Ramaswami: All these demonstrate the creativity of activists, who are innovating, considering the restriction on mobilisations and social distancing norms that need to be respected during this period of health crisis. It is precisely this innovation and adaptability of protests that is irking the ruling classes and creating panic among them. If this is the situation during a period when restrictions are in place, they are contemplating what will be the situation, once these restrictions are relaxed. It is with these considerations that they are preparing and planning to curtail democracy, before it turns against them. While it is nobody’s contention that during the spread of such pandemics there should be some restrictions on the movement of people, government’s are using them as a ruse to curtail democratic rights and move towards authoritarianism.