The Iih movement and beyond

Extra-party protests are likely to be popular if conventional parties’ roles become less credible.

Democracy without dissent is a sham. But the forms of dissent and protest vary from context to context. When formal opposition within Parliament and outside fails to play an effective and responsible role and it becomes insensitive to the sufferings of the people or when the political elite become too selfish and chair-centric, the political system itself becomes dysfunctional and corrupt. Thus, the theories and practices of modern democratic governance have undergone sea changes as leaders in government and the opposition come together when their personal interests converge. As a result, the very idea of democratic opposition has been diluted and downgraded, and that inevitably opens new grounds for other forms of protest for pressing the government to look into the grievances of the general people.