by – Antony Renson
A government that fears criticism is the greatest curse upon a democracy. In recent times, a deeply worrying trend has gained momentum in our country one where the right to dissent and the freedom to question those in power are viewed with absolute paranoia. The latest and most alarming examples of this are the suspension of Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng’s social media accounts, and the abrupt geo-blocking of ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ a satirical account that gained massive popularity within days by X formerly Twitter in India.Helle Lyng, a journalist from Norway a country that ranks first in global press freedom asked the Prime Minister a remarkably simple question: “Why do you not face questions from the free press of the world?” Shortly after this single question went viral on social media, her Instagram and Facebook accounts mysteriously vanished. In a similar vein, CJP, an account born out of a remark by the Chief Justice of India that critiqued government policies through sharp political satire, was blocked on X in India following a ‘legal demand’. One is forced to wonder: did a satirical account gaining more followers on Instagram than the ruling party become the trigger to declare a digital emergency…?”A democratic nation is measured by the degree to which its citizens can question those in power, not by the degree to which the orders of the rulers are blindly obeyed.”These actions are not mere technical ‘account suspensions’; they are deliberate attempts to wipe out the voices of dissent. IT laws and executive powers, which are meant to be weaponized against hate speech and fake news, are instead being turned against journalists, political critics, and satirists who dare to question the establishment.Targeting a foreign journalist with cyber-attacks and account deletions for merely asking a question severely damages India’s democratic image on the global stage. It seems that those who evade the questions of their own citizens now fear the scrutiny of the international community as well.Humour, satire, and political criticism have historically been an integral part of Indian democracy. We belong to a political tradition where leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi were routinely lampooned through cartoons and speeches. Today, however, the state machinery has become so imprisoned by intolerance that it cannot withstand even a single troll or a harmless joke.This trend is profoundly anti-democratic and unconstitutional. Those who believe they can achieve temporary victory by shutting down critical accounts must remember one thing: you can deactivate an account, but no digital censorship can suppress the questions and dissent brewing in the minds of the people. The fact that a new account named ‘Cockroach is Back’ emerged within hours of CJP being blocked is proof of this resilience. Muzzling voices will only push democracy into deeper peril. The government must urgently end this intolerance and guarantee the freedom of digital spaces for dissent.
