and its overzealous agencies have invested considerable energy in muzzling dissent — the coming together of civil society is the result of this campaign. Meanwhile, depressing stories continue to pour out: Most recently, tribal rights activists, like Soni Sori, have been subjected to the worst forms of repression.

Read the rest: We, the conspirators | The Indian Express