Editor,
The BJP-led NDA Government and above all, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have now completed twelve years continuously at the apex of Indian politics. Add to that his long tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, and Modi occupies a unique place in India’s political history. Much has been written about his years in office. Much more will be written in the future. The shortest summary may be this: Modi survived self-inflicted crises such as demonetisation and the troubled rollout of the GST, while simultaneously navigating challenges not entirely of his own making—the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the disruption of global supply chains, the rise of Trump-style populism across the world, and the recurring tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Admirers see resilience; critics see missed opportunities. Historians will continue the debate.
The condition of the opposition is hardly worth mentioning. Its weaknesses have been catalogued so often that they now resemble a technical formality. Yet the most intriguing feature of contemporary Indian politics is neither the government nor the opposition. It is the state of the people themselves—the Janata.
The Janata are permanently in election mode. They discuss politics with the enthusiasm of cricket commentators and the memory span of social media feeds. Every scandal becomes a trending topic, every policy a battlefield, every speech a national event. Yet when one looks at electoral outcomes, a curious pattern emerges.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP secured 31.34% of the popular vote and won 282 seats. In 2019, its vote share rose to 37.70%, translating into 303 seats. In 2024, despite a reduced tally of 240 seats, it still secured 36.56% of the vote. Across three elections, the broad contours of political preference have remained remarkably stable. This raises an uncomfortable question: have we, the Janata, achieved such a state of political enlightenment that we no longer concern ourselves with who represents us? Or have we simply become spectators rather than citizens?
Democracy demands more than participation every five years. It requires scrutiny, curiosity, and occasionally the willingness to disappoint our preferred political tribe. Yet increasingly, voters appear to treat politics as fans treat a sporting rivalry. Governments are judged not by whether they govern well, but by whether they defeat the other side. Oppositions are evaluated not by the quality of their alternatives, but by the cleverness of their insults.
The result is a strange political hibernation. Citizens remain awake for campaigns but asleep during governance. We rage over slogans but ignore legislative performance. We debate personalities while neglecting institutions. MPs are elected by millions and then often disappear from public examination until the next election cycle. In between, the citizen retreats into a comfortable slumber, occasionally waking up to repost a viral clip before returning to sleep.
Perhaps this is the great irony of Indian democracy. We are one of the most electorally energetic societies in the world, yet often one of the least demanding between elections. We celebrate voting day as a festival, but rarely treat citizenship as a year-round responsibility.
A Meghalaya Cabinet Minister once famously remarked that he could “sleep at home” and still win elections. The statement was intended as a display of political confidence. Yet it may also serve as an unintended commentary on the state of our democracy. Politicians can afford to sleep because voters often do the same.
If this trend continues, Narendra Modi—or whoever succeeds him—may well discover that campaigning is no longer the difficult part of politics. The electorate has become so accustomed to permanent political theatre that governance itself attracts less attention than the performance surrounding it.
The question before us is not whether any incumbent government succeeds or fails, nor whether the opposition revives itself. The more important question is whether the Janata intends to wake up.
Yours etc.,
Narottam Subedi,
Shillong – 2
How consumers are taken for a ride
Editor,
If people think that buying products online from reputable companies is always guaranteed to be safe, then they are completely wrong. In the past one and a half months, I have had two bitter experiences with online purchases. About a month ago, I bought quite an expensive item from Amazon but received it “underweight” by exactly 100 grams. I put in a complaint, but nothing has come of it to this day.
Similarly in April, thanks to misleading ads on Amazon, I got tempted to buy a Pexpo Flexo 500ml steel flask, even though I didn’t really need it. The item arrived within five days. Being tied up with other work, I didn’t check it right away. Two weeks later, I opened it and found its stopper was totally defective. It just spun around on its axis. It wouldn’t seal, which meant I couldn’t keep water or tea hot for even half an hour.
I instantly contacted Amazon. After being kept on hold for about 40 minutes, a customer service representative finally came on the line. He assured me of a replacement and mentioned that the product carried a one-year warranty. To see if the company would honour its word, I called Amazon four more times. Each time the wait was longer, and each time nothing changed. Honestly, it felt like I was stuck in a never-ending game of “hold the line.” No replacement ever arrived. I finally “gave up,” realizing it was a sheer waste of my precious time.
If a person like me, who knows to raise complaints, is left in the lurch, what about others who do not even know how to seek redressal? My neighbour told me she received a mobile phone worth about Rs 13,000 with a manufacturing defect. She discovered it after three weeks and tried contacting Flipkart, but got nowhere. I am now convinced that warranties in online purchases of small items are nothing more than a mirage.
What I can conclude from this is that every day, millions of customers are let down. What’s worse is if one is determined to call the consumer forum whose toll-free number the government advertises periodically, no real solution ever comes. No kidding, I have several frustrating experiences from the past to prove it. In fact, there is practically no authority for poor consumers to turn to for support, not even the police.
For instance, for many years, Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone have been selling “data plans” without providing any service at all. Charging money without providing service is a criminal act right? Isn’t it a bitter reality, while all concerned authorities stay completely mum? This is how countless poor consumers in the country are taken for a ride, indeed looted outright, by unscrupulous merchants day after day and hour after hour.
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong
Needed Street Lights in Jingkieng Nongthymmai
Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the tragic incident that occurred on June 14, 2026, when the body of a man and a woman were recovered from a local pan shop at Jingkieng Nongthymmai.
While the circumstances surrounding the deaths are still under investigation, the incident highlights a long-standing issue in the locality—the absence of functional street lights along the main road. As a resident living adjacent to the area where the incident occurred, I have witnessed how the lack of proper street lighting has left the neighbourhood dark and unsafe, particularly during the night.
Adequate street lighting is essential for public safety and can help deter criminal activities. I therefore earnestly request the authorities concerned, particularly the Shillong Smart City Project and the MEPDCL, to take immediate steps to ensure that street lights are repaired and made fully functional.
Yours etc.,
Gracefulness Rymmai
Via email
