What Qualifications Do We Require To Criticize The Indian Government?

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. After cricket, criticizing our government is probably India’s favourite pastime. Or at least, it was until recently. You don’t have to go too far into the past to find examples of people rising up in arms over any sort of criticism of our government.

So while derping around the Internet, we came across this:

It even sparked a debate on Reddit as well

While the most recent examples of outrage are against criticisms of the current Modi government, this does raise some interesting questions about the way we take criticism in general.

Whether we be a Modi fan or a Gandhi supporter, lately we’ve all become a bit too sensitive when it comes to accepting criticism. Disagreeing with someone’s opinion isn’t wrong at all, in fact a healthy debate is always a good idea.

But nowadays, our first reaction is to lash out with anger, personal insults, derogatory insinuations and even direct threats.

The list is endless. From Neha Dhupia , to Kavita Krishnan and Shruti Seth , you almost get the feeling that criticism isn’t allowed.

Which brings us back to the original question. Is anyone really qualified to criticize our government?