When rules and institutions are commanded by the rulers, the Opposition cannot play by the rules and make any point.... That is when ordinary politics does not work. And that is the moment of extraordinary politics...... Re-upping this piece from April 2023 in the @the_hindu, as @RahulGandhi pushes the boundaries on what is allowed and what is not, in protest. The End of Ordinary Politics 'When order is reconstituted, the instruments of the previous regime are taken over rather than replaced. As it happened at the founding of the Republic, its transition to a Hindutva order was quickly followed by a reframing of what is legitimate politics. The long journey of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act over many decades through various regimes is instructive. Since 2019, individuals, and not only organisations, can be notified as ‘terrorist’. Mere association with an illegal outfit makes an individual liable regardless of the commission of any illegal act. The Supreme Court of India told protestors at Shaheen Bagh (2019-20) that they must act within the bounds of law. Any criticism of the government is portrayed as anti-national; restrictions on freedom of expression are enforced for undisclosed national security reasons, and foreign links make any opinion questionable. Simultaneously, the Ayodhya insurrection has been legitimised as a sovereign act through a judicial process, retrospectively. If institutions and law reproduce entrenched order, change often comes from the grey zones beyond them — from M.K. Gandhi to Rosa Parks, from Nepal Maoists to those who were labelled “eco terrorists” by the U.S. legal system, change and order are often conflicting precepts. Much like those in power use the law and institutions, those who challenge them also can use it, but only to a limited extent. The real challenge can come only through popular mobilisation, extraordinary politics….' You will be able to read it without hitting a paywall for 24 hours. The end of ordinary politics - The Hindu thehindu.com/opinion/lead/th…