Is history repeating itself? Just as a powerful government in Bangladesh could not withstand public protest, is a similar scene now taking shape in India? Is Narendra Modi, the most powerful figure in Indian politics for more than a decade, now facing the biggest test of his political career? These are not merely emotional questions — they arise from facts, reports, and the current political climate, and they deserve careful examination.
The student movement in Bangladesh plunged a government long considered strong into a severe crisis. That episode sparked a new debate across South Asia over whether public pressure, youth movements, and demands for freedom of expression can reshape the region’s politics. Against this backdrop, several developments inside India have also drawn the attention of observers.
According to a report by the Indian outlet The Wire, journalists in India faced violence, arrests, legal pressure, and censorship during 2025. The report claimed that thousands of journalists experienced various forms of harassment, that several journalists and a social media influencer were reported killed, and that dozens of people were arrested in cases related to freedom of expression. The same report noted numerous recorded violations related to freedom of expression in Gujarat, alongside legal action, pressure, and the suspension of social media accounts belonging to individuals critical of the government. These are the same concerns that international press-freedom and human-rights organizations have been raising for years. The report also referenced the 2023 tax raids on the BBC’s Indian offices, which some observers have cited as an example of pressure on the media, while the Indian government has maintained that such actions were lawful procedure.
In recent months, several Indian cities have witnessed protests by students, young people, and opposition parties over various issues. Disagreements over employment, inflation, examination systems, state policies, freedom of expression, and certain government decisions have further heightened political tensions. Opposition parties accuse the government of weakening democratic institutions, while the government rejects these accusations, maintaining that the law applies equally to everyone and that the country’s democratic system remains fully functional. It is also worth noting that although Modi has remained in power since the last general election, his party no longer holds the decisive parliamentary majority it once did — a shift that has kept political analysts closely watching new political alignments.
History shows that every country’s political circumstances, constitutional framework, judiciary, parliament, military, public support, and economic conditions differ. For this reason, a direct comparison between Bangladesh and India would not be accurate. Still, it can be said that in any democracy, when dissent, a free press, and public trust begin to erode, political pressure tends to rise. For India — often called the world’s largest democracy — this is a significant moment of testing.
Will the government be able to respond effectively to the questions being raised about freedom of expression? Is the anger among young people temporary, or could it reshape the country’s political future? And, most importantly, will Modi’s leadership weather this pressure as it has before, or is India entering a new political era? That answer will ultimately be decided in the coming months — by the Indian people themselves.
This analysis is based on available reports and the current political situation, presenting both the government’s position and critics’ allegations in a balanced manner.
