The price of dissent: From JNU to Kirtipur

Modern authoritarianism does not always announce itself through the suspension of elections, the dissolution of Parliament or the arrival of soldiers on the streets. It can grow inside formally democratic systems, through the gradual redefinition of who is entitled to democratic rights.

Its politics is apocalyptic. Society is repeatedly told that it faces an exceptional danger: anti-nationals, urban extremists, infiltrators, foreign agents, disorderly students, politically motivated activists or people supposedly obstructing the state’s work. The identity of the enemy may change, but the political requirement remains constant. Power needs an internal adversary against whom extraordinary conduct can be presented as necessary governance.