Democratic Backslide or Backlash in India? | Prof. Ajay Gudavarthy | LAOT | NALSAR University of Law

What happens when a government silences dissent, excludes minorities, and still wins elections – over and over again? Authoritarianism is rising – but not without consent. Across the world, the story is eerily similar: populist leaders dismantling democratic safeguards, while deepening emotional legitimacy. In this episode, LAOT Editors Hamza Khan and Bharati Challa speak with political theorist Prof. Ajay Gudavarthy about the strange contradiction at the heart of Indian democracy today. This conversation dives deep into the politics of self-worth, community, fear, storytelling, and power; and asks whether we can imagine a better story.