From Grace to Gag Order: How indian Democracy Was Rewired in Just 12 Years

There was a time when power bowed to dignity. When a newly sworn-in prime minister walked across party lines—not to dominate, not to threaten, but to pay respect. When ideological rivals could disagree fiercely yet still embrace as indians first. That time wasn’t ancient history. It was India before 2014. And looking back now, the contrast is so sharp it hurts.

The change, laid bare

1) The oath that set the tone
At his first oath ceremony, Manmohan Singh didn’t project conquest. He projected continuity. Calm. Institutional respect. Power, without swagger.

2) Respect before reward
Before meeting his own party’s power center, he went to the Opposition. That single act said more than a thousand speeches: the office is bigger than the party.

3) The hugs that meant something
He embraced Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L. K. Advani—men who were not allies, but adversaries. And yet, they were treated as stakeholders in the republic, not enemies of the state.

4) parliament as a battleground of ideas, not egos
Disruption existed. Anger existed. But debate existed more. The Opposition spoke, questioned, embarrassed the government—and democracy breathed.

5) Fast-forward to today: the volume is high, the space is gone
Now, the leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is repeatedly denied the floor in the Parliament of India. Not shouted down—switched off.

6) What changed wasn’t just leadership—it was attitude
Since Narendra Modi took office, power stopped pretending it needed consent. The majority turned into a monopoly. Mandate into muscle.

7) Opposition rebranded as obstruction
Criticism is no longer counter-power; it’s framed as anti-national noise. Questioning the government is treated less like a democratic duty and more like a provocation.

8) Institutions learned fear
When cameras cut, microphones mute, and suspensions replace answers, the message travels fast: silence is safer than scrutiny.

9) The biggest loss: political grace
Not policies. Not elections. Grace. The ability to disagree without dehumanizing. To win without humiliating. To rule without erasing.

10) Why this hurts more than it should
Because we’ve seen another India. Not perfect. Not corruption-free. But one where leaders respected the process even when they hated the opponent.

The bottom line

This isn’t nostalgia. It’s a contrast.

Twelve years ago, power shook hands. Today, it clenches fists.
Twelve years ago, parliament argued. Today, it adjourns.
Twelve years ago, democracy trusted noise. Today, it fears it.

We didn’t just change governments after 2014.
We changed the meaning of power.
And until disagreement is treated as patriotism again, that old photograph will keep breaking hearts—one hug at a time. 💔