Changing times: The musclemen of new India are crushing old values | The Indian Express

Changing times: The musclemen of new India are crushing old values | The Indian Express

Written by Kapil Sibal |Updated: September 19, 2019 10:19:48 am

The writer, a senior Congress leader, is a former Union minister.

Changing times: The musclemen of new India are crushing old values

The muscleman on the ground kills because he demands obedience to his beliefs. The muscleman in the university targets faculties who disagree with the new norm. The muscleman in court tries to dictate to the judge: This is an era of musclemen and the rule of law has little value.

The muscleman in court tries to dictate to the judge: This is an era of musclemen and the rule of law has little value.

I yearn for the days when political giants spoke in measured tones, dialogues were bereft of angst, and opponents tried to understand and respect the other’s point of view. I yearn for the days when there was no fear of the taxman breathing down our necks on a daily basis and when institutions were sensitive to people’s concerns. I yearn for the day when I could live a life unhassled by the blood bath on television channels, and gory stories of rape and murder in print did not accompany our morning cups of tea.