On the morning of Tuesday 28 August 2018, India’s democracy took one of its worst hits since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by the divisive, authoritarian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took office in 2014.
Police in the state of Maharashtra raided the homes of nine activists, known for their work helping the poor and underprivileged, to probe their role in a clash between upper- and lower-caste Hindus in the village of Koregaon Bhima in January. Following the raids, the activists were detained and accused of links with the Maoists rebels that have been waging a people’s war against the Indian government for decades. India considers the Maoists – also known as Naxals from the Naxalbari movement in Bengal – the biggest threat to its internal security.
