Creating fear is an art. One of its achievements is producing silence: no one talks about the atmosphere of fear because of the fear. This theme formed part of a video conversation between the Congress member of parliament, Rahul Gandhi, and the industrialist, Rajiv Bajaj. Fear, their exchange revealed, can work on a personalized basis; apparently, speaking to Mr Gandhi not only takes guts, but it is also an enormous impediment in the ease of doing business. Mr Bajaj was frankly advised just not to do it — a conversation with Mr Gandhi is supposed to be much worse than criticizing the government on television. This is a most disconcerting perception. It can arise only from an awareness of active hostility towards the Opposition, especially one of its leaders, which may lead — such is the feeling — to paying a price for the intrepidity of discussing matters with him. Clearly, the democratic spirit has been all but stifled. If businessmen cannot even speak to Opposition leaders for fear of being penalized then the edifice of a parliamentary democracy has been gravely undermined. In that context, the video meet was of overwhelming importance. For example, the two speakers aired their reasons for disagreeing with the harshness of the lockdown, discussing the negative effects it has had socially and economically, and possible ways out. People may have forgotten that a democracy needs the input of many minds and much debate; it is not a matter of a single voice and a single whip-hand.

Mr Bajaj also referred to the general, not personalized, atmosphere of fear, something his father had spoken of in the presence of the Union home minister and finance minister last November. Business cannot thrive in such an environment. No improvement has taken place in this environment; it is true of all spheres, not just business. The police enter university campuses to beat up students, harass and hurt protesters, even migrant workers on their way home with no help from the State and permit others to perpetrate violence on select targets too, while they keep up a steady stream of arrests of students, activists and peaceful protesters even during lockdown. This is the fear machinery in ceaseless operation. And it cannot stop operating because, ironically, people have not stopped speaking up.