# Modi Faces Growing Unrest as Democratic Norms Face Challenges Widespread protests and electoral roll revisions signal a shift in India's political landscape. - **Source:** [The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-11 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/f6b9a2e8-7c38-422e-b1f5-c3e1cab7d679 ## Erosion of Political Invincibility Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decade-long strategy of using fear to suppress dissent appears to be faltering. Recent months have seen a surge in public protests, challenging the government's previously unassailable image. Young citizens, disillusioned by economic stagnation and crumbling public education, are increasingly vocal in their opposition to the current administration. ## Summer Protests Spark Change During the summer of 2025, tens of thousands of students gathered in Delhi to demand the education minister's resignation. Despite police using pellet guns and tear gas, the movement gained momentum, eventually forcing the minister out. This success demonstrated that traditional government intimidation tactics were losing their effectiveness against a mobilized youth. ## Shifting Demographics of Dissent Unlike previous protests involving marginalized communities, the summer demonstrations included many privileged Hindu families. This shift made it harder for the Bharatiya Janata Party to use its standard playbook of vilification. The government’s attempts to use social media and youthful slang to appease these protesters were met with widespread public mockery. ## Controversial Voter Roll Revisions In June 2025, the election commission initiated a Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, removing 130 million names. Critics argue the process lacked transparency and disproportionately targeted Muslim and female voters. Research suggests that in some West Bengal constituencies, nearly 95 percent of deleted voters were Muslim, raising serious questions about electoral fairness. ## Questioning Institutional Independence Activist Anjali Bhardwaj discovered that the election commission did not officially initiate the voter roll revision, despite being the only body constitutionally empowered to do so. Investigations by The Indian Express revealed that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar made several decisions unilaterally, violating the requirement for consensus among the three-member commission. ## State Response to Protests On October 10, authorities transformed central Delhi into a fortress to prevent mass demonstrations. Over 40,000 police officers were deployed, metro stations were closed, and internet services were suspended. Authorities detained thousands of protesters and journalists, employing a quieter, more systematic strategy of pre-emptive arrests to prevent large-scale public gatherings. ## Widespread Economic Discontent Beyond electoral issues, labor unrest is rising across the country. Since January, workers in at least 10 states have staged 275 strikes. In Madhya Pradesh, tribal residents protested an $87 billion river-linking project, while students in Mumbai and Delhi organized demonstrations over caste discrimination and the restoration of defunct student unions. ## The Cost of Disenfranchisement The voter roll revision has had consequences beyond voting rights. In West Bengal, deleted voters were denied welfare entitlements, despite Supreme Court clarifications that the revision was not a citizenship test. A two-tier system emerged where some individuals were marked as VIPs, allowing them to bypass the cumbersome restoration process required for others. ## Surveillance and Public Resistance Activists report that the state’s intense surveillance has forced protesters to organize in smaller, scattered groups. While this makes sustained mass mobilization difficult, it has not extinguished the movement. Many citizens view the government's heavy-handed police tactics as a clear admission of fear rather than a genuine display of political strength. ## Regional Variations in Outrage While protests remain intense in the capital, the reaction to electoral roll issues varies significantly across India. Political scientists note that in southern states like Telangana and Tamil Nadu, the outrage is less widespread. For many in these regions, the voter roll deletions are viewed primarily as an administrative issue rather than a crisis. ## The Spring Metaphor Activists like Naureen Sabba compare the current state of repression to a compressed spring. They argue that the government’s efforts to suppress dissent will eventually backfire, causing the movement to recoil with greater force. This perspective suggests that the current political tension is building toward a potentially more volatile future confrontation. ## Crisis of Democratic Credibility The combination of controversial electoral revisions, police violence, and widespread strikes has created a significant credibility crisis for Indian democracy. Analysts suggest that the government's habit of labeling critics as anti-national is no longer effective. The movement now represents a fundamental challenge to the prime minister's long-standing aura of political invincibility. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.theatlantic.com/international/2026/11/modi-india-cockroach-party/689370/?utm_source=feed — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._